This new decade has been defined by a global pandemic, but it also marks the 100 year anniversary of women’s suffrage and a decade we commonly refer to as the “Roaring 20s” It was a time of prosperity and change, particularly for women.
Now in the 20s again, this time the United States has again brought in a major milestone for the women of America: we’ve sworn in the nation’s first-ever female vice president.
In addition to that, other changes are sweeping across the nation from equalizing attention given to sports regardless of gender and a swell of support for closing wage gaps from some of the largest corporations.
Empowered women are leading the way as inspirational role models and changemakers. While others embrace their personal strengths to be the most successful version of themselves they can be. Whether mothers, single females, political activists, businesswomen, or simply trying to get by, women are constantly facing obstacles to safety, rights, and equality.
So, which cities in America offer the optimal landscapes for local women?
From higher percentages of female small business owners to narrower wage gaps and better access to reproductive healthcare to more diverse and integrated communities, here are the 10 Best Cities for Women in the Roaring 2020s:
Provided by moveBuddha
The 10 best cities for women to lead, grow, and develop
The top cities for women were scored on 4 primary categories: Economic, Female Government Representation, Social + Health, and Culture.
The top 10 cover a wide range of cities from mega-metros to smaller cities and beachy bossgirl locales to political centers for activists.
- Las Vegas, NV
- Washington, DC
- Urban Honolulu, HI
- Seattle, WA
- Albany, NY
- Riverside, CA
- Albuquerque, NM
- San Jose, CA
- Poughkeepsie, NY
- Oxnard, CA
Other findings from the report include:
- Female Political Leadership: 8 cities scored top points thanks to a strong presence of women in political positions of power including 4 of the top 10: #1 Las Vegas, NV; #4 Seattle, WA; #5 Albany, NY; and #10 Poughkeepsie, NY.
- Growing Strong & Educated Women: #2 Washington, DC had strong scores in the Social + Health category, a measure including a range of factors from higher percentages of females having attained a bachelor’s degree or higher to better access to reproductive healthcare. However, it’s #36 Portland, ME and #11 San Francisco, CA that had the absolute highest possible scores in this category.
- Landscapes for Developing Businesswomen: Within the top 10, #3 Honolulu, HI stood out with the strongest economic score, but it’s actually #55 Miami, FL that had the highest scores in this category. Here the rate of business formations is higher than in any other city in the ranking and 40.2% of local small business owners are women + 4.6% are equal male and female owners.
These cities are a great place for women looking for opportunities to flourish and be supported. While we still do not have perfect parity between men and women, the main thing is to continue moving forward one step at a time. Progress is not something that you attain and dust off your hands and say we made it. It’s ongoing, a perpetual effort.
Bio: Kristen Klepac is a Content Marketing Specialist with Green Flag Digital; she loves brainstorming creative and data-focused analysis, exploring new places, and resides in France where she’s finally getting the hang of la langue française.