The Geography of Romance

Still, I hesitate to even fully contemplate it. I'm worried that I'll miss my friends and my life in New York, but mostly I'm afraid of the strain that it will put on my relationship, which started and has flourished in the city. If my boyfriend and I were to give it all up and start a quiet life together with no distractions, then would our relationship be the same—and would it be enough to keep us happy?

Heading for the Hills (and Fields, and Valleys)

A recent report from Great Britain says that married couples living in the country are not only more likely to stay together, but also say "I love you" to their partners twice as often as people living in the city do. Which means that less distraction, fewer options, and more entwined lives may actually lead to stronger and more lasting relationships.

The data holds true in the United States, where a 2009 Pew American Community Survey reported that people living in the Midwest—Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Utah and Nebraska—are more likely to be married… and to stay that way. In these states, over 56 percent of the men are married, as opposed to just 28 percent in Washington, D.C., 30 percent in New York City and 42 percent in Chicago. People in these states also get hitched younger. In Idaho, a land of hometown communities, the median age for marriage is 25, while in bustling metropolises like Boston and Los Angeles, it's 30.