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The month of March is Women's History Month, and with women holding only a quarter of the seats in Congress despite making up 51% of the population, the personal-finance website WalletHub released its report on 2022's Best & Worst States for Women, as well as accompanying videos and expert commentary. 

To identify the most women-friendly states, WalletHub compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 25 key mentrics. The data set ranged from median earnings for female workers to women's preventative health care to the female homicide rate. 

Best States for Women

  1. Massachusetts
  2. Minnesota
  3. New York
  4. Hawaii
  5. District of Columbia
  6. Vermont
  7. Maryland
  8. Iowa
  9. Washington
  10. Rhode Island

 

Worst States for Women

  1. Oklahoma
  2. Alabama
  3. Arkansas
  4. South Carolina
  5. Louisiana
  6. Mississippi
  7. Idaho
  8. Texas
  9. Georgia
  10. Alaska

Best Versus Worst: Some Stats

  • The District of Columbia has the highest median earnings for female workers (adjusted for the cost of living), $36,309, which is 1.5 times higher than in California, the lowest at $24,585.
  • The District of Columbia has the highest share of women who voted in the 2020 presidential election, 86%, which is 1.5 times higher than in West Virginia, the lowest at 56%.
  • New Hampshire has the lowest share of women living in poverty, 8.3%, which is 2.7 times lower than in Mississippi the highest at 22.3%.
  • Hawaii has the highest share of women-owned businesses, 24.5%, which is 1.8 times higher than in South Dakota, the lowest at 13.57%.
  • Massachusetts has the lowest female uninsured rate, 2.10%, which is 7.9 times lower than Texas, the highest at 16.50%

View the full report and check out your home state or District's rank. 

 

 

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