When you’re over 50, the assumption is that your wants and needs change and mature, but when it comes to dating and relationships is this really true? By 50 you’ve had a few relationships already, you’ve learned about what you do and don’t like in another person, and maybe you’ve even learned what’s important to you and what it takes to make you happy in a relationship. But as we learn these things how do they change what we look for in another person?
To find some answers, we turned to the popular dating site Zoosk. They went through over 2,645,930 profiles and 234,688,001 messages to see what men and women in their 30s, 40s, 50s, and up are looking for in another person. They found that what men want in a women does change some as they get older—older men put more focus on relationships and value love and romance more as they age. And now it’s the ladies turn!
Wondering what women over 50 are looking for in a man? Here’s what we found:
Top Characteristics Women Want in a Man
| 30s | 40s | 50+ |
| honest | honest | honest |
| laugh | perfect | fun |
| humor | fun | laugh |
| kind | laugh | humor |
| family | humor | kind |
| funny | kind | sense of humor |
| caring | sense of humor | relationship |
| sense of humor | funny | family |
| relationship | caring | loving |
| kids | family | caring |
| loyal | loving | happy |
| loving | have fun | romantic |
| smile | easy going | nice |
| happy | down to earth | smile |
| make me laugh | best friend | travel |
| serious | travel | intelligent |
| romantic | gentleman | gentleman |
Here are some key takeaways…
Women of all ages want someone honest and kind
Tim McGraw must be onto something because when it comes to online dating, always being honest and kind will definitely get you far. Just as it is with men, women of all ages list honest as one of their top characteristics. Unlike men, however, every age-group of women mentioned honest more often than any other trait when describing what they’re looking for. Likewise, kind was a popular characteristic for every age group. For women in their 30s and who are 50 and older it was the 5th most popular term, and for women in their 40s it was 6th.
Older women are looking for a gentleman
Women who are 40 and older mention wanting a gentleman when describing who they’re looking for, while those in their 30s value other characteristics more. Perhaps as women get older they’ve had enough experiences to value a man who knows how to be thoughtful and considerate as opposed to more fun-loving and laid back.
A loving partner becomes more important as you get older
Another interesting finding is that, similar to men, women of all ages are interested in finding a loving partner but how important it is becomes more important with age. Loving is the 13th most popular characteristic for women in their 30s, the 11th for women in their 40s, and 9th for women over 50.
All women love a good sense of humor
Just like the men, women of all ages mention humor or a sense of humor as a top trait. And men who know how to have a good laugh or can make a women laugh are popular too.
Women over 50 want someone nice
Unlike women in their 30s and 40s, one word that keeps popping up for women over 50 is nice. It may seem like a given, but when compared to other traits that younger women mention more often it stands out.
After looking into what women who over 50 are looking for a few things become obvious—women of all ages want a man who is honest and kind, who they can also have a great time and laugh with. (Which is pretty great, because for the most part it’s what men want too.) When it comes to women over 50, however, there are a few small differences. They’re more focused on looking for a gentleman and want someone who’s nice over someone who’s easy going or down to earth.
