It may be the only major advantage that women have over men in the United States is that they live longer. The most recent number from the National Center for Health Statistics shows that, in 2020, the life expectancy of women was 80.5 years, while the comparable number for men was 75.1 years. Beyond that, women make less money, face larger poverty problems, are more likely to raise children alone and face much more domestic violence, among other problems.
As is true with almost every statistical category, figures vary widely by country, state, county and city. In determining the worst state for women, 24/7 Wall St. found that many of the worst states for women are located in the South, while the Northeast accounts for the vast majority of the best states for women, with states in the West and Midwest ranking anywhere from top to bottom.
Though no state has achieved gender pay equity, many have made progress in closing the earnings gap and improving in other areas, such as funding pre-K programs, passing laws that make it easier for women to stay in the workforce when they have children, and electing women to office. Still, even in high-paying jobs in science and management fields, women are generally paid less for the same work.
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The worst state for women is Mississippi. Here are the details:
- Female earnings as a percentage of male earnings: 76.9% (seventh lowest)
- Female life expectancy at birth: 77.5 years (second lowest)
- Legislative seats held by women: 16.7% (fifth lowest)
- Management jobs held by women: 42.6% (13th highest)
Mississippi ranks as by far the worst state in the country for women. Its female workers have median annual earnings of $35,100, the lowest in the country. This median is also just 76.9% of what men in the state earn, the seventh-largest gender wage gap among states. College degrees can help bolster earnings, but Mississippi is one of three states in which fewer than a quarter of women 25 and older have at least a bachelor’s degree.
Mississippi has by far the highest infant mortality rate of any state, at 8.7 deaths per 1,000 live births. No other state has a rate of even 8.0 per 1,000 births, and the nationwide rate is 5.6 deaths per 1,000 births. The state also has the second-lowest life expectancy at birth for female residents, at 77.5 years.
Methodology: To determine the worst state for women, 24/7 Wall St. developed an index composed of 15 metrics measuring economy, health, and leadership in all 50 states.
In the economy section, data on the median annual earnings for full-time female workers came from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey (ACS) and was included in the index at full weight. Data on median female earnings as a percentage of median male earnings were calculated using 2019 ACS data and were included in the index at full weight. Data on the percentage of the female population 25 years and over with at least a bachelor’s degree came from the 2019 ACS and was included in the index at full weight. Data on the total state and local spending in fiscal 2020 per child enrolled in preschool came from the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER) and was included in the index at full weight. Finally, data on the percentage of 3- and 4-year-olds enrolled in state prekindergarten in fiscal 2020, also from the NIEER, was included in the index at full weight.
In the health section, data on female life expectancy at birth as of 2018 came from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and was included in the index at full weight. Data on the number of infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2019 also came from the CDC and was included in the index at full weight. Data on the percentage of the female civilian noninstitutionalized population with health insurance came from the 2019 ACS and was included in the index at full weight. Finally, whether a state has paid sick leave laws, paid family and medical leave laws, and expanded eligibility for coverage of family planning services under Medicaid were all included in the index at one-fourth weight.
In the leadership section, data on the number of female legislators as a percentage of the number of seats in a state legislature in 2021, compiled by the National Conference of State Legislatures, was included in the index at full weight. The number of female governors throughout a state’s history, compiled by the Center for American Women and Politics of Rutgers University, was included in the index at one-fourth weight. The binary of whether a state currently has a female governor, as of January 2022, was included in the index at one-fourth weight. Finally, data on the percentage of the female civilian population 16 and over employed in management occupations, from the 2019 ACS, was included in the index at full weight.
Data was compiled in January 2022. All data is for the most recent period available.
Click here to see all the worst states for women.
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