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New York has always had a reputation for being ahead of the curve. Now, we have the data to prove it, at least when it comes to how people define their sexuality.
According to Feeld’s new annual global map of desire report, New York City has the fastest-growing bisexual population in the world, with bisexual identification jumping 161 percent in the past year. In a city that already prides itself on being open-minded, that number is still striking.
The findings come from Feeld Raw 2025, the dating app’s yearly deep dive into how desire, identity and connection are changing across major cities. This year’s headline trend shows that sexuality is becoming less about neat labels and more about fluid self-definition. Heteroflexible is now the fastest-growing sexuality on the app globally, up 193 percent, and New York is leading the charge when it comes to people embracing bisexuality as part of that shift
Dr. Luke Brunning, a lecturer in applied ethics at the University of Leeds who consults on the report, said the trend reflects a broader cultural change rather than a sudden wave of new feelings. “These changes speak to the growing awareness that sexuality is complex,” he explained. “If anything, it would be surprising if people were never sexually curious about people of their own sex or gender, or if attraction worked in neat and predictable ways.”
That complexity shows up in the data. Feeld found that users often move between labels, switching from straight to heteroflexible and back again is one of the most common “sexuality shifts” on the app. Millennials make up nearly two-thirds of heteroflexible users, with Gen Z quickly closing the gap.
The city’s role in all of this isn’t exactly surprising. As the largest city in the U.S. (and a long-standing hub for art, nightlife and social experimentation), it offers both anonymity and community. That combination makes it easier for people to test boundaries without feeling like they’re the only ones doing it.
It’s yet another earned world title for New York. But this time not for the world's tallest buildings or the bagel options, but for being the place where bisexuality is growing fastest, loudest and without apology.