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
