Colorado Women Used This Word to Describe Dating Men in the State

Colorado women are seemingly unimpressed with the state's dating stock.

The most common word women use to describe men in Colorado is "rude," according to a new poll from DatingAdvice.com. The online survey asked 3,000 single adult women from across the country to summarize the men from their states in one word, based on their personal dating experiences.

Colorado was one of just 22 states in which women used a negative word to describe their state's men. The plurality of states — 23 — ended up with positive words like "loyal" or "reliable," and another five states had neutral responses, such as "traditional" or "laid-back."

Nationwide, the top word women used to describe men was "hardworking," which landed as the number-one descriptor in six states: Alaska, Kentucky, Michigan, South Dakota, Vermont and Wyoming.

That was followed by "respectful" in five states, "clingy" in four, and "detached" and "aloof," both in three. "Arrogant," "charming," "immature," "loyal" and "reliable" all ranked high, too, each grabbing the highest number of votes in two states.

But Colorado was the only state that classified its men as "rude." Another eighteen states also had unique top descriptors not found anywhere else — including "ambitious" in Illinois, "cold" in Maine, "gentle" in Utah, "impatient" in New Mexico, "kind" in Washington and "lazy" in Kansas.

Despite the wide disparities in how women from different states describe their local men, 75 percent of survey respondents said they believe men are the same in dating and relationships regardless of where they live or come from. In addition, 69 percent said they had never avoided dating someone or ended a relationship because of their prospective partner's regional background.

When asked what personality traits they want to change about men from their state, 30 percent of women nationwide said communication style, followed by level of ambition (24 percent), sense of humor (18 percent), approach to relationships (17 percent), and emotional availability (11 percent).

The Centennial State's bleak survey results come as little surprise; the dating scene in Colorado, and Denver in particular, has developed a reputation as a "dumpster fire."

In Westword's Dateless in Denver essay series, readers have shared numerous horror stories, from one date getting into a screaming match with an elderly park ranger to another being confronted by a private investigator for sexually assaulting multiple women as he was having drinks with a new woman.

Beyond those more dramatic accounts, many Denver women say the city is inundated with "the Peter Pan guy" who wants casual fun but not a relationship, while men complain of women who are overly reliant on surface-level traits, with one survey determining that Colorado women have among the highest standards in the country for their romantic partners in terms of income and looks.

Asked to guess the DatingAdvice.com word that women used for Colorado men, guesses at Westword ranged from "self-centered" ("Is that one word?") to "wook."

Now, that's rude!