According to a recent article in the Washington Post, Single living is the wave of the present. To put that in perspective, census data shows that in Alexandria, Va (my current city) and Washington, DC (the nearby city I'd like to move to), half of all households are made up of just one person. HALF.

I'm not sure if they included single people living with roommates in this number; the article didn't specify whether two single people sharing one apartment were still considered a single-person household. But either way, there are a lot of single people living in this area.

What accounts for the rise in single households? The Washington Post says that young people are "finishing their education, investing in careers...and postponing marriage," and also that "people who divorce are less likely to remarry."

Moving to a new place has been on my mind quite a bit lately. While I'm looking forward to living by myself again, I've been dragging my feet -- mostly due to the fact that living by myself will mean paying more in rent than what I do now. I can afford to pay more than I currently do, but I like the fact that paying less means I don't have to budget. I always have money in my account; I never have to worry that I'll have enough to cover my bill if I go out with friends or if I decide I want to buy something random. And I get to put a chunk of that extra money from my paycheck in my savings account every month.

Let's talk numbers. Right now, because I split the rent and utilities with my roommate, I pay about $800 a month. For this area, and in comparison to what I know other people pay, that's pretty darn low. Of course it all depends on your perspective, though -- $800 a month (for one person) might be considered pretty high in an area with a lower cost of living.

I've done my research on places to live in DC, and I know I'd be looking at a rent increase of roughly $400 a month. Most apartments in that price range ($1200 per month) are studios, and they're not in luxury buildings, although some of them offer 24 hour security. In comparison, studios in more high-end buildings regularly start around $1800. Again, these prices are all about perspective. People in San Francisco and New York would probably find these prices to be quite reasonable.

But $1200, even including utilities, wouldn't be my only charges. I'd also have to factor in another $100 a month for cable and internet, and if I decide to keep my Virginia tags instead of registering my car in DC, I'd most likely have to pay to park in off-street parking (~$100 a month). So let's say I'd be looking at a monthly increase of $600 a month. Whew.

So that's why I'm having a hard time making a decision. Yes, I want to live by myself. I want a change of scenery. I want to live in DC. I want to live closer to my friends, and to the Metro, and to entertainment options. But depending on where I move and how much I end up paying, that's an increase of $400-600 a month over what I'm paying now. Yes, I could pay it. And I might. But it's certainly giving me pause.

I could always look for another roommate, but it would have to be somebody I know, or someone who comes highly recommended by a friend. And even then, I'm not sure I want to do that.

I like being responsible with my money, but I also don't want to be overly-miserly if this new situation is one I'd like better.

Given the same situation, what would you do?

Related Reading:

AshAsh lives in Alexandria, Virginia, too, and she's in the same situation I am -- she currently lives with a roommate but she's been thinking about moving out by herself.

Viv explains why she's glad that she lives alone.

One of the many things that Jenae likes about her life is that she lives alone.

(Contributing editor Zandria blogs at Zandria.us.)