
It turns out love isn’t always what’s driving couples to the altar — sometimes, it’s the bank account.
A new study reveals that Florida and Nevada lead the nation when it comes to residents most likely to marry for money, each earning a “gold-digger score” of 8.24 out of 10. Following closely behind are Texas (8.23), California (8.07), and New York (8.04).
“I literally would have named the same five states if I had compiled my own list,” said matchmaker and dating coach Blaine Anderson. “Florida and Nevada are stereotyped as having more transactional dating cultures, especially in Miami and Las Vegas. I’ve had clients in both cities meet people who say things like, ‘I’m looking for a man who will cover rent,’ on the first date.”
The data comes from the divorce-coaching app SplitUp, which analyzed each state’s number of millionaires and billionaires, average income, cost of living, and online dating trends. Searches for terms like “sugar daddy,” “sugar baby,” and “marry rich” also factored into the results.
On the other end of the spectrum, Maine, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, and Vermont were ranked as the least likely to host gold diggers.
Dating expert Emyli Lovz, cofounder of emlovz, says it’s no surprise that states like California and New York made the top five. “They combine high concentrations of wealth with lifestyle-driven dating cultures,” she explained. “Where luxury lifestyles are visible and accessible, the line between affection and ambition gets even blurrier.”
So, whether it’s sunshine, the Strip, or just a stack of dollar signs, in some states, it seems love and luxury go hand in hand.