Texas is one of the worst states for women, study finds

Texas women have a worse quality of life than in many other states, according to a WalletHub report released Monday.

Texas ranked 47th for its “woman friendliness” in the report, which compared 25 key metrics across the 50 states and the District of Columbia. Only Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama had worse rankings than Texas.

Among the metrics where Texas ranked low were female uninsured rate (51st) and the number of unemployed women (44th).

The Texas rankings also included:

•  19th in median earnings of female workers (adjusted for cost of living).
•  40th in share of women in poverty.
•  20th in high school graduation rate for women.
•  35th in the share of women who voted in 2020 presidential election.
•  31st in women’s life expectancy at birth.
•  23rd in quality of women’s hospitals.
•  41st in women’s preventive health care.

Other metrics included the high school graduation rates for women, share of women-owned businesses, female homicide rates and more.

“Women in the U.S. still face a lot of adversity, so living in the right state can greatly impact their quality of life,” WalletHub analyst Cassandra Happe said in a statement. “The best states for women provide equitable economic conditions, encourage robust political participation, have quality health care, and ensure safety for the women who reside there.”

Massachusetts came in first with one of the lowest unemployment and uninsured rates for women, along with high rankings for life expectancy and health care. Oklahoma came in last.

The study found that on average, blue states – determined by how they voted in the 2020 presidential election – are more women-friendly than red states.