These NC Cities Among Top In US For Women In STEM

CHARLOTTE, NC — Women make up about half the U.S. workforce, but when it comes to science and engineering jobs, they fill only a fourth of those positions, according to data by the National Girls Collaborative Project. However, this isn’t the case in some U.S. cities — including four in North Carolina — that tend to attract more women wanting to further their STEM careers.

Inspired by National Girls Collaborative Project research, commercial real estate website CommercialCafe recently released its ranking of the top U.S. cities for women in STEM — or science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

CommercialCafe graded cities by using U.S. Census Bureau data to determine a city’s overall ranking, taking into account the number of female employees in STEM careers and how it’s changed over time. It also considered the average salaries of women in STEM and how their median earnings have evolved.

Durham, North Carolina ranked No. 3 for the southeastern U.S. as well as No. 5 for the entire country. In Durham, 42 percent of STEM positions are filled by women, who earn on average $58,462 per year.

Durham also received its overall ranking after researchers analyzed numbers that indicate how inclusive we may be toward women in general. These figures include how many women hold management positions across all fields, the unemployment rate among women, how many have employer-sponsored health insurance, and the percentage of income used toward rent.

Durham wasn’t the only North Carolina city to earn high marks in the category. Fayetteville was ranked the No. 4 city in the Southeastern U.S., followed by Raleigh (No. 5), and Charlotte (No. 8).

Here’s a look at how women in STEM fare in these other cities:

Fayetteville, North Carolina (No. 4 in the Southeast)

• Percentage of STEM positions are filled by women: 31 percent
• Average income of women in STEM: $74,714

Raleigh, North Carolina (No. 4 in the Southeast)

• Percentage of STEM positions are filled by women: 35 percent
• Average income of women in STEM: $61,346

Charlotte, North Carolina (No. 4 in the Southeast)

• Percentage of STEM positions are filled by women: 27 percent
• Average income of women in STEM: $70,459

According to this year’s ranking, these cities are considered the best for women in STEM in a specific U.S. region:

• West: San Francisco, California
• Midwest: Detroit, Michigan
• South: Arlington, Virginia
• Northeast: Boston, Massachusetts

The top cities in the nation regardless of region were also ranked. Arlington, Virginia, took the top spot due to a growth in the number of women in STEM jobs — in 2018, women held 34 percent of STEM jobs in Arlington.

Check out the top 10 cities in the United States:

1. Arlington, Virginia
2. San Francisco, California
3. Fremont, California
4. Washington, D.C.
5. Durham, North Carolina
6. Oakland, California
7. Seattle, Washington
8. Sacramento, California
9. Glendale, Arizona
10. Tacoma, Washington

While the ranking points to these cities having the best opportunities for women in STEM, the gender disparity in the field is pervasive, research suggested. While boys and girls perform similarly in science and math classes when they’re young, gaps appear once they get to college, according to the National Girls Collaborative Project.

One gap has to do with their field of study, research said. Women received more than half of the bachelor’s degrees awarded in the biological sciences, but they received far fewer in the computer sciences, engineering, physical sciences and mathematics.

Minority women also are significantly underrepresented, according to the National Girls Collaborative Project, adding that a mere 13 percent of science and engineering bachelor’s degrees were received by minority women in 2016.

Check out the full ranking of top cities for women in STEM and learn more about the methodology on CommercialCafe’s website.