Steer clear of the South: the best (and worst) states for women home buyers

So long, Southern charm

Single women may make up one of the largest segments of today’s home buyers, but that doesn’t mean the world is their oyster. According to a new ranking, while some states offer women prime opportunities for employment, health, safety and overall well-being, just as many don’t. And most of those sub-par states? They’re in the South.

Louisiana loses out

According to a recent ranking from WalletHub, Louisiana is the single-worst state for women, coming in last for economic and social well-being and 47th for health and safety. Not far behind was Arkansas, the worst in health and safety and No. 44 for well-being.

The remaining bottom 10 states largely hailed from the Southern U.S., Mississippi, Oklahoma, Alabama, South Carolina, West Virginia, Georgia and Texas making the list. The only non-Southern state toward the bottom is Nevada, which ranked 50 in health and safety.

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Hawaii, while high in the rankings overall, also had the highest unemployment rate among women. Mississippi claimed the biggest share of women in poverty, while South Dakota has the smallest percentage of women-owned businesses. Nevada has the lowest high school graduation rate among women, and Texas claims the most women who are uninsured.

Minnesota makes the grade

Minnesota took the No. 1 spot as the best state for women. Ranked No. 1 for economic and social well-being and No. 3 in health and safety, it’s WalletHub’s top spot for American women.

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Much of the remaining top 10 states are in the Northeast, with Massachusetts, Vermont, Main, Connecticut and New Hampshire all making the list. North Dakota, Wisconsin, Hawaii and Iowa all ranked highly as well.

Women make the highest salaries in the District of Columbia, while New Hampshire sees the lowest share of women in poverty. Alaska claims the most women-owned businesses in the nation, and high school graduation rates are highest among women in Nebraska and Wisconsin.

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