70% of single Americans would go on a first date at a fast-food restaurant—here's the most popular spot

Gone are the days of fancy dinners for first dates. These days, singles are opting for something more low-key.

Seventy percent of singles say they’d be open to having their first date at a fast-food restaurant, according to a recent DatingNews.com survey of 1,500 single U.S. adults ages 18 to 61.

Here’s why Wendy Walsh, professor of psychology at the California State University, Channel Islands, thinks singles are choosing burgers and fries in lieu of steak and wine.

What it really comes down to is “the economy, the economy, the economy,” Walsh emphasizes.

Housing costs are too high, she says, and many young people face crippling student debt. Average U.S. rent is nearly $2,000 per month, according to Zillow, and the average federal student loan debt is $39,075 per borrower, according to the Education Data Initiative.