Overview

• The study compares 182 city‑proper jurisdictions using 15 weighted indicators across women’s economic and social well‑being and women’s healthcare and safety.
• Columbia leads with the highest cost‑of‑living‑adjusted median wages for women at $61,778, an 8.2% female poverty rate, low unemployment just over 4%, and strong health measures including top‑tier life expectancy and screening rates.
• Seattle ranks No. 2 and Overland Park No. 3, followed by Raleigh and South Burlington, with Fremont, Virginia Beach, Minneapolis, Durham, and Jersey City rounding out the top 10.
• Jackson, Mississippi ranks last, with Huntington (WV), Fort Smith (AR), Shreveport (LA), and Gulfport (MS) also in the bottom tier, reflecting pronounced regional disparities for women.
• Coverage underscores persistent national gaps, with women earning about 85 cents on the dollar and only 22 of 250 U.S. metro areas reporting pay parity for women under 30.