Columbia, Md., is the best U.S. city for women, according to a Sept. 22 ranking from WalletHub.
Columbia earned the No. 1 spot for having the highest median earnings for women, adjusted for cost of living, as well as the eighth-lowest female poverty rate in the country. The city also has the 10th-best female life expectancy at birth and the third-highest share of women who have received a mammogram in the past two years.
To compile its 2025 “Best & Worst Cities for Women” list, the personal finance website compared 182 cities — the 150 most populous in the U.S. and at least two of the most populous cities in each state — across two key areas: women’s healthcare and safety and women’s economic and social well-being.
Metrics analyzed include quality of women’s hospitals, female uninsured rate, job security for women and share of women-owned businesses.
Below are the 10 best and worst cities for women, according to the analysis.
Best:
1. Columbia, Md.
2. Seattle
3. Overland Park, Kan.
4. Raleigh, N.C.
5. South Burlington, Vt.
6. Fremont, Calif.
7. Virginia Beach
8. Minneapolis
9. Durham, N.C.
10. Jersey City, N.J.
Worst:
182. Jackson, Miss.
181. Huntington, W.Va.
180. Fort Smith, Ark.
179. Shreveport, La.
178. Gulfport, Miss.
177. Augusta, Ga.
176. Brownsville, Texas
175. Baton Rouge, La.
174. Montgomery, Ala.
173. Mobile, Ala.
