New York women's equality ranking: See how the state compares

New York is among the best states for women's equality, according to a new WalletHub study.

The United States has made great strides in women's rights since the passing of the 19th Amendment; however, gender inequalities still exist in many aspects of Americans' lives. According to WalletHub, the U.S. ranked 42nd out of 148 countries in the 2025 World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Index

, showing that these inequalities persist.

Leadership roles in the workplace highlight a major area where these gender inequalities exist, as women only hold around one-third of legislative seats and 35% of S&P 500 board positions, though women make up over half of the U.S. population, according to WalletHub.

While gender inequalities exist across America,

their extent can vary from state to state.

"Ensuring women’s equality requires more than simply giving men and women the same fundamental rights," WalletHub Analyst Chip Lupo said. "States also need to work to make sure that women receive equal treatment to men when it comes to financial opportunities, education, and politics."

To determine which states offer the highest levels of gender equality, WalletHub compared all 50 states across 17 indicators, with factors ranging from the gap between female and male executives to differences in unemployment rates between women and men.

Is New York a good state for women's rights?

New York is widely considered the "birthplace of the women's rights movement," as it was home to the first women's rights convention, known as the Seneca Falls Convention, where the Declaration of Sentiments was issued. While many historic women's rights activists lived and worked in New York, has their work held up through the centuries since the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848?

According to WalletHub, yes, New York remains among the best states for women's equality and rights.

The Empire State scored the No. 11 spot out of 50 for the best states for women's rights, with an overall score of 65.41. New York placed at No. 11 for the workplace environment rank, No. 22 for the education and health rank and No. 13 for the political empowerment rank, according to WalletHub's study.

New York also tied for first place for the smallest educational attainment gap among advanced degree holders with Vermont, Alaska, Mississippi and Maine. On the flip side, however, the Empire State was ranked as having the second-largest executive positions gap, only behind Massachusetts.

WalletHub's 15 best states for women's equality

1. Hawaii
2. Maryland
3. Alaska
4. Maine
5. Vermont
6. New Mexico
7. Iowa
8. Oregon
9. California
10. Illinois
11. New York
12. Michigan
13. Massachusetts
14. Minnesota
15. West Virginia

WalletHub's 15 worst states for women's equality

• No. 50: Utah
• No. 49: Oklahoma
• No. 48: Texas
• No. 47: Idaho
• No. 46: South Carolina
• No. 45: Arkansas
• No. 44: Georgia
• No. 43: Virginia
• No. 42: Montana
• No. 41: Louisiana
• No. 40: Missouri
• No. 39: Alabama
• No. 38: Ohio
• No. 37: North Carolina
• No. 36: South Dakota

How WalletHub assessed states based on gender equality

To determine the best and worst states for women's equality, WalletHub compared all 50 states across three dimensions: workplace environment, education & health and political empowerment.

The workplace environment category analyzed these factors:

• Income disparity
• Higher income disparity
• Disparity in share of executive positions
• Disparity in share of minimum wage workers
• Unemployment rate disparity
• Entrepreneurship rate disparity
• Disparity in average number of work hours
• Job security disparity
• Economic security disparity
• Disparity in poverty rate

The education & health category analyzed these factors:

• Disparity in advanced educational attainment
• Disparity in math test scores
• Disparity in doctor visit affordability

The political empowerment category analyzed these factors:

• Disparity in share of lawmakers in U.S. Senate
• Disparity in share of lawmakers in U.S. House of Representatives
• Disparity in share of lawmakers in state legislature
• Disparity in share of state-elected executives

Data used to create the ranking was collected as of July 20, 2026, and was sourced from multiple entities, including the U.S. Census Bureau, the National Women's Law Center, the Institute for Women's Policy Research and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

—Madison Scott is a New York Connect reporter, covering entertainment, breaking and consumer news, and trending topics with a focus on stories that matter to readers across New York state. She also has an interest in how the system helps or doesn't help families with missing loved ones. She can be reached at [e-mail].

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: New York women's equality ranking: See how the state compares