So, What Does It For You? We Asked, Boston Answered…
To find out how Bostonians define attractiveness, we created a 30-point survey with the help of Babson College statistics professor I. Elaine Allen. Along with posting it on our website, we dispatched pollsters across the Hub to interview people at T stops, coffee shops, and the occasional happy hour. Finally, we partnered with Cambridge-based dating website OkCupid, which hosted our poll on its home page. All told, we collected more than 1,100 responses—and plenty of eye-opening insight.
| MALE |
39.0% |
| FEMALE |
61.0% |
| |
|
| AGE |
|
| 18-25 |
38.2% |
| 26-35 |
32.5% |
| 36-40 |
8.0% |
| 41-50 |
12.0% |
| 51-60 |
7.4% |
| 61+ |
1.9% |
| |
|
| LIVE IN |
|
| Boston/Brookline/Cambridge/Somerville |
61.7% |
| MetroWest |
13.0% |
| North Shore |
7.6% |
| South Shore |
8.7% |
| Other |
9.0% |
|
MET CURRENT PARTNER AT
|
|
| Work |
8.6% |
| Party |
5.2% |
| Restaurant/Bar |
4.6% |
| Church |
1.1% |
| Gym |
0.7% |
| Through a mutual friend |
11.0% |
| Through an online dating site |
7.3% |
| I do not currently have a partner |
49.0% |
| Other |
12.5% |
| |
|
| INTERESTED IN |
|
| MEN |
62.0% |
| WOMEN |
38.0% |
| What’s Most Attractive in Women? |
|
| |
|
| Quality or trait |
|
| Looks |
24.3% |
| Personality |
52.3% |
| Intelligence |
15.1% |
| Empathy |
3.3% |
| Other |
5.0% |
| |
|
| Hair color |
|
| Black |
19.4% |
| Brown |
46.0% |
| Blond |
22.1% |
| Red |
12.1% |
| Gray/white |
0.4% |
| |
|
| Hair length |
|
| Very short |
2.2% |
| Short |
13.4% |
| Shoulder-length |
50.8% |
| Long |
33.6% |
| |
|
| Hair type |
|
| Curly |
19.7 |
| Straight |
80.3 |
| |
|
| Eye color |
|
| Brown |
20.3% |
| Blue |
43.6% |
| Green |
25.3% |
| Hazel |
10.8% |
| |
|
| Skin tone |
|
| Very pale |
2.7% |
| Pale |
23.1% |
| Medium/olive |
52.6% |
| Dark |
4.3% |
| Very dark |
0.2% |
| Doesn’t matter |
17.1% |
| |
|
| Nose shape |
|
| Small and upturned |
38.3% |
| Small and straight |
45.9% |
| Long and upturned |
3.1% |
| Long and straight |
12.7% |
| |
|
| Face shape |
|
| Round |
20.4% |
| Oval |
67.7% |
| Square |
4.0% |
| Heart-shaped |
7.9% |
| |
|
| Lips |
|
| Very thin |
0.6% |
| Thin |
7.9% |
| Medium |
51.2% |
| Full |
37.7% |
| Very full |
|
Height
|
|
| Less than 5′ |
1.4% |
| 5′-5’4" |
29.5% |
| 5’4"-5’8" |
54.3% |
| 5’8"-6′ |
13.8% |
| More than 6′ |
1.0% |
| |
|
| Body type |
|
| Very thin |
3.5% |
| Thin |
38.7% |
| Medium build |
46.8% |
| Full-figured/curvy |
10.6% |
| Very full-figured |
0.4% |
| |
|
| Body part |
|
| Legs |
29.9% |
| Chest |
14.6% |
| Shoulders/back |
7.3% |
| Hands |
3.7% |
| Butt |
28.5% |
| Other |
16.0% |
| |
|
| Peak age |
|
| In their 20s |
59.6% |
| In their 30s |
31.8% |
| In their 40s |
7.0% |
| In their 50s or older |
1.6% |
| |
|
| Clothes |
|
| Jeans and a T-shirt |
46.2% |
| Khakis and a sweater |
7.2% |
| Trendy ensembles |
33.9% |
| High-fashion |
5.0% |
| Evening gown |
7.7% |
| |
|
| Eyeglasses |
|
| Turn-on |
72.9% |
| Turn-off |
27.1% |
| |
|
| Education |
|
| High school diploma |
6.7% |
| Bachelor’s degree |
49.6% |
| Advanced degree |
10.4% |
| Does not matter |
33.3% |
| |
|
| Alma mater |
|
| Boston University |
10.0% |
| Harvard |
12.4% |
| MIT |
8.1% |
| Northeastern |
4.6% |
| Doesn’t matter |
56.2% |
| Boston College |
0.2% |
| Other |
8.5% |
| |
|
| Job |
|
| Doctor |
12.0% |
| Lawyer |
4.9% |
| Banker/finance |
5.3% |
| Artist |
18.9% |
| Writer |
13.6% |
| Musician |
8.3% |
| Chef |
7.7% |
| Bartender/waiter |
4.9% |
| Politician (not an opt. online) |
1.2% |
| Nonprofit employee |
8.8% |
| Police officer/firefighter |
0.8% |
| Other |
13.6% |
| |
|
| Interests |
|
| Outdoors |
13.2% |
| Literature |
8.9% |
| Art |
11.5% |
| Music |
18.0% |
| Sports |
12.1% |
| Technology |
6.1% |
| Movies |
6.5% |
| Food |
9.6% |
| Politics |
5.6% |
| Charity work |
3.3% |
| Nightlife |
5.2% |
| |
|
| Pets |
|
| Dogs |
29.7% |
| Cats |
9.0% |
| Both |
16.7% |
| Doesn’t matter |
44.6% |
| |
|
| Red Sox mania |
|
| Turn-on |
37.0% |
| Turn-off |
63.0% |
| |
|
| Boston accent |
|
| Turn-on |
30.0% |
| Turn-off |
70.0% |
| |
|
| Have you ever cheated? |
|
| Yes |
32.8% |
| No |
70.0% |
| |
|
| What constitutes cheating? (Can choose 1+) |
|
| Amorous feelings |
6.9% |
| Face-to-face flirting |
7.2% |
| Online flirting |
9.6% |
| Kissing |
37.3% |
| Physical intimacy beyond kissing |
37.9% |
| Other |
1.1%
|
SEE THE RESULTS FOR MEN
