Illinois residents rank lowest in first-date payment priority: survey

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A new survey suggests that Illinois residents don’t consider it important for their date to pick up the tab on the first date.

In a recent nationwide survey conducted by TradersBest in January. 2,589 Americans were polled on topics of love, finances and dating expectations. 

When it comes to first dates, 32 percent of participants considered it important for their date to pick up the tab on the first date. Generation X values this the most, with 36 percent expressing its significance. Nationally, states like Delaware, Hawaii, Nevada and South Dakota lead at 50 percent, while Illinois residents care about this the least, at 10 percent.

While 32 percent of respondents expect the other person to pay on a first date, the survey revealed that it is predominantly men who pick up the tab in practice. According to the survey, 74 percent of male respondents usually foot the bill compared to only two percent of women who say they do. Non-binary individuals more frequently opt to split the bill. For 32 percent of respondents, the failure to pay on the first date makes a second date less likely. 

Fifteen percent of millennials find themselves paying more often than they’d like on a first date. Baby boomers, on the other hand, experience this less frequently, at eight percent. 

The respondents of this survey included 39 percent male, 59 percent female, one percent non-binary and one percent other. Additionally, 66 percent of the participants were in a relationship.

For the full survey, click here.