9. Durham, N.C. — Durham is best known for Duke University and Research Triangle Park, two enviable assets that draw young people to the city by the thousands. In central Durham, Duke and its affiliated medical center employ 27,000 people and enroll 6,700 undergraduates. To the south, the 7,000-acre research park hosts labs for companies such as GlaxoSmithKline and IBM. But regardless of whether they came for school or for jobs, 226,000 unmarried adults now live in Durham. Expect to find them downtown around Durham’s bustling Main and North Magnum streets. The area is noted for its restaurant scene — which, with living costs a full 10% below average, is pretty affordable for singles and their dates.
