The personal-finance website WalletHub today released its report on the Best & Worst Cities for Women in 2024, as well as expert commentary, to identify the places that provide the best conditions for women’s economic status, health and safety.
WalletHub compared 182 cities across 15 key metrics. The data set ranges from the median earnings and unemployment rate for women to the quality of women’s hospitals and access to preventative health care.
| Best Cities for Women | Worst Cities for Women |
| 1. Columbia, MD | 173. Columbus, GA |
| 2. Fremont, CA | 174. Lubbock, TX |
| 3. Huntington Beach, CA | 175. Akron, OH |
| 4. Irvine, CA | 176. Laredo, TX |
| 5. San Francisco, CA | 177. Huntington, WV |
| 6. Santa Clarita, CA | 178. Shreveport, LA |
| 7. Washington, DC | 179. Augusta, GA |
| 8. Juneau, AK | 180. Brownsville, TX |
| 9. Seattle, WA | 181. Gulfport, MS |
| 10. Scottsdale, AZ | 182. Jackson, MS |
Best vs. Worst
- Columbia, Maryland, has the highest median earnings for female workers (adjusted for cost of living), 2.9 times higher than in Santa Ana, California, the city with the lowest.
- Pearl City, Hawaii, has the lowest share of women living in poverty, 6.9 times lower than in Cleveland, Ohio, the city with the highest.
- Anchorage, Alaska, has the highest share of women-owned businesses, 2.2 higher than Casper, Wyoming, the city with the lowest.
- South Burlington, Vermont, has the lowest female uninsured rate, 16.1 times lower than Brownsville, Texas, the city with the highest.
- Casper, Wyoming has the lowest unemployment rate for women, 6.9 times lower than Detroit, Michigan the city with the highest.
