IM_photo // Shutterstock Different factors can affect the gender pay gap, depending on where you live. Family economics, social values and gender selection trends among different industries can each contribute to the gap in a given economy. While no one factor alone may explain the whole story, there are noticeable trends in women’s pay compared with men’s that are specific to each state and county. With this in mind, SmartAsset ranked 282 of the largest U.S. counties as well as all 50 states to determine where the gender pay gap is most and least prominent. Key findings There’s only one county where women make more than men. Women make $1.09 for every $1 men make in Prince George’s County, MD. The median pay for women working full-time is $62,568, compared to $57,276 for men. The median income for all households is $89,689. Women earn less than 75% of what men make in these states. The gender pay gap is widest for full-time year-round workers in Wyoming, where women make 68.4 cents for every dollar men make. Utah (70.8 cents), Louisiana (71.2 cents), Alabama (74.1 cents) and West Virginia (74.4 cents) also rank for the lowest relative pay for women. Women and men are almost at parity in the Bronx and Queens. The Bronx and Queens are nearly at pay parity for full-time workers. Women make 99.1% and 98.1% of men’s median pay, respectively. This puts the Bronx in second place and Queens in third when it comes to where women make most relative to men. In Manhattan, or New York County, the median full-time earnings for women is 80.9 cents per every dollar men earn. Statewide, the gender pay gap is smallest in Vermont. Women bring in a median $48,672 compared to $54,858 for men, or 88.7 cents on the dollar. For all households, the average income is $72,415, or 16th-highest nationwide. Among counties, women have the highest median full-time pay in San Francisco. Women in San Francisco County out-earn women in the other 281 largest counties, bringing in $87,245 (82.1% of the median for men at $106,194.) Statewide, women earn the most in Massachusetts. Women in Massachusetts who work full-time earn $62,628 on average, more than in any other state. This is 83.1% of the men’s median pay of $75,301. Massachusetts ranked 10th overall when it comes to women’s pay as a percentage of men’s. High-income areas tend to have larger discrepancies in median pay. Many counties with the highest median household incomes also rank at the bottom when it comes to women’s pay as a percentage of men’s, including Loudoun County, VA; Santa Clara County, CA. One exception to this trend is San Mateo County, CA, which has the 13th-highest women’s pay when compared with men (89.6 cents per dollar). The median household pay is fifth-highest studywide here at $131,151. Top 10 states with the highest relative pay for women SmartAsset Pay statistics are for full-time, year-round workers in 2023. Vermont Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.887 Median women’s pay: $48,672 Median men’s pay: $54,858 Median total household income: $72,415 Maryland Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.866 Median women’s pay: $60,599 Median men’s pay: $69,948 Median total household income: $90,129 New York Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.864 Median women’s pay: $55,664 Median men’s pay: $64,403 Median total household income: $74,230 California Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.860 Median women’s pay: $53,866 Median men’s pay: $62,668 Median total household income: $84,831 Delaware Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.851 Median women’s pay: $50,670 Median men’s pay: $59,573 Median total household income: $71,636 Nevada Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.848 Median women’s pay: $43,487 Median men’s pay: $51,292 Median total household income: $66,194 Florida Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.840 Median women’s pay: $41,496 Median men’s pay: $49,411 Median total household income: $63,054 Alaska Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.834 Median women’s pay: $53,722 Median men’s pay: $64,397 Median total household income: $78,437 Hawaii Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.832 Median women’s pay: $48,269 Median men’s pay: $58,013 Median total household income: $85,547 Massachusetts Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.832 Median women’s pay: $62,628 Median men’s pay: $75,301 Median total household income: $89,577 10 states with the lowest relative pay for women Pay statistics are for full-time, year-round workers in 2023. Wyoming Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.684 Median women’s pay: $41,338 Median men’s pay: $60,414 Median total household income: $66,508 Utah Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.709 Median women’s pay: $42,595 Median men’s pay: $60,116 Median total household income: $79,449 Louisiana Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.712 Median women’s pay: $39,564 Median men’s pay: $55,537 Median total household income: $52,090 Alabama Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.742 Median women’s pay: $39,279 Median men’s pay: $52,944 Median total household income: $53,990 West Virginia Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.745 Median women’s pay: $38,263 Median men’s pay: $51,384 Median total household income: $51,122 Oklahoma Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.751 Median women’s pay: $38,752 Median men’s pay: $51,568 Median total household income: $55,829 Idaho Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.757 Median women’s pay: $39,425 Median men’s pay: $52,095 Median total household income: $66,318 Mississippi Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.763 Median women’s pay: $36,128 Median men’s pay: $47,379 Median total household income: $48,871 Indiana Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.763 Median women’s pay: $41,870 Median men’s pay: $54,853 Median total household income: $62,723 Michigan Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.769 Median women’s pay: $44,758 Median men’s pay: $58,217 Median total household income: $63,444 Top 10 counties with the highest relative pay for women Pay statistics are for full-time, year-round workers in 2023. Prince George’s County, MD Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $1.092 Median women’s pay: $62,568 Median men’s pay: $57,276 Median total household income: $89,689 Bronx County, NY Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.991 Median women’s pay: $43,972 Median men’s pay: $44,357 Median total household income: $43,143 Queens County, NY Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.981 Median women’s pay: $53,956 Median men’s pay: $54,996 Median total household income: $72,807 Suffolk County, MA Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.953 Median women’s pay: $64,202 Median men’s pay: $67,401 Median total household income: $77,163 Baltimore city, MD Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.933 Median women’s pay: $51,953 Median men’s pay: $55,695 Median total household income: $54,068 Los Angeles County, CA Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.929 Median women’s pay: $49,949 Median men’s pay: $53,778 Median total household income: $77,356 Kings County, NY Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.916 Median women’s pay: $57,526 Median men’s pay: $62,829 Median total household income: $66,943 Santa Barbara County, CA Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.913 Median women’s pay: $50,729 Median men’s pay: $55,561 Median total household income: $83,185 DeKalb County, GA Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.910 Median women’s pay: $50,921 Median men’s pay: $55,951 Median total household income: $70,756 Durham County, NC Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.904 Median women’s pay: $51,301 Median men’s pay: $56,724 Median total household income: $71,436 10 counties with the lowest relative pay for women SmartAsset Pay statistics are for full-time, year-round workers in 2023. Williamson County, TN Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.633 Median women’s pay: $60,280 Median men’s pay: $95,154 Median total household income: $123,474 Forsyth County, GA Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.635 Median women’s pay: $63,192 Median men’s pay: $99,506 Median total household income: $120,919 Utah County, UT Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.637 Median women’s pay: $40,377 Median men’s pay: $63,340 Median total household income: $86,597 Douglas County, CO Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.662 Median women’s pay: $65,680 Median men’s pay: $99,229 Median total household income: $129,839 Davis County, UT Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.664 Median women’s pay: $44,525 Median men’s pay: $67,105 Median total household income: $93,260 Loudoun County, VA Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.678 Median women’s pay: $76,695 Median men’s pay: $113,069 Median total household income: $153,716 Collin County, TX Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.681 Median women’s pay: $58,240 Median men’s pay: $85,465 Median total household income: $102,119 St. Tammany Parish, LA Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.690 Median women’s pay: $45,081 Median men’s pay: $65,346 Median total household income: $68,616 Hamilton County, IN Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.690 Median women’s pay: $59,212 Median men’s pay: $85,784 Median total household income: $108,203 Madison County, AL Women’s pay per $1 earned by men: $0.693 Median women’s pay: $46,638 Median men’s pay: $67,339 Median total household income: $78,386 Data and methodology Data is for 2023 and comes from County Health Rankings & Roadmaps. Gender pay gap metrics compare the median annual pay for women working full-time, year-round to that of men. This story was produced by SmartAsset and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.
Top 10 US counties where women earn the most and least compared to men
Apr 10, 2024 | 2:00 PM
