Life

Best Cities for Newlyweds: Did Yours Make the Cut?

by Elizabeth Nolan Brown

What makes a city "good" for newlyweds? I would guess an abundance of Bed, Bath & Beyonds (for easy wedding gift returns) and a preponderance of ugly people (for less desire to cheat). This is probably why I'm not responsible for making these lists.

In determining its 10 "best cities for newlyweds," website CreditDonkey.com considered factors like percentage of married couples in the area, the local divorce rate, residents' average credit score, and the average number of hours worked per week. Apparently we've been lied to all these years — the keys to marital bliss aren't honesty, openness and communication but couple friends, good credit and shunning the divorced!

Using that rubric, the best city for newlywed couples is Atlanta, Ga., according to CreditDonkey. Nearly three-quarters of the city's households are inhabited by married couples, only 10.9 percent of residents are divorced, and the average worker puts in under 40 hours per week.

Atlanta also "has several meet-ups and events for young married couples to get to know each other," a Christian-based couples counseling center, and a retreat center "for married couples to reignite their romance," the site informs. Yesirree, this city can take you from your happy, social newlywed days to your first round of marriage counseling, and all the way through that sad, desperate point where you go on romance-rekindling retreats.

It's hard to beat all that, but San Jose — the second best city for newlyweds — has a lower divorce rate, a higher average credit score and was once featured on the television show House Hunters. Our third-place city, Boston, also boasts a low divorce rate and good credit scores. And though only 47 percent of the Boston populace is comprised of marrieds, the state was the first to legalize gay marriage and provides a good culture for same-sex couples.

The next two cities on the list are both New York locales. Buffalo ranks fourth best for newlyweds, mostly because it has the lowest average hours (31.8) worked per week. NYC ranks fifth on the list because of its low divorce rate (8 percent) — which seems surprising? Although perhaps not when you consider that NYC couples marry less and at an older age.

Philadelphia comes in sixth on CreditDonkey's list. In addition to a low divorce rate and good work culture, "Many married couples in the city are choosing to sign post-nups to ensure their assets are secure in case of divorce," the site notes. Wouldn't that just warm your newlywed little heart to hear?

Rounding out the list are Washington, D.C., Raleigh, N.C., San Francisco and Minneapolis. CreditDonkey only considered America's 50 biggest metropolitan areas, so if you're looking for a love shack somewhere smaller you'll have to consult other sources — perhaps ones that are relevant to your particular relationship and lives?

The "best place for newlyweds" is likely wherever those newlyweds choose mutually to be.

Photo: Flickr user downeym