Columbia in Maryland ranks as the best city for women in the United States in 2025, based on economic opportunity, healthcare access, and overall safety for women, according to a new study.
The study by WalletHub, a personal finance website, compared 182 cities–including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state–across two key dimensions. The dimensions include “women’s economic and social well-being” and “women’s health care and safety.”
Each city was evaluated using 15 relevant metrics scored on a 100-point scale. The metrics ranged from women’s median earnings and job security to their life expectancy and the quality of women’s hospitals. The final rankings were determined by each city’s weighted average across those metrics.
Columbia topped the list, buoyed by strong earnings for women, a favorable job market, and high-quality healthcare. Median annual wages for women in the city—after adjusting for the cost of living—are the highest in the country at $61,778. Only 8.2 percent of women live in poverty, the eighth-lowest rate nationally.
“The job market is also good for women in Columbia,” the report noted. “The unemployment rate for women is just over 4 percent, the 34th-lowest in the country. For comparison, the unemployment rate for women is as high as 13 percent in other cities.” About 23 percent of businesses in Columbia are owned by women, the 31st-highest percentage nationwide.
Columbia also scored high in the health category, with women in the city enjoying the 10th-best life expectancy at birth. Health screenings were also prevalent, with Columbia ranking 12th-highest for cervical cancer screenings and third-highest for mammograms received within the past two years. Nearly 85 percent of women in the city are physically active, the sixth-highest rate nationwide.
Seattle in Washington took second place in the overall rankings. The city recorded an 11 percent poverty rate for women, the 23rd-lowest, and median yearly wages of $47,792 after adjusting for the cost of living—the 19th-highest. The percentage of women-owned businesses in Seattle ranked seventh overall.
Seattle women also have strong access to healthcare, with only 3.5 percent lacking health insurance—the 10th-lowest percentage in the country. The city has the second-highest percentage of physically active women and ranks 11th in life expectancy at birth for women. It also has lower-than-average rates of sexual crimes and suicide among women.
Overland Park in Kansas was ranked the third-best city for women. Women there benefit from one of the highest life expectancies in the country at over 83 years, the second-highest median annual wages (after adjusting for cost of living), and the second-lowest poverty rate. The unemployment rate for women in Overland Park is only 3.6 percent, placing it 20th nationwide. The city also boasts the second-highest percentage of women who received timely cervical cancer screenings.
Rounding out the top five were Raleigh, North Carolina, and South Burlington, Vermont, in fourth and fifth place, respectively.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Jackson in Mississippi ranked as the worst city for women in the United States. It was followed by Huntington, West Virginia; Fort Smith, Arkansas; Shreveport, Louisiana; and Gulfport, Mississippi, in the top five worst cities ranking.
Columbia and Overland Park also led in income metrics. The five cities with the highest median earnings for female workers were Columbia, Overland Park, Atlanta (Georgia), Washington, D.C., and Scottsdale (Arizona).
In contrast, the cities with the lowest earnings for women were Santa Ana, Oxnard, and Garden Grove (all in California), followed by Honolulu (Hawaii) and Hialeah (Florida).
While Gilbert, Arizona, had the lowest percentage of women living in poverty, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, had the lowest unemployment rate for women. Detroit, Michigan, ranked at the bottom in both metrics, having the highest unemployment and poverty rates for women among all 182 cities surveyed.
10 of the Best Major U.S. Cities for Women
Columbia, MD
Seattle, WA
Overland Park, KS
Raleigh, NC
South Burlington, VT
Fremont, CA
Virginia Beach, VA
Minneapolis, MN
Durham, NC
Jersey City, NJ
10 of the Worst Major U.S. Cities for Women
Jackson, MS
Huntington, WV
Fort Smith, AR
Shreveport, LA
Gulfport, MS
Augusta, GA
Brownsville, TX
Baton Rouge, LA
Montgomery, AL
Mobile, AL
Source: Based on a study by WalletHub, which ranked 182 cities in the U.S., including the 150 most populous ones, based on economic opportunity, healthcare access, and overall safety for women.