If you’re comparing dating websites in Kent, Mature Dating Online is built for single men and women aged 45 and over across the county, from Maidstone and Canterbury to Ashford and the Medway towns. At the 2021 Census, about 281,000 people aged 50 and over in Kent were never married, divorced or widowed. Joining is free.
Single over 50 in Kent: what the Census shows
Kent and Medway had 733,578 people aged 50 and over at the 2021 Census. Of those, 280,759 (38.3%) were never married, divorced or widowed, close to the 39.2% average for England and Wales. That breaks down as 108,975 divorced, 93,858 widowed and 77,926 who had never married, with another 18,158 separated.
The picture changes as you head east. On the coast the share is well above average: 43.9% in Thanet, 40.8% in Folkestone and Hythe and 39.7% in Dover. Thanet also has the highest divorce rate among over-50s in the county, at 17.6% against 14.4% nationally. Inland and West Kent are more settled: Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Malling, Ashford and Maidstone all sit at around 35 to 36%. Medway has the largest number of all, at 39,424 people.
| District | Aged 50+ | Never married, divorced or widowed | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thanet | 61,992 | 27,194 | 43.9% |
| Folkestone and Hythe | 51,367 | 20,983 | 40.8% |
| Dover | 52,972 | 21,012 | 39.7% |
| Medway | 99,638 | 39,424 | 39.6% |
| Canterbury | 63,473 | 24,693 | 38.9% |
| Dartford | 36,321 | 14,003 | 38.6% |
| Swale | 59,148 | 22,761 | 38.5% |
| Gravesham | 38,753 | 14,523 | 37.5% |
| Tunbridge Wells | 46,196 | 16,887 | 36.6% |
| Maidstone | 67,898 | 24,346 | 35.9% |
| Ashford | 52,691 | 18,609 | 35.3% |
| Tonbridge and Malling | 52,244 | 18,457 | 35.3% |
| Sevenoaks | 50,885 | 17,867 | 35.1% |
Online dating in Kent: making the distances work
Kent is a county of distinct parts. There are the commuter towns of West Kent around Sevenoaks, Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells, the Medway towns, mid Kent around Maidstone and Ashford, and the east Kent coast from Whitstable round to Folkestone and Dover. Someone in Margate and someone in Sevenoaks both live in Kent, but it’s a long way to go for a coffee.
Every profile shows the member’s nearest town, so it’s worth deciding early how far you’d happily travel for a first date and saying so in your profile. If you get on with someone at the other end of the county, meet in the middle. Maidstone is central, Ashford’s fast rail links make it easy to reach from most directions, and Canterbury works well for anyone in east Kent.
Local life gives you plenty to talk about. If their profile mentions the coast, ask which beach they’d recommend out of season. Gardens are a safe bet in a county with this many of them, and a passing mention of the cricket at Canterbury or a favourite walk on the North Downs is an easy way in. Bear the seasons in mind too: the coast is lovely for a first date on a quiet weekday, but on a sunny summer Saturday you may spend more time looking for parking than talking.
First date ideas in Kent
Once you’ve found someone on one of the dating sites in Kent, the next question is where to meet. The county makes that easy: plenty of gardens, historic towns and coast, most of it easy to reach without a long drive. A few places that suit a first meeting:
- Mote Park, Maidstone. A large park close to the town centre with a 30-acre lake and a café. A walk round the water gives you something to look at when the conversation pauses.
- Leeds Castle, near Maidstone. Gardens and 500 acres of parkland. Leeds Castle says a day ticket covers return visits for a year, so a second date there costs nothing extra.
- Westgate Gardens, Canterbury. Free riverside gardens beside the medieval Westgate Towers, a few minutes’ walk from the high street and plenty of cafés.
- The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury. A matinée followed by tea gives you a ready-made topic and a natural end point.
- Whitstable harbour and beach. A walk along the seafront, with no shortage of places for coffee or fish and chips afterwards.
- Rochester High Street. Independent shops and cafés between the castle and the cathedral, in the oldest part of the Medway towns.
- The Pantiles, Tunbridge Wells. A colonnaded Georgian walk lined with cafés and restaurants, ideal for a short first meeting in West Kent.
- Sissinghurst Castle Garden, near Cranbrook. The National Trust garden is a good choice if you both like gardens, and gives you an afternoon’s worth of conversation.
Venues checked November 2026. Opening times and prices change, so check before you go.
Meeting people offline in Kent
If you’d like to meet people face to face as well as online, Kent has strong networks for the over-50s:
- u3a. The Kent u3a network brings together more than 30 local u3as, from Maidstone, Canterbury and Thanet to Tunbridge Wells and Dartford, with groups for everything from languages to walking.
- Ramblers. The Ramblers’ Kent Area has 13 local groups running led walks, including Maidstone, Canterbury, Medway and the White Cliffs group around Dover.
- Local walking groups. Explore Kent lists walking groups across the county.
Dating safely in Kent
Kent County Council warns that romance scammers “will build what feels like a genuine loving relationship” (Kent County Council). Then a problem appears that only money can solve: a flight to visit you, a stolen ticket or urgent medical bills. Some also ask harmless-sounding questions about your date of birth or address to use for identity fraud. Kent Police has advice on what to do if you think you or someone you know is affected. Our online dating safety advice covers the warning signs in more detail.
More from Mature Dating Online
See our other area guides for mature singles, or read about dating over 60 and mature women dating. Our guide to mature dating in the UK explains how the site works.