Report: Tucson Is the 48th-Worst City for Women

Tucson, Ariz., is the 48th-worst city for women, according to a new WalletHub study comparing 182 cities across 15 key indicators of living standards for women. The analysis considered factors ranging from median wages and unemployment rates to healthcare access and safety.

Nationally, women who work full-time still earn just 82% of what men earn, on average, according to the Department of Labor, and they remain underrepresented in leadership positions in business and politics. Still, some cities provide far better conditions for women than others.

“Living in the right city can significantly improve a woman's economic status, health, and safety,” said WalletHub analyst Milvionne Chery. “The best cities for women offer job security and high pay, enabling women to achieve greater financial independence. They also prioritize safety, including minimizing crime, and they provide easily accessible medical care at high-quality hospitals, contributing to the best possible physical and mental health for women.”

In-Depth Look at Tucson

Tucson ranks in the top half of the country for certain parts of its economy and healthcare system. For example, it has the 64th-best job security for women, which is helpful given how important a steady job is in our inflationary environment. The city also has the 69th-most physically active women and the 73rd-best women's hospitals, both of which help to boost overall health.

However, Tucson has room for improvement in other areas. For example, the city has the sixth-lowest share of women receiving mammograms within the recommended time frame, and the 21st-lowest share of women receiving cervical cancer screenings. Access to these types of preventive care is crucial for catching malignancies early. In addition, Tucson only ranks 136th for the poverty rate among women, which in turn makes homeownership, paying for childcare and saving for retirement difficult or even impossible for some women.

How Tucson Ranks in Other Key Metrics

• 88th: Women's life expectancy
• 96th: Percentage of women-owned businesses
• 126th: Uninsured rate for women
• 127th: Unemployment rate for women

WalletHub's study groups the metrics into two categories: Women's Economic & Social Well-Being, which makes up 60% of the total scoring, and Women's Healthcare & Safety, which makes up the other 40%.

Tucson ranks 129th for Women's Economic & Social Well-Being and 111th for Women's Healthcare & Safety, which puts it in 135th place overall out of the 182 cities in WalletHub's study.

Best Cities for Women

The methodology can be found on the full version of the article on WalletHub.