ADULTERERS, cougars and sex kittens are big business in Warwick.

The owner of four of the world's most controversial hook-up websites says more regional Australians are flocking to his services than their big city counterparts.

But a relationship researcher warns the sites may break hearts and destroy families across the district. Infidelity website AshleyMadison.com and CougarLife.com have experienced huge jumps in memberships over the past three years.

CougarLife.com is a site specifically targeting older women (known as cougars) who want much younger male lovers (called cubs).

AshleyMadison had a 112.5% increase in female Warwick members since 2013.

CougarLife claims to have 2.2%, or 785, of the region's residents on board and it experienced a rise of 66.6%.

At least 13 "young and beautiful" local women hope to hook up with "rich and successful" Warwick blokes on EstablishedMen.com.

While basic membership is free, each website charges a minimum of $144 for 12 months' access to premium services. Each website offers free membership with limited communication.

Premium membership costs about $144 a year and allows two-way messaging between members.

Avid Life Media chief executive Noel Biderman said the desire to find love crossed all social boundaries.

"Regardless of whether someone is from a major city or a regional area, there are people all over the world who are looking to find fulfilment and satisfaction by having affairs," the 44-year-old former lawyer said of his most popular website, AshleyMadison.

"When the site first launched in Australia in 2010, most of our membership was concentrated around the major cities.

"We have now noticed a trend that smaller towns/ areas are growing at a much faster rate than the larger cities."

Social psychologist Jason McIntyre said the growth in online dating websites could have a major impact on the region's families.

"The introduction of these websites will increase people's access to attractive and available partners and potentially increase rates of infidelity in regional areas," the University of Queensland researcher said.

"It's likely the people going to these websites would simply go to a singles bar if they (sites) didn't exist.

"But, these websites increase people's chances of findings someone they would like to sleep with and, consequently, they may increase infidelity rates, particularly in rural areas where opportunities to cheat have not been present."

POSITIVES and NEGATIVES

UQ researcher Jason McIntyre reveals the pros and cons of internet dating.

Source: Avid Life Media, ABS

GOOD

Go from a bad relationship to a good one.

Finding someone with the qualities you like.

Huge selection of people to choose from increases your chances of finding a desirable partner.

BAD

Online communication lacks important information gleaned from things like body language.

You can get trapped in the cycle of searching through hundreds of unsuitable people.

Relationships can be harmed by websites that encourage infidelity.

Internet dating and infidelity sites can lead to anger, sadness, self-doubt, depression, relationship stress and breakdown.

BY THE NUMBERS

112.5% - Warwick's female membership growth rate for infidelity website Ashley Madison.

66.6% - Warwick's female membership growth rate for CougarLife.com.

785 or 2.2% - the number and percentage of Warwick population signed onto CougarLife.com.

13 - the number of Warwick women signed on to EstablishedMen.com.

35,716 - Warwick's population.