Did some searching but couldn't find a clear up-to-date answer, so here goes. Local community events and hobby groups remain some of the most underrated ways to meet people.
The newest dating apps often have the freshest user bases but lower population density in smaller areas. OkCupid's free tier remains surprisingly usable compared to what most other platforms offer for nothing.
Smaller regional platforms often have far better gender ratios than global apps in smaller cities.