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FILE – Steam rises from the city buildings and Lake Michigan during sunrise in Chicago, Illinois (Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

(KSNF/KODE | WGN) Whether it’s your neighbor, a relative, or a coworker, there’s a good chance you know someone who lives alone. In fact, more than 36 million Americans, or 29% of all U.S. households, are one-person households, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. 

And the trend of living solo shows no signs of slowing down as major life milestones such as marriage are being put on hold. In 2022, the average age to marry was 30 for men and 28 for women. But which cities are home to the most people who live alone, and where has living alone seen the biggest increase? 

In order to find America’s “loneliest” cities, the Chamber of Commerce analyzed Census Bureau data across more than 170 cities with a population of at least 150,000.

(Image Courtesy: Chamber of Commerce)

Washington, D.C. ranks number one. The number two spot in the nation goes to St. Louis. Two cities in Virginia, Alexandria and Richmond, rank third and fourth, respectively. Cincinnati, Ohio rounds out the top five.

Perhaps surprisingly, Chicago, the third largest city in the United States, was found to be the 24th loneliest.

Among all homes in Chicago, nearly 40%, or 446,442, are occupied by one person.

Here are additional highlights for Chicago:

  • Lonely Women: In Chicago, 20.6% of one-person householders are women.
  • Lonely Men: Meanwhile, 18.5% of one-person householders are men.

Other Midwest cities that made the list include Cleveland, Ohio (No. 6); Madison, Wisconsin (No. 13); Detroit, Michigan (No. 14); Toledo, Ohio (No. 15) and Akron, Ohio (No. 18).

Click here for additional rankings and analysis and the complete study.