Single in Your 20s: For the in-between: after someone, before someone, or happily neither. What being single in your twenties is actually like.
Single, and figuring out what that means for you.
Pick up where you left offSingle nowHow long should I wait before I worry about a reply?With someone you just met or matched with, a few hours means almost nothing and a full day usually means very little. In your 20s, when everyone seems to text nonstop, it helps to judge silence against their pace, not yours, and to answer a long gap with one easy follow-up rather than a worry spiral.Up next
See all- Leaving someoneHow do you end a situationship kindly?
- Dating when you want toHow do I text from a secure place with someone new?
- Dating when you want toWas I too anxious, or were they avoidant?
- Post-breakup lonelinessHow do you get over someone you were never officially with?
- Dating when you want toHow do I know if someone I'm seeing is lying?
Post-breakup lonelinessWhy does a breakup in your 20s feel so lonely?- Single nowIs this a red flag, or is it my anxiety?
- Leaving someoneShould I take them back after they cheated?
Topics
By the numbers
Half
of single U.S. adults are not looking for a relationship or dates right now.
Pew Research Center, 2020. U.S. adults, 2019 survey.
1 in 3
unmarried adults ages 22 to 35 are actively dating.
Wheatley Institute and Institute for Family Studies, 2026. 5,275 unmarried U.S. adults ages 22 to 35.
86%
of unmarried adults ages 22 to 35 expect to marry someday.
Wheatley Institute and Institute for Family Studies, 2026. 5,275 unmarried U.S. adults ages 22 to 35.
53%
of adults ages 18 to 29 have ever used a dating site or app.
Pew Research Center, 2023. 6,034 U.S. adults, July 2022.
Worth reading elsewhere
See allPew Research Center, 2020
A profile of single Americans (opens pewresearch.org)Data on who is single, who is looking, and why most singles under 30 are not in a hurry.
Scientific American
How to Recover from Romantic Heartbreak (opens scientificamerican.com)Research-backed steps for getting through heartbreak, including why replaying the good memories slows recovery.
The Gottman Institute
How to Know When Breaking Up Is the Healthiest Choice (opens gottman.com)Concrete signs that a relationship has stopped repairing itself, to help you decide whether to stay or go.
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