People tend to romanticize the past. Everything appears to be better when it is decades away from us. 

When it comes to dating in small towns, however, one thing is certain – the rise of online dating has changed the landscape completely, and for the better. 

Back in the day, finding love in small towns relied heavily on in-person connections. People used to meet at schools, churches, and community events. Then there was blind dating which was arguably one of the worst types of dating out there. 

Today, you’re no longer limited by your social circle and lifestyle. You can meet anyone, anywhere, and fall in love. 

Why Dating in Small Towns Can Be Tough

Those of us who live in small towns with limited populations know how tricky dating can be.  

• The dating pool is small and new players rarely appear.
• One awkward date can turn into juicy town gossip that will haunt you for years to come.
• It’s hard to find a date that’s not somehow overlapping with your social circles.
• There are barely any places you can go on a date, especially if you don’t want to parade your romantic life.

Dating is intimidating, and making the first move, especially when you can’t escape that person afterward if they say No, is making the entire process even more complex and nerve-wrecking.  

Flure and Apps Like It: A New Way to Meet

When you live in a small town and want to date someone, regardless of your romantic goals and plans, the key is to find the right platform. 

Flure, for instance, is a dating app that is laid back and intentional. It’s really an explorationship app as it’s not pushing users to commit to a certain dating goal from the start. 

Humans aren’t machines, and we’re meant to explore and experiment before we can fully understand what we want and settle. There’s nothing wrong with trying to figure out the type of relationship you want and take it slow. 

When you sign up with an app that is pioneering honest dating experiences and gives its users the room to be thoughtful and intentional, that’s when they start to match with those they genuinely have a good chance with. 

Dating Tips for Using Apps

Before you jump into the fascinating and exciting world of online dating, make sure to go over our dating tips that will help you have the best experience and find amazing people to go out with.

1. Be honest. In your bio, with your photos, and in the chat. Locals value authenticity, so don’t ruin your chances. Also, it makes little sense to lie when everybody knows everybody and can easily verify whether you’re being honest or not. 
2. Upload several photos to your profile and make sure they’re good quality, your face is visible in each of them, and they hint at what your personality is like.
3. Don’t skip bio. Leaving bio empty isn’t cool, you’re underutilizing the tools that the dating app is providing you with. Type in a couple of sentences to let the people know what you’re like. 
4. Be clear about your intentions, even when you don’t really know what you’re looking for. Deceiving someone, whether intentional or not, is cruel and rude. 
5. Have genuine conversations from the start. Shallow and small-talk chats are part of the game, but don’t be shy about asking real questions and getting deep. There’s something about online communication that makes us feel safer and more comfortable, probably because we’re chatting away from the safety of our homes. This helps people get to know each other better without wasting weeks and months away. So make sure to make use of it. 
6. Don’t ignore potential matches just because you have mutual friends. We get it, when you date online, the last thing you want is to out yourself and match with someone you have mutual friends with. It can certainly be awkward sometimes, but if you say No to everyone who’s somehow linked to someone you know – you’ll be left with zero matches and dates. Plus, you’ll probably miss a wonderful human being who could have made you very happy.
7. Explore the dating pool in the towns nearby. If you live in Statesville, for example, you can drive to Troutman in about 20 minutes. Why not explore the singles there? Sure, they won’t be from your exact town, but you’ll still be dating within the County, and your views and values will probably still match well. 
8. Utilize the local dating options you have. A day trip to Lake Norman is an obvious choice but it doesn’t make it any less good. Fort Dobbs would make for a good destination if you’re looking to add some history or culture to your dates. Lazy 5 Ranch is another spot. The zoo and the animals will leave no one unimpressed. Basically, work with what you have, and don’t disregard your local attractions as cliche or boring. 

Safety first

Just because you’re dating in a small town doesn’t mean you can skip the regular dating rules and be careless.

• Don’t share personal data in your profile or in chats. 
• Nobody asking for money on a dating app is in real trouble. It’s a scam.
• Always meet in a public place for the first date and get there by yourself. 
• Let a friend know about your plans and share your location on your phone. 

It’s unfortunate that we need to think of such things when we’re dating, but there are many weirdos out there, so it’s definitely worth it to be safe.

Final Thoughts on Online Dating in Small Towns

Trying to find a perfect match while living in a small town is a lottery. Sometimes you’re blessed with a quick and easy serendipitous meet-cute, and in other cases, you’re going on endless dates looking for the one. 

Whatever your journey is going to look like, it will lead you to the type of the relationship you want if you’re patient. 

Online dating has seriously disrupted the way we view and handle romance, but at the core of it is still the desire for genuine connection. Whether it’s Flure or another app, the tools are there. Love might just be a swipe away, even in the quiet corners of Iredell County.

So don’t hesitate, sign up on the dating app, fill in your profile, and start matching away. You will still be chatting with people from Iredell, familiar with your culture and customs. The only difference is that you’ll now have access to so many more amazing singles, and you’ll be exposed to fantastic users who you could have never met otherwise, despite the geographical proximity.