D.C. Has Been Ranked The #2 Best State In The Country For Women

D.C. being ranked the second-best place for women to live in the country, especially when comparing entire states, is not bad! Considering that according to a recent census survey on D.C., women make up over 52% of D.C.’s population, it’s good to know that they are living in one of the best possible places in the entire country!

A new study from WalletHub determined Massachusetts as the best state in 2024 to be a woman. The personal finance website compared all 50 states and Washington, D.C. in 25 key indicators of standards of living for women and then compiled their findings into a cumulative score to produce their final ranking.

Data ranged from median earnings for female employees to women’s health and safety. In the latter category, “Women’s Health Care”, D.C. was ranked at #10 in the country compared to all other 50 states, whereas in the “Women’s Economic & Social Well-Being” category, D.C. ranked first in the nation, better than all 50 states.

Overall, D.C. fared very well across all 25 categories, giving it the second-highest cumulative score, 73.54. This meant concluded that, according to WalletHub, D.C. had ranked as the “second-best state for women in 2024”.

“Women in the U.S. still face a lot of adversity, so living in the right state can greatly impact their quality of life. 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,” notes Cassandra Happe, a WalletHub analyst.

A team of eight female WalletHub analysts in total compiled and analyzed the data.

In-depth analysis of standards of living for women in D.C.

D.C. is the second-best state for women in 2024 according to WalletHub. It has the highest percentage of women in good or better health in the country, at over 87%, as well as the second-highest share of women who are considered physically active.

D.C. also has the highest median income in the country for women as well, at $47,648.

Key data points and methodology

As noted, there were a total of 25 unique key data points that were analyzed for this report. The quantitative results of the analysis were then broken down into two major weighted categories as depicted below:

Women’s Economic & Social Well-Being – Total Points: 60

• Median Earnings for Female Workers
• Unemployment Rate for Women
• Job Security for Women
• Share of Women Living in Poverty
• Unaffordability of Doctor’s Visit
• Share of Women-Owned Businesses
• “Economic Clout” of Women-Owned Firms
• High School Graduation Rate for Women
• Friendliness Toward Working Moms
• Friendliness Toward Women’s Equality
• Share of Women Who Voted in the 2020 Presidential Election

Women’s Health Care & Safety – Total Points:40

• Abortion Policies & Access
• Quality of Women’s Hospitals
• Quality of Primary Care Providers
• Female Uninsured Rate
• Share of Women with Good or Better Health
• Women’s Preventive Health Care
• Share of Physically Active Women
• Share of Women Who Are Obese
• Baby-Friendliness
• Depression Rate for Women
• Suicide Rate for Women
• Prevalence of Rape Victimization Among Women
• Female Homicide Rate
• Women’s Life Expectancy at Birth

Best states in America for women

As stated, D.C. scored the second-most points compared to all 50 states. Below are the top ten states for women according to WalletHub:

1. Massachusetts
2. District of Columbia
3. Minnesota
4. Vermont
5. Maine
6. Maryland
7. New York
8. Hawaii
9. New Jersey
10. Delaware

On the contrary, the worst states for women to live in in 2024, according to the report are:

1. Oklahoma
2. Louisiana
3. Mississippi
4. Alabama
5. Texas
6. Arkansas
7. West Virginia
8. Wyoming
9. Georgia
10. Missouri