Colorado Springs has been ranked dead last for singles in a new Consumer Affairs report, leaving many local residents struggling to find meaningful connections in the Olympic City.
I spoke with three local singles who shared their experiences navigating the dating scene in Colorado Springs, and their stories reveal common challenges that may explain the city's poor ranking.
"It's difficult to find genuine connections here," said Joyce Bassett.
Salem Edmondson described receiving "one word replies from people" and experiencing "ghosting for weeks." Christopher Ganuelas noted that "you can see a lot of different relationships and friendships going south more often than not."
Despite their different ages and reasons for living in Colorado Springs, Bassett, Edmondson and Ganuelas all share similar dating struggles.
"It's hard to find someone you connect with well out here," said Bassett.
Bassett recently finished her military service and decided to make Colorado Springs her permanent home.
"I was serving overseas and really would like to settle down," said Bassett. "It's been challenging."
Edmondson recently moved to Colorado Springs from the east coast and has found online dating particularly difficult.
"It's been challenging online. Some people aren't as open," said Edmondson.
Ganuelas has lived in Colorado his entire dating life, including six years in the Colorado National Guard at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora.
All three are looking for love but coming up short, and they believe they know why.
"The temporary-ness. It's a lot of military," one said.
"You might feel like you have a decent connection but if they're moving to a different duty location in a few months, that's gonna make long term a little difficult," another explained.
The Consumer Affairs report also cites high living costs and fewer places to go for first dates as possible reasons for Colorado Springs' poor ranking.
Professional matchmaker Jennifer Agin echoed these concerns.
"It's expensive to live here. There's a lot of people who aren't interested in dating. So, the numbers aren't going to be as high," said Agin.
For singles likeBassett, Edmondson and Ganuelas who are still searching for that special someone, Agin recommends moving beyond dating apps.
"Connect in person, I think that's what everybody wants," said Agin.
For those who remain single this Valentine's Day, there may be a silver lining for their wallets. A WalletHub survey predicts Americans will spend more than $29 billion on their loves this Valentine's Day, nearly $200 per person.
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A feature on the I-25 noise wall that you can only notice when it snows
Is the mountain design on the I-25 south wall intentional? It comes out a bit, so when snow falls, it tends to pile up and look like a snowcap.
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