ST PAUL, Minn — Women outnumber men in most U.S. states, but even in 2024, their lives face more challenges in a number of areas.
For instance, women represent over two-thirds of all minimum wage workers in America, trying to live on less. Overall, women in the workplace still earn a reported 17% less than their male counterparts while holding the same position, according to Forbes. They make up nearly 51% of the U.S. population but account for only 25% of the seats in the Senate, and 29% in the House of Representatives.
“Women in the U.S. still face a lot of adversity, so living in the right state can greatly impact their quality of life," said WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe. "The best states for women provide equitable economic conditions, encourage robust political participation, have quality health care, and ensure safety for the women who reside there.”
Personal finance website WalletHub says Minnesota is one of those "best states," ranking it the third-best place for women to live in 2024. Researchers split their data up into two key dimensions, economic & social well-being and women's health care & safety. In those dimensions, they measured how the states stack up using 25 key metrics including median earnings, percentage of women in poverty, employer friendliness toward working moms and rate of those uninsured.
Here are some of the areas that determined Minnesota's 3rd-place ranking.
Woman-Friendliness of Minnesota (1=Best, 25=Avg.):
- Overall Rank: 3rd
- 2nd – Median Earnings for Female Workers (Adjusted for Cost of Living)
- 1st – Unemployment Rate for Women
- 3rd – Share of Women in Poverty
- 29th – Share of Women-Owned Businesses
- 4th – High School Graduation Rate for Women
- 2nd – Share of Women Who Voted in 2020 Presidential Election
- 6th – Female Uninsured Rate
- 7th – Women’s Life Expectancy at Birth
- 12th – Quality of Women’s Hospitals
- 15th – Women’s Preventive Health Care
Massachusetts was found to be the best state for women to live in, followed by the District of Columbia and Minnesota. Vermont and Maine round out the top 5.
The five worst states, according to WalletHub, include Texas, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana, with Oklahoma coming in dead last.
So how will things get better for women in America? A panel of experts says employers need to take steps to promote a positive work environment, establish a culture that allows women to disconnect when leaving their jobs to allow them to concentrate on parenting and family, and help with high-quality child care.
For more on the research and the methodology that determined the rankings, check out the report on WalletHub's website.
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