Columbia, Maryland was ranked first in all of the United States on conditions for women’s economic status, health, and safety, according to WalletHub’s “Best & Worst Cities for Women in 2024” report.
The personal finance website released the report Monday, along with expert commentary explaining what constituted criteria for measuring these conditions. WalletHub compared 182 cities across 15 key metrics. These metrics include median earnings, unemployment rate for women, quality of women’s hospitals, and access to preventative health care.
Columbia has the highest median earnings for female workers (adjusted for cost of living) — $59,230 — which is 2.9 times higher than in Santa Ana, California, the city with the lowest. The poverty rate for Columbia women is 8.9%, 12th-lowest in the country.
The report cites the healthy job market for women in Columbia and the low unemployment rate as further reasons for the city’s top ranking. Columbia’s unemployment rate for women is just over 4%, 27th-lowest in the nation. In other cities, that rate is as high as 13%. Additionally, nearly one-quarter of businesses in Columbia are owned by women. That’s the sixth-highest percentage in the U.S.
“Living in the right city can significantly improve a woman’s economic status, health, and safety,” said Christie Matherne, WalletHub analyst. “The best cities for women offer job security and high pay, enabling women to achieve greater financial independence.”
Matherne also cited access to medical care and high-quality hospitals, both of which women in Columbia have. The city has the 10th-best life expectancy for women at birth.
As for preventative care, nearly 85% of women in Columbia are physically active, the sixth-highest percentage in the country. The city also has the 12th-highest share of women over 21 who have received a cervical cancer screening within the recommended time frame and the 21st-highest share who have received a mammogram in the past two years, according to the report.
“Psychologists have studied aspects of urban design that contribute to [women’s] well-being,” said Miriam Liss, Chair of the Department of Psychological Science at University of Mary Washington. “Some key principles include creating affordable housing options, developing walkable neighborhoods, encouraging community events, preserving open and green spaces, and offering a variety of transportation choices.”
There are many issues local governments should consider in planning and decision-making to ensure their cities are places in which women can live and thrive.
“For women with children, cities can help by providing support for strong schools and after-school programs, subsidizing childcare, facilitating new childcare facilities, or offering recreational opportunities for children,” said Martha C. Johnson, Associate Professor at Northeastern University. “Cities should also be attentive to the problem of domestic violence, ensuring that sufficient emergency and transitional support services are available for women, mothers, and families. Similarly, police departments may want to consider task forces on sexual and domestic violence staffed primarily by female officers.”
Johnson also recommends city governments partner with local colleges, universities, and businesses to create programs that help move into better-paying positions.
“Cities can also encourage women’s entrepreneurship by providing small business training and offering special opportunities for women-owned businesses to secure city contracts,” she said.
Good news
Untrue. Like everything else about Howard County, this is a lie. It’s a very racist place to live. Racism runs deep there, particularly in the school system. If you’re a Black woman and you have children there, it could be hell. The anti-Black Racism is actually well-documented.
I’m a Black woman and I recently was racially profiled at a store in Columbia – I was using self-checkout and a worker stood there watching me while no one paid attention to the young white couple at the self-checkout next to me. I knew she was watching me because when I was done paying for my items, I turned around and she awkwardly thanked me and said “Have a good night. I replied “Am I the only one being watched here?”