Loneliness is something you can struggle with no matter where you live.
Some places might feel more isolating than others, however. When it comes to loneliness, one Illinois city sits toward the top of the list. Danville, Illinois, a city of around 29,000 residents in the east-central part of the state, was named the second-loneliest city in the U.S, according to an analysis by the financial publication 24/7 Wall Street.
To find the country's loneliest cities, 24/7 Wall Street examined U.S. Census Bureau data and ranked 384 metro areas and the District of Columbia by the share of nonfamily households living alone out of all households, according to its website.
The nation's loneliest city might surprise you as it also ranks among the top 25 largest U.S. cities. Washington, D.C., clinched the number one spot, with nearly 30% of the civilian adult population living alone, the analysis revealed. Just 23% of the city's one-person households are 65 years old and above unlike other cities on the list.
While Danville might not be as lonely as the nation's capital, it's not the only Illinois city to make the ranking.
Illinois actually tied Ohio for the most areas on the list - with six. Unlike Ohio, however, all of the Illinois metro areas placed in the top 30.
Those cities, data used to compile the rankings and the communities' spots on the list, are below:
No. 2 - Danville
- One-person households, 2022: 39.7% (12,292 households — #347 of 385 metros)
- Adults living alone out of adult civilian pop: 17.7% (#2 of 385 metros)
- 1-person household 65+ years: 5,701, or 46.4% of one-person households
- Monthly gross rent: $743 (#380 of 385 metros)
- Bachelor’s degree attainment rate: 15.5%% (#382 of 385 metros)
- Median household income: $51,515 (#375 of 385 metros)
No. 7 - Decatur
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- One-person households, 2022: 36.8% (16,083 households — #298 of 385 metros)
- Adults living alone out of adult civilian pop: 16.1% (#8 of 385 metros)
- 1-person household 65+ years: 7,064, or 43.9% of one-person households
- Monthly gross rent: $774 (#373 of 385 metros)
- Bachelor’s degree attainment rate: 24.6%% (#285 of 385 metros)
- Median household income: $60,332 (#286 of 385 metros)
No. 8 - Champaign-Urbana
- One-person households, 2022: 36.1% (33,083 households — #175 of 385 metros)
- Adults living alone out of adult civilian pop: 14.9% (#22 of 385 metros)
- 1-person household 65+ years: 8,919, or 27.0% of one-person households
- Monthly gross rent: $959 (#261 of 385 metros)
- Bachelor’s degree attainment rate: 46.1%% (#30 of 385 metros)
- Median household income: $62,108 (#264 of 385 metros)
No. 14 - Bloomington
- One-person households, 2022: 35.3% (24,322 households — #220 of 385 metros)
- Adults living alone out of adult civilian pop: 14.3% (#44 of 385 metros)
- 1-person household 65+ years: 6,752, or 27.8% of one-person households
- Monthly gross rent: $954 (#264 of 385 metros)
- Bachelor’s degree attainment rate: 47.5%% (#23 of 385 metros)
- Median household income: $70,674 (#146 of 385 metros)
No. 25 - Springfield
- One-person households, 2022: 34.4% (29,940 households — #185 of 385 metros)
- Adults living alone out of adult civilian pop: 14.7% (#28 of 385 metros)
- 1-person household 65+ years: 11,729, or 39.2% of one-person households
- Monthly gross rent: $879 (#322 of 385 metros)
- Bachelor’s degree attainment rate: 35.2%% (#131 of 385 metros)
- Median household income: $73,918 (#119 of 385 metros)
No. 30 - Carbondale-Marion
- One-person households, 2022: 34.2% (19,420 households — #262 of 385 metros)
- Adults living alone out of adult civilian pop: 15.2% (#15 of 385 metros)
- 1-person household 65+ years: 7,899, or 40.7% of one-person households
- Monthly gross rent: $754 (#379 of 385 metros)
- Bachelor’s degree attainment rate: 31.2%% (#191 of 385 metros)
- Median household income: $55,289 (#341 of 385 metros)
