Alive's Love & Sex survey results
We asked, and 236 of you answered questions about dating and sex in Columbus. The results are pretty interesting across the board:
· We might have found one reason happy hour is so happy in Columbus; singles think it's a great thing to do on a first date.
· One in three respondents said they met the last person they dated online.
· You think chemistry is a lot more important than beauty when looking for a partner.
· You think dating at work is OK, but you're not so sure about dating the boss.
· You are being Facebook stalked before your date.
Will this survey get you more dates? Maybe not. But it could provide some conversation starters for your next one.
Rate the dating scene in Columbus.
Awesome: 3.9 percent
Good: 32.8 percent
Fair to middlin': 35.3 percent
Chilly: 10.8 percent
What scene?: 17.8 percent
Where did you meet the last person you dated? (ranked in order of response)
Online
At a bar
At work
On a blind date/setup
School/college (write-in)
Through friends (write-in)
At a church or community organization
At a professional networking event
What are you looking for in a partner?
We asked respondents to rank 10 qualities on a scale of least important to most important. The top four qualities - chemistry, sense of humor, intelligence, goals and values - got strong scores of "most important." More than half of all respondents said chemistry was the most important thing they were looking for in a partner.
Also interesting: We asked about "interest in having a family." Nearly equal numbers of respondents said that was "least important" and "most important." The family question got the most number of responses for "least important."
Chemistry
Sense of humor
Intelligence
Similar goals and values
Sense of style or appearance
Level of education
Beauty
Professional achievement
Interest in having a family
Similar religious beliefs
Is it OK to date someone you work with?
51.7 percent said yes, as long as it's not a boss-employee relationship.
30.2 percent said no
18.1 percent said yes
Do you use Facebook or Google to check out a date before meeting?
52.4 percent said always
35.2 percent said sometimes
12.3 percent said never
Which online dating site works best in Columbus?
OK Cupid
eHarmony
AdultFriendFinder
Plenty of Fish (write-in)
Zoosk
How frequently are you having sex?
43.1 percent said more than once a week
23.3 percent said once a week
16.8 percent said I'm in the middle of a dry spell
9.5 percent said once a month
7.3 percent said once every few months
How many partners have you had in the last year?
52.8 percent said one
22.1 percent said two
17.7 percent said 3-5
5.6 percent said 6-10
1.7 percent said more than 10
Where is the best place to meet singles in Columbus?
Arts and cultural events
Bars
Online
Professional networking events
Sporting events
Church/faith-based organization
Have you ever had a one-night stand?
68.5 percent said yes
31.5 percent said no
We looked at the relationship between where people are meeting and whether they've had a one-night stand.
Of those who said bars are the best place to meet singles, 83.3 percent said they'd had a one-night stand. Of those who said arts and cultural events are the best place to meet singles, 67.2 percent said they'd had a one-night stand.
Those who said professional networking events are the best place to meet singles, 47.8 percent said they'd never had a one-night stand.
Where is the best place to go on a first date in Columbus?
Happy hour/cocktails
Restaurant
Local park or other outdoor space
Coffee shop
Local music show
Museum or art event
After how many dates would you consider it OK to sleep with someone?
One: 27.8 percent
3-5: 54.7 percent
5-7: 12.8 percent
10 or more: 4.7 percent
Then we looked at the relationship between where people like to go on a first date in Columbus and the question, "After how many dates would you consider it OK to sleep with someone?"
More than 95 percent of people who said happy hour was the best place to go on a first date also thought it was OK to sleep with someone after one date. On the other side of the spectrum, nearly half of the people who said a coffee shop was the best place to go on a first date said they'd wait 10 or more dates before sleeping with someone.
