Market for U.s. dating apps

Question

Weird question but fun! Might have made some far off assumptions

First I’d assume that the online dating market from the U.S. is around 18-60 years (168 million people). I’d then segment by people who are part of a relationship or not. Let’s assume that 50% of people are in a relationship and 50% of people are not. That’s 84 million people per category. Let’s then assume that 60% of those single people have used dating apps and 20% of the people in relationships use dating apps.

60% of 84 million is 50 million. Here I’d assume that on average on average 10% of people pay for dating apps.

20% of 84 is 17 million. Here I’d assume that 20% of people pay for dating apps. Maybe because they want more privacy setting. I.e. extra marital affairs etc

If we assume that on average the monthly dating cost is 10$ a month. We would have

50 million x 0.1 x 10 x 12 = 5 million x 120 = 600 million

17 million x 0.2 x 10 x 12 = 3.4 million x 120 = 408 million

1.08 billion dollars is the U.S. market for dating apps

Answer 1

Hi there,

You can't just assume 50% of the whole population is in a relationship and 50% is not. Not only is this far to high (on the not in a relationship side), but you need to break this down by age! The number of single 40 year olds is far far lower than the number of single 20 year olds.

Furthermore, the rate at which each group would be inclined to use a dating app is totally different!

First segment by age, then let that influence # is single people and % of single people using an app.

Answer 2

That’s actually a really fun way to break down the numbers, and your assumptions seem pretty reasonable! The U.S. online dating market is massive, and it's interesting to see how paid subscriptions play into it—especially with different motivations like privacy or premium features. What’s also fascinating is how dating apps have evolved to cater to specific preferences. Many platforms now allow filtering by interests, values, or lifestyle, making it easier to connect with like-minded individuals. If you're looking for something more niche, check out granny sex dating for tailored matches..

Answer 3

Interesting breakdown. I like how you walked through the assumptions step by step instead of jumping straight to a big number.

One thing worth adding is user behavior across multiple platforms. Many people don’t stick to just one dating app. They try two or three at the same time, which can inflate both usage and paid subscriptions beyond what a single-app model would suggest.

Age segmentation could also shift the numbers a bit. Users in the 25–45 range tend to convert to paid plans more often than younger users, especially when features like visibility boosts, filters, or privacy controls are involved.

Your $10 monthly average feels reasonable for blended plans, though premium tiers and short-term boosts could push total revenue higher. Overall, even with conservative assumptions, the estimate clearly shows why the U.S. dating app market remains very strong.