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New Awards Recognize Columbia, MD
Merriweather District is honored to share that Columbia, Maryland has been recognized by recent WalletHub studies, naming it not only the #2 Safest City in America, but the #1 Best City for Women.
To receive the honor of #1 Best City for Women, WalletHub examined 15 key indicators of living standards including median earnings, unemployment rate, share of Women-Owned businesses, economic clout, uninsured rate, quality of women’s hospitals, and abortion policies and access to care, among others. Following the same metrics, Columbia was also ranked #6 for Women’s Economic and Social Well-Being, and #14 for Women’s Health Care & Safety. 182 cities were included in the research.
As shared by Adam McCann, WalletHub Financial Writer, “While women generally make up a higher percentage of the population in most areas across the nation, they are not always in the best location to maximize their potential… Since the gender pay gap tends to widen with age, putting down roots in a city with better earnings potential can set a woman up for more financial success in the future.”
Once again ranked at the top of the list as #2 Safest City in the U.S., Columbia, Maryland was among 182 cities examined using metrics including the presence of terrorist attacks and mass shootings, pedestrian fatalities, sheltered homelessness, and the number of law-enforcement officials, paramedics, and active firefighters per capita. The study also considers natural disaster risk, as well as resident financial safety following data such as the unemployment rate, median credit score, foreclosure rate, retirement plan participation, job security, and the number of identity theft complaints. Columbia was ranked #1 for Home & Community Safety, #63 for Natural Disaster Risk, and #85 for Financial Safety. Columbia was also named as one of the safest cities in the U.S. in 2021 and 2022.