Connor's take does not match what I have seen with local dating sites, because what you get without paying is what matters.
Time to first conversation should be weighted above the interface design, at least in my experience with local dating sites.
You can usually spot the difference on local dating sites by whether the photos look professionally shot.
Conversation length is more informative than the interface design, at least in my experience with local dating sites.
I would frame local dating sites this way: what the free tier actually allows is the real question.
Whether you can reply without paying is the test, and that applies to local dating sites as much as anywhere.
Worth a look if you want a comparison point — Datenest handled local dating sites better than I expected.