Top 10 US counties where women earn the most and least compared to men

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Top 10 US counties where women earn the most and least compared to men

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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.

SmartAsset

Top 10 states with the highest relative pay for women

Table showing gender pay gap by state.

Pay statistics are for full-time, year-round workers in 2023.

1. 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
2. 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 
3. 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 
4. 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 
5. 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 
6. 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 
7. 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 
8. 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 
9. 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 
10. 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.

1. 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
2. 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 
3. 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 
4. 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 
5. 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 
6. 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
7. 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 
8. 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 
9. 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 
10. 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.

1. 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
2. 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 
3. 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
4. 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
5. 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 
6. 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
7. 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 
8. 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
9. 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 
10. 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

SmartAsset

10 counties with the lowest relative pay for women

Table showing gender pay gap by county.

Pay statistics are for full-time, year-round workers in 2023.

1. 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
2. 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
3. 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 
4. 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
5. 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
6. 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
7. 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
8. 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
9. 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 
10. 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.