In 2024, women in some parts of America still get the short end of the stick – even as they outnumber men in most states. For instance, women represent more than two-thirds of all minimum-wage workers in the U.S. Their political representation also suffers, as women make up nearly 51% of the U.S. population but only 25% of the Senate and 29% of the House of Representatives.
In order to determine how women are faring and where they can find the best opportunities, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 25 key indicators of living standards for women. Our data set ranges from median earnings for female workers to women’s health care to the female homicide rate.
Cassandra Happe, WalletHub Analyst
Main Findings
Best States for Women
Overall Rank | State | Total Score | Women’s Economic & Social Well-Being Rank | Women’s Health Care & Safety Rank |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Massachusetts | 74.70 | 7 | 1 |
2 | District of Columbia | 73.54 | 1 | 10 |
3 | Minnesota | 73.00 | 3 | 7 |
4 | Vermont | 72.20 | 8 | 6 |
5 | Maine | 71.80 | 2 | 14 |
6 | Maryland | 71.59 | 5 | 8 |
7 | New York | 71.29 | 10 | 3 |
8 | Hawaii | 69.28 | 12 | 5 |
9 | New Jersey | 69.09 | 14 | 2 |
10 | Delaware | 68.83 | 4 | 17 |
11 | Washington | 68.77 | 9 | 15 |
12 | Oregon | 67.33 | 11 | 13 |
13 | Connecticut | 66.71 | 17 | 4 |
14 | Wisconsin | 65.72 | 6 | 23 |
15 | Rhode Island | 65.40 | 15 | 11 |
16 | California | 64.30 | 18 | 9 |
17 | Colorado | 62.97 | 13 | 19 |
18 | New Hampshire | 62.26 | 19 | 12 |
19 | Iowa | 61.71 | 16 | 20 |
20 | Illinois | 60.15 | 23 | 16 |
21 | Montana | 58.28 | 20 | 21 |
22 | Virginia | 57.50 | 22 | 22 |
23 | Pennsylvania | 57.30 | 29 | 18 |
24 | Michigan | 56.43 | 21 | 24 |
25 | New Mexico | 53.28 | 31 | 26 |
26 | Ohio | 53.06 | 28 | 30 |
27 | South Dakota | 52.37 | 25 | 35 |
28 | Florida | 51.74 | 30 | 32 |
29 | Alaska | 51.47 | 26 | 36 |
30 | North Carolina | 50.97 | 35 | 33 |
31 | Kentucky | 50.87 | 32 | 34 |
32 | Arizona | 50.63 | 27 | 40 |
33 | Nebraska | 50.49 | 37 | 27 |
34 | Tennessee | 50.44 | 24 | 46 |
35 | Utah | 50.40 | 36 | 28 |
36 | North Dakota | 50.06 | 39 | 25 |
37 | Indiana | 49.53 | 34 | 38 |
38 | Nevada | 49.43 | 33 | 41 |
39 | Kansas | 49.29 | 38 | 29 |
40 | South Carolina | 46.00 | 40 | 37 |
41 | Idaho | 44.88 | 46 | 31 |
42 | Missouri | 44.14 | 42 | 39 |
43 | Georgia | 43.26 | 43 | 42 |
44 | Wyoming | 41.74 | 45 | 44 |
45 | West Virginia | 41.07 | 44 | 49 |
46 | Arkansas | 39.85 | 41 | 50 |
47 | Texas | 39.59 | 47 | 45 |
48 | Alabama | 39.04 | 49 | 43 |
49 | Mississippi | 38.65 | 48 | 48 |
50 | Louisiana | 35.50 | 51 | 47 |
51 | Oklahoma | 33.80 | 50 | 51 |
Note: With the exception of “Total Score,” all of the columns in the table above depict the relative rank of each state, where a rank of 1 represents the best conditions for each metric category.
- Highest
- 1. District of Columbia
- 2. Minnesota
- 3. Virginia
- 4. New York
- 5. Illinois
- Lowest
- 47. Wyoming
- 48. Utah
- 49. Idaho
- 50. California
- 51. Hawaii
- Lowest
- T-1. South Dakota
- T-1. Vermont
- T-1. North Dakota
- T-1. Nebraska
- T-1. Alabama
- Highest
- T-46. Kentucky
- T-46. Nevada
- T-46. New Jersey
- 50. Alaska
- 51. District of Columbia
- Lowest
- 1. New Hampshire
- 2. Utah
- 3. Minnesota
- T-4. Hawaii
- T-4. Maryland
- Highest
- 47. Arkansas
- 48. West Virginia
- 49. New Mexico
- 50. Louisiana
- 51. Mississippi
- Highest
- 1. Florida
- 2. Maryland
- 3. Virginia
- 4. Colorado
- 5. Oregon
- Lowest
- 47. Vermont
- 48. Mississippi
- 49. Idaho
- 50. Arkansas
- 51. South Dakota
- Highest
- T-1. Nebraska
- T-1. Wisconsin
- 3. North Dakota
- 4. Minnesota
- 5. Iowa
- Lowest
- 47. Alabama
- 48. New Mexico
- 49. Georgia
- 50. Mississippi
- 51. Nevada
- Highest
- 1. District of Columbia
- 2. Minnesota
- 3. New Jersey
- 4. New Hampshire
- 5. Maryland
- Lowest
- T-46. Louisiana
- T-46. Oklahoma
- 48. Alabama
- 49. South Dakota
- 50. Arkansas
- 51. West Virginia
- Lowest
- 1. Massachusetts
- 2. District of Columbia
- 3. Vermont
- 4. Hawaii
- 5. Rhode Island
- Highest
- 47. Wyoming
- 48. Florida
- 49. Georgia
- 50. Oklahoma
- 51. Texas
- Highest
- 1. Hawaii
- 2. California
- 3. Massachusetts
- 4. New Hampshire
- 5. Washington
- Lowest
- 47. Alabama
- 48. Kentucky
- 49. Louisiana
- 50. West Virginia
- 51. Mississippi
- Lowest
- 1. Pennsylvania
- 2. Massachusetts
- 3. Delaware
- 4. Vermont
- 5. New York
- Highest
- 44. Louisiana
- T-45. Arkansas
- T-45. Wyoming
- T-45. Oklahoma
- T-45. Alaska
In-Depth Look at the Best States for Women
Massachusetts
Massachusetts is the best state for women in 2024, in part because it has one of the lowest unemployment rates for women, at just 2.8%. The Bay State, whose governor is a woman, also has the lowest share of women who don’t have health insurance, at 2.1%.
Women in Massachusetts can rely on great healthcare in general, as the state’s hospitals rank third in the nation for women’s health care, and only 7% of women couldn’t afford to see a doctor in the past year. The good quality healthcare that women receive contributes to the fact that the state has the third-highest life expectancy for women.
Massachusetts is a great state for women who plan to have children, too, ranking as the best state to have a baby in and the best state for working moms.
District of Columbia
The District of Columbia is the second-best place for women to live, boasting the highest median income for women, at $47,648. It’s also our nation’s capital and home to Congress, which currently has a record number of women serving. And speaking of political participation, D.C. has the highest share of women who voted in the last presidential election, at 86%.
Women lead healthy lives in the District of Columbia, which has the highest percentage of women in good or better health, at over 87%, as well as the second-highest share of women who are physically active. D.C. has the fourth-lowest obesity rate for women, too.
Minnesota
Minnesota is the third-best state for women, in large part because it creates excellent economic opportunities for women. Minnesota, which just passed new laws in an effort to decrease the wage gap, has the second-highest median income for women, at $41,889, and it’s tied for one of the lowest unemployment rates among women, at 2.8%. In addition, only 10% of Minnesota women live in poverty, the third-lowest rate in the country.
Minnesota has one of the highest shares of women who graduate high school within four years, and it had the second-highest voter turnout rate for women during the last presidential election. This shows that the education system and political system in the state are helping women succeed and make their voices heard.
Blue vs. Red States
Ask the Experts
When choosing where to live, women are faced with many factors to consider. For additional insight, we asked a panel of experts to weigh in with their thoughts on the following key questions:
- What factors, financial or otherwise, should women consider when choosing a state to live in?
- With more than 56% of women saying mental health is a concern, and just 37% saying they can switch off from work (down from 45% in 2022), how should employers address this issue?
- What should a state level public policy agenda for women include?
- Are states converging or diverging in issues of importance to women including equal pay, reproductive rights, etc.?
- According to a recent study, working women in the workforce are experiencing worse effects when it comes to burnout and are leaving the workforce at a higher rate than men. What can companies do to decrease the high turnover rates among working women?
Ask the Experts
Methodology
In order to identify the best and worst states for women, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across two key dimensions, “Women’s Economic & Social Well-Being” and “Women’s Health Care & Safety.”
We examined those dimensions using 25 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the most favorable conditions for women.
We then determined each state and the District’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order the states.
Women’s Economic & Social Well-Being – Total Points: 60
- Median Earnings for Female Workers: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
Note: This metric was adjusted for the cost of living. - Unemployment Rate for Women: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Job Security for Women: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
Note: (Number of Female Employees in 2023 - Number of Female Employees in 2022) / Number of Female Employees in 2022. - Share of Women Living in Poverty: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Unaffordability of Doctor’s Visit: Double Weight (~8.00 Points)
Note: This metric measures the percentage of women who could not afford to see a doctor in the past year due to costs. - Share of Women-Owned Businesses: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- “Economic Clout” of Women-Owned Firms Rank: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
Note: Combined economic clout rank is an averaging of the individual rankings of the 1) number, 2) revenue and 3) employment growth of women-owned firms between 2014 and 2019. - High School Graduation Rate for Women: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
- Friendliness Toward Working Moms: Double Weight (~8.00 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst States for Working Moms” ranking. - Friendliness Toward Women’s Equality: Triple Weight (~12.00 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst States for Women's Equality” ranking. - Share of Women Who Voted in the 2020 Presidential Election: Full Weight (~4.00 Points)
Note: This metric was calculated as follows: Number of Women Who Voted in 2020 Presidential Election / Total Female U.S. Citizen Population in State Aged 18 or Older.
Women’s Health Care & Safety – Total Points: 40
- Abortion Policies & Access: Double Weight (~4.44 Points)
Note: This binary metric is based on research conducted by the Guttmacher Institute and takes into account 20 types of abortion restrictions – including gestational age bans, waiting periods, insurance coverage bans and medication abortion restrictions – and approximately 10 protective policies – including state constitutional protections, abortion funding, insurance coverage for abortion, and protections for patients and clinic staff.
2 - Most or very protective: the state has most or all of the protective policies;
1.5 - Protective: the state has some protective policies;
1 - Some restrictions/protections: the state either has few restrictions or protections, or has a combination of restrictive and protective policies;
0.5 - Restrictive: the state has multiple restrictions and later gestational age ban;
0 - Most or very restrictive: the state either bans abortion completely or has multiple restrictions and early gestational age ban.
- Quality of Women’s Hospitals: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
Note: This metric is based on U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals for Gynecology ranking. - Share of Women Ages 18-44 Who Reported Having One or More People They Think of as Their Personal Doctor or Health Care Provider: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
Note: Primary care providers are specialized in establishing a long-lasting relationship with their patients, and are their medical point of contact. They diagnose, treat and prevent a wide variety of conditions in a way that is tailored to each individual patient. Having a dedicated health care provider, or a provider considered to be one’s personal doctor, is associated with elements of successful health care, such as:- Lower health care costs
- Greater use of preventive services, such as flu shots or mammograms
- Fewer emergency department visits for non-urgent or avoidable problems
- Increased patient satisfaction
- Improvements in chronic care management for chronic conditions such as hypertension and high cholesterol
- Female Uninsured Rate: Double Weight (~4.44 Points)
Note: This metric accounts for women aged 16 and older. - Share of Women with Good or Better Health: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
Note: This metric is based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System (CDC – BRFSS). - Women’s Preventive Health Care: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
Note: This metric measures the share of women who were up-to-date on cervical and breast-cancer screenings. - Share of Physically Active Women: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
- Share of Women Who Are Obese: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
- Baby-Friendliness: Double Weight (~4.44 Points)
Note: This metric is based on WalletHub’s “Best & Worst States to Have a Baby” ranking. - Depression Rate for Women: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
- Suicide Rate for Women: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
- Women’s Life Expectancy at Birth: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
- Female Homicide Rate: Full Weight (~2.22 Points)
Note: This metric measures the number of women murdered by men (per 100,000 female residents) and accounts for all ages. - Prevalence of Rape Victimization Among Women: Double Weight (~4.44 Points)
Note: This metric measures instances of rape. According to the U.S Bureau of Justice Statistics, 91 percent of rape victims are female and 9 percent are male.
Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected as of February 5, 2024 from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Education Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Violence Policy Center, Council for Community and Economic Research, American Express OPEN, U.S. News & World Report, United Health Foundation, United States Mortality DataBase, Guttmacher Institute and WalletHub research.
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