Columbia Tops Best Cities For Women: Study

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 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

Key takeaways and WalletHub commentary are included below in text and video format.

“Living in the right city can significantly improve a woman’s economic status, health, and safety. The best cities for women offer job security and high pay, enabling women to achieve greater financial independence. They also prioritize safety, provide easily accessible medical care, and have high-quality hospitals, contributing to the best possible physical and mental health for women.”
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“Columbia, MD, is the best city for women in 2025, in part because it has the highest median annual wages for women after adjusting for the cost of living, at $61,778. In addition, the poverty rate for women is only 8.2%, the eighth-lowest in the country. On top of that, women tend to have good health in Columbia. The city has the 10th-best life expectancy for women at birth, and ranks among the top 15 cities when it comes to both access to cervical cancer screenings and mammograms.”

– Milvionne Chery, WalletHub Analyst

Expert Commentary

What aspects should women focus on when choosing a city to live in? 

“I think this depends on what their goals and needs are. But generally, I would advise, as many others do, that women look for a city that maximizes job opportunities. Because women earn only 80% (on average) of what men earn, even when working the same jobs, if they want to be financially stable and independent, then they need to be in markets where there are many job opportunities. If a woman is in health care, this might mean relocating to Rochester, MN or Cleveland, OH to work at one of the premiere health care providers. If she is in tech, then she should likely consider Silicon Valley or Austin, TX. Once her career is established, she may have more flexibility to choose a location that better suits her lifestyle, but as she is getting started, she should consider aiming for a location that maximizes professional opportunities and centers her goals. After attending to her professional goals, she might consider the cost of living, the overall climate for women in a given community, and the city that best maximizes her lifestyle goals. If she is really invested in the environment, then perhaps a city like Madison, WI or central California, if she is interested in the arts, then New Orleans or New York might be a good fit! Choosing a city that meets her lifestyle goals should facilitate meeting people who also enjoy the things she does and grows her social network.”
Angela Hattery, PhD – Professor; co-Director, Women & Gender Studies/Center for the Study & Prevention of Gender-Based Violence, University of Delaware

“Similar to men, women seek out places they can afford to live with career, social, educational and recreational opportunities. Women, especially young women, tend to be more socially and politically liberal than men so they may be more attracted to areas where they feel their interests are best represented. Safety is a concern for women, although decades of research shows that women are more at risk of violence in the home than on the street or in public places. Childcare availability and affordability factors into where women may choose to work and locate. Family friendly attractions such as good schools, parks, and museums might attract those who have children.”
Catherine Borshuk, PhD – Professor; Member, Women’s & Gender Studies Governing Board, Indiana University South Bend

What are some of the most important women’s issues local governments should take into account in their planning and decision processes?

“Because of the gender-pay gap, and for many other reasons, a key issue is affordable housing. Additionally, local governments could consider passing pay equity laws for any business that operates in their jurisdiction. That is perhaps the most important thing for local governments to consider. Additionally, because women do the lion’s share of the caregiving, for both children and aging family members, it would be prudent for local governments to consider all kinds of laws that support caregiving, such as requiring all employers to have generous family leave (for both childcare and elder care), providing government subsidies to support child care facilities that wish to operate in the community, and providing incentives for childcare providers that meet the specific needs of a locality, such as 24 hour care in communities heavily dependent on health care or tourism or manufacturing, thus allowing for women to work a variety of shifts and still have their children cared for in a safe and supportive environment.”
Angela Hattery, PhD – Professor; co-Director, Women & Gender Studies/Center for the Study & Prevention of Gender-Based Violence, University of Delaware

“Care work is tremendously undervalued in this country. Public school policies, for example, need to take into consideration how they can help families by providing after-school care.”
Cecilia Rio, Ph.D. – Associate Professor; Graduate Program Director, Women’s and Gender Studies, Towson University

What are some of the main issues facing women in recent years?

“The gender wage gap, having to manage caregiving pretty much on their own (without help or financial/material support), violence in their homes (partner abuse is now the leading cause of homicide of women).”
Angela Hattery, PhD – Professor; co-Director, Women & Gender Studies/Center for the Study & Prevention of Gender-Based Violence, University of Delaware

“Approximately 60% of American Families are now either Female Head of Household or Two Earner family where a woman’s income/career is important to the financial and material well-being of the Household. Women, now, more than ever, need access to quality childcare and elder care (aging parents) that is affordable. Flex time, paid family leave.”
Cecilia Rio, Ph.D. – Associate Professor; Graduate Program Director, Women’s and Gender Studies, Towson University