WalletHub study ranks five worst U.S. cities for women, all in deep red states

A WalletHub analysis of 182 U.S. cities identifies the five worst places for women to live, and the results tie those places to deep red states that backed Donald Trump in the 2024 election. Jackson, Mississippi, tops the list as the worst city for women.

The study measured factors including median earnings for women, the female unemployment rate, the share of women-owned businesses, and access to reproductive health services such as cervical cancer screenings and mammograms. The five cities that ranked worst are Jackson, Miss.; Huntington, W.Va.; Fort Smith, Ark.; Shreveport, La.; and Gulfport, Miss. The states containing these cities have enacted near-total abortion bans, with limited exceptions in some cases.

Across the country, WalletHub found a mix of blue and red states carrying the best outcomes for women, with Columbia, Maryland, cited as the top city for female residents. The Baltimore-Washington corridor area offers the highest median earnings for women, according to the analysis, and Columbia ranks highly for life expectancy and access to cervical cancer screenings and mammograms. Overland Park, Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City, is also highlighted for strong wages relative to cost of living, followed by Atlanta, Georgia, and Scottsdale, Arizona, as other solid options for women seeking stable careers and access to health resources.

The authors note that even in better-scoring cities, the gender pay gap continues to present a hurdle. Women on average earn less than men, and the study says that markets with ample job opportunities help women build financial independence and security. The demographic data underscore how job quality and access to health services can influence a woman’s economic and physical well-being.

The study also ties city rankings to broader policy contexts. In Mississippi, West Virginia, Arkansas, Louisiana, and several other states, abortion restrictions and related policy debates shape the environment in which women live and work. Analysts stressed that the ability to secure high-paying jobs and reliable health care can affect women’s life trajectories, including career advancement and family planning decisions.

WalletHub’s methodology weighed multiple dimensions beyond earnings, such as life expectancy, access to cancer screenings, and overall safety and quality of life. In Jackson, the long-standing challenges include a struggling tax base and public health crises, including the water system failures reported in 2022. In Huntington, the combination of high poverty rates among women and shorter life expectancy is cited as a major factor driving its poor ranking.

In addition to the worst five, WalletHub highlighted best cities where women can thrive. Columbia, Maryland leads the pack, followed by Overland Park, Kansas; Atlanta, Georgia; Scottsdale, Arizona; and other mid- and high-cost metro areas that combine strong median incomes with accessible health care and safety resources. The study indicates these cities often offer more robust job opportunities for women and higher pay, contributing to financial independence.

The results align with ongoing conversations about gender equality in the United States, including the persistent pay gap noted by researchers and policymakers. While some cities show that it is possible for women to earn more and access essential services, others illustrate how policy choices at the state and local level can influence outcomes for women across employment, health, and safety.

As WalletHub noted, the dataset reflects a snapshot of conditions across major urban centers and is not a verdict on any individual’s experiences. Still, the ranking raises questions about how regional differences in policy, economy, and infrastructure affect women’s economic security and health. The organization recommends that prospective movers consider both job opportunities and access to reproductive health services when weighing where to settle.

This yields a broader takeaway for policymakers and employers: Creating pathways to higher wages for women, expanding access to health care, and ensuring safety can improve outcomes for women across the country, regardless of political environment. The WalletHub study offers one data-driven lens on where those conditions line up strongest—and where they fall short.