The 10 Worst Cities For Women In California For 2026

As we move further into 2026, it’s clear that women in the United States still encounter significant challenges in the workforce. Issues such as pay disparity, underrepresentation in leadership, and access to essential healthcare persist, impacting women’s professional experiences across the nation.

Building on our previous analysis of the worst states for women, we’ve now focused on pinpointing the most challenging cities for women in California.

The findings indicate a stark contrast in conditions for women based on their geographic location.

Continue reading to find out how your city ranks among the worst for women in California, and learn about the factors influencing these rankings.

The 10 Worst Cities To Be A Woman In California

The cities listed above represent the most challenging environments for women in California. Read further to understand the reasons behind these rankings, or skip to the end to discover which cities offer better prospects for women.

Methodology – How We Determined The Worst Cities For Women In California

Each city was ranked based on four key factors:

Percentage Of Women In Management (Lower is worse)
Percentage Of Women In Poverty (Higher is worse)
Income Ratio: How much women earn per male dollar earned (Lower is worse)
Percentage Of Uninsured Women (Lower is worse)

We sourced our data from the Census’ American Community Survey to analyze income disparities between male and female workers in each city. The income ratio was calculated by dividing the median income of male workers by that of female workers.

To assess the poverty rates, we also utilized the ACS, focusing on women living alone, which provides a clearer picture of the financial challenges faced by this demographic.

We examined the representation of women in management roles, recognizing the importance of leadership opportunities for women in their professional advancement.

Lastly, we referenced the ACS data to gauge the percentage of uninsured women across cities.

Only cities in California with populations exceeding 5,000 were included in our analysis.

1. Salton City

Source: Public Domain

How Much Women Make For Male Dollars Earned: $0.34
Women In Management: 23.8%
Women In Poverty: 29.8%
Women Uninsured: 14.5%

Salton City ranks as the most challenging city for women in California, marked by low income, high poverty rates, and low representation in management. Women in this city face significant obstacles to economic independence and health coverage.

2. Mendota

Mendota, CA

Source: Wikipedia User David Jordan at | GFDL

How Much Women Make For Male Dollars Earned: $0.53
Women In Management: 25.5%
Women In Poverty: 52.2%
Women Uninsured: 12.9%

Mendota follows closely as the second worst city for women, plagued by high poverty rates and limited economic opportunities for women.

3. Lake Arrowhead

How Much Women Make For Male Dollars Earned: $0.45
Women In Management: 29.8%
Women In Poverty: 21.9%
Women Uninsured: 13.2%

In Lake Arrowhead, women face challenges with only 29.8 percent in management roles and a notable portion living in poverty.

4. Lamont

How Much Women Make For Male Dollars Earned: $0.66
Women In Management: 11.6%
Women In Poverty: 35.5%
Women Uninsured: 13.3%

Lamont ranks fourth, with a concerning percentage of uninsured women and a significant proportion of women living in poverty.

5. Winton

How Much Women Make For Male Dollars Earned: $0.56
Women In Management: 25.4%
Women In Poverty: 27.4%
Women Uninsured: 9.4%

Winton ranks fifth, where women experience better opportunities than the previous four cities but still face notable challenges.

6. Chowchilla

Chowchilla, CA

Source: Public domain

How Much Women Make For Male Dollars Earned: $0.55
Women In Management: 33.6%
Women In Poverty: 23.4%
Women Uninsured: 11.7%

Chowchilla, ranked sixth, shows a high percentage of women in management but still faces challenges with poverty rates.

7. Avenal

Avenal, CA

Source: Wikipedia User Armona | CC BY-SA 3.0

How Much Women Make For Male Dollars Earned: $0.65
Women In Management: 33.7%
Women In Poverty: 36.9%
Women Uninsured: 12.9%

Avenal struggles with high poverty rates and limited economic opportunities for women, making it a challenging environment.

8. Cutler

Cutler, CA

Source: Wikipedia

How Much Women Make For Male Dollars Earned: $0.53
Women In Management: 38.8%
Women In Poverty: 38.6%
Women Uninsured: 12.4%

Cutler presents significant challenges for women, with a high likelihood of poverty and a low income ratio compared to men.

9. Firebaugh

Firebaugh, CA

Source: Public domain

How Much Women Make For Male Dollars Earned: $0.62
Women In Management: 25.9%
Women In Poverty: 30.0%
Women Uninsured: 9.0%

Firebaugh ranks ninth, with significant economic disparities affecting women’s financial stability.

10. Garden Acres

How Much Women Make For Male Dollars Earned: $0.62
Women In Management: 31.9%
Women In Poverty: 25.5%
Women Uninsured: 11.5%

In tenth place, Garden Acres shows some improvements over the previous cities, yet challenges remain for women in the workforce.

Summary Of The Worst Cities To Be A Woman In California

The cities listed reflect where women in California face the most significant hardships. While the entire state has its challenges, these cities rank particularly low in terms of economic opportunities and healthcare access for women.

Although we cannot definitively label Salton City as the worst for every individual woman, it illustrates the systemic issues many women face that can impede their progress and well-being.

Continue reading for a more detailed breakdown of the worst cities for women in California.

Detailed List Of The Worst Cities For Women In California

Rank	Place	Pay Gap
1	Salton City	$0.34
2	Mendota	$0.53
3	Lake Arrowhead	$0.45
4	Lamont	$0.66
5	Winton	$0.56
6	Chowchilla	$0.55
7	Avenal	$0.65
8	Cutler	$0.53
9	Firebaugh	$0.62
10	Garden Acres	$0.62
11	Lake Los Angeles	$0.56
12	Muscoy	$0.74
13	Wasco	$0.65
14	Maywood	$0.72
15	Perris	$0.70
16	Lakeland Village	$0.61
17	Delhi	$0.66
18	Los Banos	$0.62
19	West Modesto	$0.65
20	San Jacinto	$0.63
21	Lindsay	$0.75
22	Lennox	$0.76
23	Desert Hot Springs	$0.77
24	Homeland	$0.63
25	Oceano	$0.67
26	Nuevo	$0.52
27	Mead Valley	$0.77
28	Castroville	$0.56
29	Lucerne Valley	$0.72
30	Interlaken	$0.67
31	Calexico	$0.60
32	Shafter	$0.60
33	Santa Paula	$0.67
34	Yosemite Lakes	$0.36
35	Florence-Graham	$0.74
36	Lompoc	$0.74
37	Gonzales	$0.61
38	Alondra Park	$0.78
39	Lake Elsinore	$0.56
40	Bret Harte	$0.56
41	Mammoth Lakes	$0.70
42	South Gate	$0.69
43	Hesperia	$0.61
44	Kingsburg	$0.61
45	Marina Del Rey	$0.56
46	Waterford	$0.76
47	Yuba City	$0.67
48	El Rio	$0.84
49	Corona	$0.61
50	Big Bear	$0.66
51	Bloomington	$0.61
52	Wildomar	$0.64
53	Malibu	$0.36
54	Huntington Park	$0.75
55	Rialto	$0.70
56	San Luis Obispo	$0.55
57	South San Jose	$0.75
58	Corning	$0.74
59	Pollock Pines	$0.60
60	San Marcos	$0.67
61	Thousand Palms	$0.67
62	Bell	$0.70
63	Seaside	$0.63
64	Bakersfield	$0.64
65	Huron	$0.56
66	El Centro	$0.75
67	Tulare	$0.77
68	Bell Gardens	$0.74
69	San Fernando	$0.78
70	Brawley	$0.56
71	Fowler	$0.75
72	Commerce	$0.84
73	Hollister	$0.57
74	Palermo	$1.11
75	Big Bear Lake	$0.72
76	Montclair	$0.80
77	Greenfield	$0.72
78	Bermuda Dunes	$0.79
79	Cudahy	$0.66
80	Quartz Hill	$0.76
81	Mcfarland	$0.73
82	Menifee	$0.58
83	North Fair Oaks	$0.65
84	Buellton	$0.51
85	Jurupa Valley	$0.69
86	Parlier	$0.79
87	Gustine	$0.48
88	Hemet	$0.65
89	Bostonia	$0.74
90	Valinda	$0.77
91	Palmdale	$0.66
92	Greenacres	$0.62
93	Los Osos	$0.64
94	Blythe	$0.71
95	East Rancho Dominguez	$0.68
96	August	$0.52
97	Capitola	$0.53
98	Yucaipa	$0.57
99	Palm Springs	$0.81
100	Avocado Heights	$0.60

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Author

Kathy Morris

Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.

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