Methodology 

To determine the worst states 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 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 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, the binaries of whether a state has paid sick leave laws, paid family and medical leave laws, and whether the state has 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 January 2022. All data is for the most recent period available.