Personal finance technology company MoneyGeek, has published a report of the best U.S. cities for Black women. The findings were determined based on factors including local wage gaps, poverty levels, safety, education, homeownership, and health coverage.
Dr. Lori Martin, a Louisiana State University professor of African and African American studies and sociology said, “A livable place for Black women is safe, and for women with children, it is home to schools where all students have access to an excellent education. It would also be diverse, with a visible and thriving Black community, including Black businesses.”
Taking into account over 200 U.S. cities’ data on income, the cost of crime, homeownership, and poverty levels, MoneyGeek compiled a list of cities where Black women have the most opportunities, support, and chance of thriving financially, as well as a list of cities where they have the least. The ranking are as follows:
Best Cities for Black Women
- Southfield, MI
- New Rochelle, NY
- Missouri City, TX
- Alexandria, VA
- Pembroke Pines, FL
- Inglewood, CA
- Fairfield, CA
- Sandy Springs, GA
- Rancho Cucamonga, CA
- Grand Prairie, TX
Worst Cities for Black Women
- Corpus Christi, TX
- Miami, FL
- Gulfport, MS
- Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Pompano Beach, FL
- Allentown, PA
- Boynton Beach, FL
- North Little Rock, AR
- Kalamazoo, MI
- Abilene, TX
Key findings include the observation that the best cities for Black women are often neighboring the worst. Four of the worst cities for Black women are in South Florida as well as two of the top 25.
San Bernardino, CA, is ranked close to the bottom of the list of 200 cities, while Rancho Cucamonga, CA, which is just 25 minutes away, ranks twelfth. Texas has one city in the top ten, as well as two in the worst ten.
In addition, several suburban cities located just outside of large metropolitan areas ranked among the best cities for Black women. These include Southfield, a suburb of Detroit; Grand Prairie, a suburb of Dallas; New Rochelle, a suburb of New York City; Inglewood, a suburb of Los Angeles; and Missouri City, a suburb of Houston.
Findings also show disparities in pay differs by location. In Riverside, CA, for example, Black women have a higher median pay than that of white men. In Stamford, CT, however, Black women earn only one-third of what white men earn. The latter is a more common picture.
According to MoneyGeek, “Black women who work full-time, year-round earn 62 cents for every one dollar white men earn working full-time, year-round.”
View the full report here.