- WalletHub ranked states based on women's economic and social well-being, safety, and healthcare.
- "Red" or Republican-leaning states ranked lower on the list.
- Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Mississippi ranked as the worst states for women in 2024.
It's Women's History Month, and you might be wondering which states offer women the most, and least, opportunities for female residents.
The personal finance website WalletHub recently released a report ranking the best and worst states for women in 2024.
"Red" or Republican-leaning states tended to rank lower on the list, which took into account factors like median earnings for female workers, unemployment rates, and abortion policies and access.
Here are the worst US states for women, ranked.
10. Missouri
The Midwestern state of Missouri ranked 42nd for women's economic and social well-being and 39th for women's healthcare and safety in WalletHub's report.
According to World Population Review, citing data from the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Missouri is the third-most violent state for women.
The report found that roughly 41.8% of women in Missouri experience intimate partner physical violence, sexual violence, or stalking in their lifetime, compared to 35.2% of men in Missouri.
9. Georgia
Georgia ranked 43rd for women's economic and social well-being and 42nd for women's healthcare and safety.
The National Women's Law Center calculated the gender wage gaps for every state based on a 2022 community survey of US residents. The center found that women working full-time year-round earned a median income of $48,397, compared to $58,853 earned by men also working full-time year-round.
8. Wyoming
Wyoming ranked 45th for women's economic and social well-being and 44th for women's healthcare and safety. Wyoming also ranked as the state with the fifth-lowest median earnings for female workers, according to WalletHub's report.
7. West Virginia
West Virginia ranked 44th for women's economic and social well-being and 49th for women's healthcare and safety.
According to a 2023 report by the National Women's Law Center, over the course of her lifetime, a woman in West Virginia will make $483,000 less than a West Virginian man.
6. Arkansas
Arkansas ranked 41st in the nation for women's economic and social well-being and 50th for women's healthcare and safety.
According to Women & Children First, a domestic violence awareness group, 37.3% of Arkansas women will experience intimate partner physical or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime.
5. Texas
Texas ranked 47th in women's economic and social well-being and 45th for healthcare and safety.
4. Alabama
Alabama has a female population of 51.4% but ranked low in both categories. WalletHub ranked Alabama 49th for women's economic and social well-being and 43rd for healthcare and safety.
3. Mississippi
Mississippi ranked 48th in both the economic and social well-being category and the healthcare and safety category.
The state has one of the strictest abortion bans in the country, outlawing all abortions except those used to save the life of a pregnant person, or in cases of rape or incest that have been reported to law enforcement.
2. Louisiana
According to data from the US Census Bureau, Louisiana recently ranked as the second-poorest state in the country, so it perhaps comes as no surprise that women struggle to make ends meet in this state.
Louisiana earned the lowest ranking for women's economic and social well-being and ranked 47th for quality healthcare and safety.
1. Oklahoma
Oklahoma ranked as the worst state in the country for women, with the lowest score for women's healthcare and safety and the second-lowest ranking in women's economic and social well-being.
Women's reproductive rights are an especially hot-button issue in the state. According to the Guttmacher Institute, abortion in Oklahoma is outlawed completely, with a few limited exceptions.
Oklahoma also ranks as the state with the most reported instances of domestic violence against women, according to World Population Review and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
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