A survey done by AARP for their magazine focuses on the good, bad, and decidedly odd aspects of singledom.  The results will be published in the November-December 2003 issue AARP's The Magazine. 

A summary of the survey results:

- 56 percent of all singles are currently separated or divorced from a spouse

- 31 percent have never been married

- 70 percent of formerly married singles in their 50s have been single for five years or more

-  Daters in their 40s are most likely to say other people's excess baggage is a big dating annoyance

 - Those in their 50s are most likely to rate sexual compatibility as a critical factor in choosing a partner and use an Internet dating website and chat rooms

- Those in their 60s are most likely to be happier than other singles and are reluctant to get married

-  53 percent of those in our survey say having "more personal freedom" is the best perk of being single

-  38 percent say it's having their house and things just the way they want them to be

 - 28 percent love not having to answer to another person

- 41 percent of singles say they meet most prospective dates through friends, neighbors, or relatives; one in five finds the workplace to be a fruitful place to meet potential partners

- 34 percent of women ages 40-69 are dating a younger man

- 14 percent of women ages 50-59 say they prefer to date men in their 40s or younger

- Qualities both male and female singles want in a new partner: pleasing personality/sense of humor (67 percent), common interests and activities (49 percent), women look for similar moral or religious values (39 percent), while guys want a woman who's great looking (40 percent).