For the second year in a row , Columbia, Maryland grabbed the top spot in WalletHub’s rankings of Best Cities for Women to thrive.

It’s the third time this year Columbia topped the finance site’s surveys, as in January 2025 the city nabbed top rankings for finding a job in both the state and the nation.

WalletHub used 15 criteria to compare 182 cities to determine both the best and worst cities in which women can reach their potential. Naturally, they focused on economics, and Columbia has the highest median earnings for female workers (adjusted for cost of living) than any of the other cities at $61,778 per year. The poverty rate is the eighth lowest in the country, as well, at only 8.2%.

That is saying something in a nation where women still earn only 85 cents for every dollar

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