More People Are Living Alone – Especially in This Pa. City

Over 37 million Americans, 29% of all U.S. households, live alone, according to an analysis by the Chamber of Commerce using U.S. Census Bureau data.

In the last decade, the number of people living alone has increased by nearly 5 million. The COVID-19 pandemic alone added approximately 2.4 million more solo-dwellers since 2019. Year-over-year, one-person households have increased by 1.1 million.

In order to find the nation’s “loneliest” cities, the Chamber of Commerce analyzed housing data across more than 170 cities with populations of 150,000 or more according to the Census Bureau.

The loneliest city, for the second year in a row, is Washington, D.C., with nearly half (48.6%) of households being one-person households. The nation’s capital had a 3% year-over-year increase in single households from 2021 and ranked third and second for the number of men and women living alone, respectively.

Narrowly missing the top five, Pittsburgh is the sixth loneliest city. Out of 136,444 households, 62,894 (or 46.1%) were made up of just one person.

Pittsburgh is the eighth city with the most men living alone and the 12th city with the most women living alone. In Pittsburgh, 24.9% of men and 24.1% of women live alone.

Philadelphia also made the list of top cities with the most women living alone. At No. 22, 23.2% of Philly women are solo livers.

As living alone becomes more of a trend, mental health concerns may rise as well. Living alone can cause feelings of loneliness and be linked to mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. In one study, it was found that living alone can increase the risk of depression by 42%. As solo living becomes increasingly popular, it’s a good idea to find more ways to connect with friends, family and community members to maintain social and mental well-being.