Location can significantly impact women’s financial success and access to healthcare. This is especially important as the gender pay gap continues to widen.
While women make up a higher percentage of the population in most areas nationwide, they continue to face challenges in maximizing their potential.
A new WalletHub study reveals significant disparities in economics and healthcare for women across American cities. The comprehensive analysis compared 182 cities using 15 key metrics related to women’s economic well-being and healthcare access, ranging from median earnings for female workers to the quality of women’s hospitals to suicide rates for women.
Columbia, Maryland, secured the top spot, ranking as the best place for women to live in 2025. The city has the highest median annual wages for women after adjusting for cost of living and a low poverty rate of just 8.2%. Columbia boasts excellent healthcare metrics, including high rates of preventive screenings and physical activity among women.
Seattle, Washington, ranked second, with only 11% of women living in poverty and strong healthcare indicators, including a low uninsured rate of 3.5%.
Overland Park, Kansas, rounded out the top three with high life expectancy for women and the second-highest median wages adjusted for cost of living.
New York landed in the middle of the pack. While it achieved the top ranking nationally for women’s preventive health care, the city struggled significantly in economic categories. New York placed 167th for median earnings for female workers when adjusted for cost of living and ranked 154th for unemployment rates among women.
The city also performed poorly in poverty metrics, ranking 122nd for the share of women living in poverty. In business ownership, New York placed 89th for the share of women-owned businesses.
Furthermore, the Big Apple ranked fourth nationally for women’s life expectancy at birth, sixth for the quality of women’s hospitals, and 39th for the female uninsured rate.
At the other end of the spectrum, Jackson, Mississippi, ranked last overall, while Detroit, Michigan, showed the highest female poverty rate.
Texas cities dominated the list of highest uninsured rates for women, with Laredo and Brownsville tied for the highest percentage.
The study also examined women’s business ownership, finding that Virginia Beach and other Virginia cities had the highest percentage of women-owned businesses, while Sioux Falls, South Dakota, had the lowest.
“Living in the right city can significantly improve a woman’s economic status, health, and safety,” said Milvionne Chery, a WalletHub analyst. “The best cities for women offer job security and high pay, enabling women to achieve greater financial independence.”