The top states for women — defined by economic opportunity, health, safety and wellbeing — are largely clustered along the East Coast.
The 2024 ranking comes from WalletHub, which compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 25 metrics for two dimensions: (1) economic and social well-being and (2) healthcare and safety.
Metrics include the median earnings for female workers, share of women per state living in poverty, the unemployment rate among women, quality of women's hospitals, reproductive policies and access, uninsured rate among women, and female homicide and rape rates.
Massahcusetts and Washington, D.C., top the list with scores of 74.70 and 73.54, respectively. Each ranked No. 1 in one of the two domains measured. New Jersey ranked second in the domain for women's healthcare and safety, but its placement at No. 14 for economic and social well-being dragged down its overall ranking.
Conversely, Oklahoma and Louisiana lag the list with scores of 33.80 and 35.50, respectively. Each ranked in last place for one of the two domains measured.
The best
1. Massachusetts
2. District of Columbia
3. Minnesota
4. Vermont
5. Maine
6. Maryland
7. New York
8. Hawaii
9. New Jersey
10. Delaware
11. Washington
12. Oregon
13. Connecticut
14. Wisconsin
15. Rhode Island
16. California
The worst
51. Oklahoma
50. Louisiana
49. Mississippi
48. Alabama
47. Texas
46. Arkansas
45. West Virginia
44. Wyoming
43. Georgia
42. Missouri
41. Idaho
40. South Carolina
39. Kansas
38. Nevada
37. Indiana