Do your residents reside in one of America’s Loneliest cities? How many of them live alone? Chances are many property owners and agents have seen this number grow over the years. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 37 million people live alone.

Furthermore, the Census data reveals the number of adults living alone grew by five million people over the last decade.

Using this data, www.chamberofcommerce.org compiled its list of America’s loneliest cities.

The analysis revealed Washington, D.C., at the forefront, where nearly half of all households are single-occupant, followed by cities like Birmingham, AL, St. Louis, MO, Atlanta, GA, and Cleveland, OH. These cities reflect broader societal shifts, such as delayed major life events including home buying, marriage, and parenthood, which contribute to the growing trend of living alone.

Individual City Highlights:

• Washington, D.C.: The capital ranks first with 48.6% of its households being single-occupant, a notable 3% increase from the previous year.
• Birmingham, AL: Close to half of Birmingham’s households are single-occupant, with the city seeing an 11.4% pandemic-related increase. Birmingham ranks second on the list.
• Richmond, VA: Ranks 10th on the list. 42% of people living in Virginia’s capital city live alone.
• Jackson, MS: Ranks 21st on the list. More than 40% of people living in Mississippi’s capital live by themselves.

Mobile, Alabama also ranks in the top 30 on the list of America’s loneliest cities.

An Epidemic of Loneliness

The report on America’s loneliest cities highlights a much more serious report. In 2023, the U.S. Surgeon General released data suggesting loneliness can have deadly consequences. Dr. Vivek Murthy called loneliness a “public health epidemic. In his report, Murthy says widespread loneliness poses health risks as deadly as smoking a dozen cigarettes daily. Click Here to report the full report on America’s Epidemic of loneliness.