Here's why women looking for love in Preston could be in luck this Valentine's Day

Young singles looking to meet a new man in Preston this Valentine’s Day could find themselves lucky in love, with figures showing men in their 20s outnumber women by more than 1,000.
Office for National Statistics population predictions for 2020 estimate there are 12,800 men aged 20-29 in Preston  compared to 11,500 womenOffice for National Statistics population predictions for 2020 estimate there are 12,800 men aged 20-29 in Preston  compared to 11,500 women
Office for National Statistics population predictions for 2020 estimate there are 12,800 men aged 20-29 in Preston compared to 11,500 women

And Preston is not alone in having more young male twenty-somethings, with data showing there are almost 200,000 more than their female counterparts across England.

But a relationship expert at dating website eharmony says the growth of online dating means local gender gaps are becoming a problem of the past.

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Office for National Statistics population predictions for 2020 estimate there are 12,800 men aged 20-29 in Preston – compared to 11,500 women.

It means that for every 100 women in their 20s, there are 111 men.

Across England, the ONS estimates there are 3.7m 20-something men, and just 3.5m women.

The figures also show that the highest male-to-female rate in the country was in Richmondshire, North Yorkshire, where there are more than twice as many men as women in the age bracket.

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Outside of the City of London – where data is skewed by a low residential population – the London borough of Wandsworth is where young women most dominate, with 136 to every 100 men.

Of the 360 local authorities in the country, there are just 48 where women outnumber men – with London taking seven of the top 10 spots.

Rachael Lloyd, relationship expert at eharmony, said: "With an ever more mobile population, it's no surprise that there are gender discrepancies in certain parts of the UK.

“And although this might cause potential difficulties when it comes to dating, the opposite can also be said.

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"The emergence of online dating has ultimately allowed us to widen our geographical dating pool and effectively meet someone who isn't from the same town or village.

“This doesn't mean that you necessarily need to travel for hours to meet a partner, but perhaps even explore the next town along."

For young men fearing the competition, dating coach Hayley Quinn has some advice.

A celebrity relationship expert and founder of her own dating website, she urges them to value what they bring to the table.

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She said: “Focus on developing good standards for yourself so you pursue women who you're not only attracted to, but who are making an effort to meet you too.

“Also don't forget to be proactive, if you can meet her in person, you'll stand out from the crowd and have a much better chance of securing that date.”

In Preston, men in their 30s still outnumber women by 9,400 to 8,500.

For those a decade older, the trend continues with 8,400 men and 8,000 women.

Women tend to overtake men as they get older, with 600 of them in Preston aged 90-plus and 300 men.