Idaho is one of the worst states to live in for women, new study shows. Here’s why
The past year hasn’t been one to look back on too fondly for women in Idaho.
Last summer, abortions were banned in most cases in Idaho after states were given the authority to prohibit abortions. The Idaho Supreme Court then struck down a petition from Planned Parenthood to block three abortion-related laws, with the court arguing that the Idaho Constitution does not provide a fundamental right to abortion.
If that wasn’t enough, two days into the 2023 legislative session, an Idaho representative compared women’s reproductive healthcare with milking a cow.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, a new study from personal finance website WalletHub shows that Idaho is one of the worst states to live in for a woman. The Gem State isn’t at the bottom of the barrel, but it’s close.
WalletHub ranked Idaho 42nd in the nation amongst all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Idaho comes in at the bottom half for the two key dimensions considered in the study: 45th for women’s economic and social well-being, and 33rd for women’s health care and safety.
To determine the rankings for each dimension, WalletHub used 25 relevant metrics, such as women’s average pay, unemployment rate, the share of women-owned businesses, friendliness toward women’s equality, depression rate and access to health care.
Under those 25 metrics, Idaho ranked notably low in the percentage of women-owned businesses (47th) and the median earnings for female workers (50th). Women earning a full-time wage or salary made, on average, $731 in 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; male counterparts made a median of $966 per week.
Data for the study was gathered from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Violence Policy Center and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
States were scored on a 100-point scale; the higher the score, the more favorable a state is for women to live in. Idaho tallied 44.51 points, just behind neighboring Wyoming (44.67) and ahead of West Virginia (44.05).
A trio of states from the northeast led the rankings; Vermont ranked top, with New York then Massachusetts just behind.
Who is Idaho ranked alongside?
According to WalletHub, here are the states that Idaho is ranked alongside as being unfavorable to women, along with their cumulative score:
42. Idaho (44.51)
43. West Virginia (44.05)
44. Texas (43.84)
45. South Carolina (40.35)
46. Georgia (39.22)
47. Alabama (38.89)
48. Arkansas (38.20)
49. Louisiana (37.72)
50. Mississippi (35.96)
51. Oklahoma (32.62)
This story was originally published February 28, 2023 at 1:05 PM.
