The personal-finance company WalletHub today released its report on the Best & Worst Cities for Women in 2025, as well as expert commentary, to identify which U.S. cities provide the strongest overall conditions for women. The study aims to highlight where women are most likely to thrive in terms of economic opportunity, health care access, and personal safety.
To identify the most women-friendly cities, WalletHub compared 182 cities across 15 key metrics. The data set ranges from the median earnings for female workers to the quality of women’s hospitals to suicide rates for women.
| Best Cities for Women | Worst Cities for Women |
| 1. Columbia, MD | 173. Mobile, AL |
| 2. Seattle, WA | 174. Montgomery, AL |
| 3. Overland Park, KS | 175. Baton Rouge, LA |
| 4. Raleigh, NC | 176. Brownsville, TX |
| 5. South Burlington, VT | 177. Augusta, GA |
| 6. Fremont, CA | 178. Gulfport, MS |
| 7. Virginia Beach, VA | 179. Shreveport, LA |
| 8. Minneapolis, MN | 180. Fort Smith, AR |
| 9. Durham, NC | 181. Huntington, WV |
| 10. Jersey City, NJ | 182. Jackson, MS |
Best vs. Worst
- Columbia, Maryland, has the highest median earnings for female workers (adjusted for cost of living), three times higher than in Santa Ana, California, the city with the lowest.
- Gilbert, Arizona, has the lowest share of women living in poverty, 5.7 times lower than in Detroit, Michigan, the city with the highest.
- Virginia Beach, Chesapeake, Newport News, and Norfolk, Virginia, have the highest share of women-owned businesses, 2.2 times higher than Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the city with the lowest.
- South Burlington, Vermont, has the lowest female uninsured rate, 18.1 times lower than Laredo, Texas, the city with the highest.
- Sioux Falls, South Dakota, has the lowest unemployment rate for women, 6.2 times lower than Detroit, Michigan, the city with the highest.
To view the full report and your city’s rank, please visit:
https://wallethub.com/edu/best-and-worst-cities-for-women/127627
