The wage gap is narrower among younger workers nationally, and in some cities, women under 30 are out-earning their male counterparts.
In 1848 Susan B. Anthony was working as a teacher in Canajoharie, N.Y., when she discovered that male teachers were paid $10 a month, while the female teachers earned just $2.50 a month, or 25%. That’s when she became involved with the teacher’s union.
She was 28 years old.
Today, 174 years later, women under 30 might be pleased to learn that in 22 U.S. cities, they are earning as much as or more than their male counterparts.
Well, the women in those cities might be pleased, at least.
A Pew Research analysis of the gender pay gap in the U.S. found that the gap is narrower among younger workers nationally, and varies across geographical areas. In the 22 cities, women under 30 earn at least the same as and up to 20% more than men under 30.
Then there are 107 metros where the women earn 90% to 99% of what the men earn, accounting for almost half of all women under 30 working full time in the U.S. in 2019.
In another 103 metros, women under 30 earn 80% to 89% of what the young men earn. In 18 metros, their earnings were 67% of 79% of the men’s.
Nationwide, among all full-time, year-round workers in 2019, the median annual earnings of women of all ages were 82% those of men, according to Pew.
Here are the cities where women under 30 are making more than men under 30, followed by the cities where the women are making the least compared with the men.
(The town where Susan B. Anthony taught has fewer than 4,000 people, too small the this analysis, but in nearby Albany, N.Y., women under 30 are making 94% of their male counterparts.)
1. Wenatchee, Wash.
Median annual earnings, men: $25,251Median annual earnings, women: $30,363Gender earnings gap: 120%Number of male workers: 3,818 Number of female workers: 2,568
In Wenatchee, women under 30 are earning on average 20% more than men.
2. Morgantown, W.Va.
Median annual earnings, men: $28,507Median annual earnings, women: $32,373Gender earnings gap: 114%Number of male workers: 5,908 Number of female workers: 4,134
3. Barnstable, Mass.
Median annual earnings, men: $32,580Median annual earnings, women: $36,652Gender earnings gap: 112%Number of male workers: 6,061 Number of female workers: 4,201
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4. Gainesville, Fla.
Median annual earnings, men: $25,453Median annual earnings, women: $28,000Gender earnings gap: 110%Number of male workers: 9,610 Number of female workers: 9,498
5. Naples-Immokalee-Marco Island, Fla.
Median annual earnings, men: $27,699Median annual earnings, women: $29,830Gender earnings gap: 108%Number of male workers: 10,344 Number of female workers: 6,706
6. San Diego
Median annual earnings, men: $30,755Median annual earnings, women: $32,373Gender earnings gap: 105%Number of male workers: 157,363 Number of female workers: 95,880
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7. Yuba City, Calif.
Median annual earnings, men: $30,896Median annual earnings, women: $32,373Gender earnings gap: 105%Number of male workers: 6,102 Number of female workers: 4,062
8. New York
Median annual earnings, men: $40,725Median annual earnings, women: $41,717Gender earnings gap: 102%Number of male workers: 637,423 Number of female workers: 559,629
9. Washington D.C.
Median annual earnings, men: $42,615Median annual earnings, women: $43,500Gender earnings gap: 102%Number of male workers: 215,474 Number of female workers: 191,224
10. San Angelo, Texas
Median annual earnings, men: $27,000Median annual earnings, women: $27,500Gender earnings gap: 102%Number of male workers: 6,379 Number of female workers: 3,526
11. Champaign-Urbana, Ill.
Median annual earnings, men: $30,000Median annual earnings, women: $30,544Gender earnings gap: 102%Number of male workers: 8,223 Number of female workers: 6,924
12. Lebanon, Penn.
Median annual earnings, men: $30,544Median annual earnings, women: $31,078Gender earnings gap: 102%Number of male workers: 4,727 Number of female workers: 4,036
13. Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, Calif.
Median annual earnings, men: $31,961Median annual earnings, women: $32,373Gender earnings gap: 101%Number of male workers: 18,079 Number of female workers: 13,157
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14. Winston-Salem, N.C.
Median annual earnings, men: $31,002Median annual earnings, women: $31,288Gender earnings gap: 101%Number of male workers: 19,898 Number of female workers: 15,615
15. Iowa City, Iowa
Median annual earnings, men: $31,288Median annual earnings, women: $31,562Gender earnings gap: 101%Number of male workers: 6,334 Number of female workers: 5,909
16. Sacramento, Calif.
Median annual earnings, men: $33,374Median annual earnings, women: $33,598Gender earnings gap: 101%Number of male workers: 67,830 Number of female workers: 57,289
In six metros, the earnings gap is 100%, or equal. Those cities are: Flagstaff, Ariz., Los Angeles, Oxnard, Calif., Richmond, Va., Honolulu and San Luis Obispo, Calif.
Cities Where Women Under 30 Earn the Least Compared With Men
1. Elkhart-Goshen, Ind.
Median annual earnings, men: $39,707Median annual earnings, women: $26,634Gender earnings gap: 67%Number of male workers: 8,003 Number of female workers: 5,613
In this metro, the wage gap is greatest, with the women earning on average 67% of what the men earn—the lowest of all 250 metropolitan areas in the study.
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2. Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas
Median annual earnings, men: $38,353Median annual earnings, women: $25,899Gender earnings gap: 68%Number of male workers: 14,287 Number of female workers: 10,617
3. Odessa, Texas
Median annual earnings, men: $39,214Median annual earnings, women: $26,634Gender earnings gap: 68%Number of male workers: 8,494 Number of female workers: 4,564
4. Mansfield, Ohio
Median annual earnings, men: $32,644Median annual earnings, women: $22,373Gender earnings gap: 69%Number of male workers: 3,517 Number of female workers: 2,729
5. Decatur, Ill.
Median annual earnings, men: $34,531Median annual earnings, women: $24,077Gender earnings gap: 70%Number of male workers: 3,158 Number of female workers: 2,959
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6. Houma-Thibodaux, La.
Median annual earnings, men: $37,769Median annual earnings, women: $26,634Gender earnings gap: 71%Number of male workers: 8,270 Number of female workers: 6,603
ian munroe from Steinwenden, Germany/Wikipedia
7. Niles-Benton Harbor, Mich.
Median annual earnings, men: $35,043Median annual earnings, women: $26,073Gender earnings gap: 74%Number of male workers: 4,255 Number of female workers: 3,276
8. Baton Rouge, La.
Median annual earnings, men: $36,190Median annual earnings, women: $26,978Gender earnings gap: 75%Number of male workers: 29,480 Number of female workers: 25,408
9. Saginaw, Mich.
Median annual earnings, men: $31,961Median annual earnings, women: $24,503Gender earnings gap: 77%Number of male workers: 5,397 Number of female workers: 4,919
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10. Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Median annual earnings, men: $31,288Median annual earnings, women: $24,000Gender earnings gap: 77%Number of male workers: 9,689 Number of female workers: 7,683
11. Amarillo, Texas
Median annual earnings, men: $32,500Median annual earnings, women: $25,000Gender earnings gap: 77%Number of male workers: 10,655 Number of female workers: 7,955
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12. Glens Falls, N.Y.
Median annual earnings, men: $35,157Median annual earnings, women: $27,116Gender earnings gap: 77%Number of male workers: 3,719 Number of female workers: 2,811
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13. Bloomington, Ill.
Median annual earnings, men: $37,769Median annual earnings, women: $29,136Gender earnings gap: 77%Number of male workers: 5,914 Number of female workers: 5,100
14. Bismarck, N.D.
Median annual earnings, men: $45,815Median annual earnings, women: $35,634Gender earnings gap: 78%Number of male workers: 5,885 Number of female workers: 5,533
15. Mobile, Ala.
Median annual earnings, men: $30,000Median annual earnings, women: $23,438Gender earnings gap: 78%Number of male workers: 13,766 Number of female workers: 10,684
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16. Gulfport-Biloxi-Pascagoula, Miss.
Median annual earnings, men: $30,544Median annual earnings, women: $23,883Gender earnings gap: 78%Number of male workers: 13,360 Number of female workers: 8,608
Read more about the gender wage gap and the methodology for this analysis at the Pew Research Center.
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