do better, texas

New report ranks Texas among the 5 worst states for women in 2026

Woman holding a sign at a protest that states, "Women's rights are human rights"

Texas is far from the best state for women, according to this study.

The Lone Star State has a lot of work to do to improve its livability for women after being dubbed the fourth worst state for women in 2026.

The ranking comes from WalletHub's annual study that compared all 50 states and the District of Columbia based on women's economic opportunities, social well-being, health care factors, and overall safety.

The five best states for women this year are Massachusetts (No. 1), District of Columbia (No. 2), Maine (No. 3), Minnesota (No. 4), and Maryland (No. 5).

Texas, on the other hand, ranked No. 48 in 2026, a one-spot drop from 2025's ranking. The three states that performed worse than Texas are Arkansas (No. 49), Oklahoma (No. 50), and Louisiana (No. 51).

Texas came in nearly dead last – 50th – in the report's "economic and social well-being" rank, which analyzed factors such as women's job security, the median earnings for female workers, the share of women living in poverty, high school graduation rates, a "friendliness toward working moms" score, and more.

The state also ranked 44th in the "women's health care and safety" ranking, which assessed the quality of women's hospitals, abortion policies and access, the female uninsured rate, the share of women who were up-to-date on cervical and breast-cancer screenings, suicide rates, the prevalence of rape victimization, the number of women murdered by men, and others.

On a national level, women make up more than half (51 percent) of the country's total population, but women disproportionally account for more than two-thirds of all minimum-wage workers nationwide, WalletHub says. They are also severely underrepresented in Congress; only 26 percent of U.S. Senate seats are held by women, and 29.4 percent in the House of Representatives.

Additionally, the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics found 91 percent of rape victims are women and 9 percent are men.

"Despite improvements the U.S. has made over the years, women still lag behind men when it comes to economic prospects, executive positions, and political representation," said WalletHub analyst Milvionne Chery Copeland. "On top of tackling these important issues, the best states for women also ensure that they have access to high-quality health care, receive the same educational opportunities as men, and live in safe communities."

The 10 best states for women in 2026 are:

No. 1 – Massachusetts
No. 2 – District of Columbia
No. 3 – Maine
No. 4 – Minnesota
No. 5 – Maryland
No. 6 – Vermont
No. 7 – Connecticut
No. 8 – Hawaii
No. 9 – New York
No. 10 – Oregon

women's rights wallethub texas rankings reports equality women's equality

In the spotlight

Dallas stars as one of the 10 best cities for filmmakers in 2026

Filmmaking, best places to live and work as a moviemaker

Photo by Anastase Maragos on Unsplash

Dallas has made its debut in the top 10 best cities for filmmakers.

Dallas has just snapped up new recognition as the No. 7 best place to live and work as a filmmaker in North America.

Dallas made its top-10 debut on MovieMaker Magazine's annual report, "The Best Places to Live and Work as a Moviemaker in 2026."

The city was snubbed entirely in the magazine's 2025 list, but previously ranked as the 25th best place to live and work as a filmmaker in 2024 and 20th in 2023.

The annual list ranks the best cities in the U.S. and Canada for individuals to live while working in the film industry, based on production spending, tax incentives, cost of living, the prevalence of "local film scenes," and additional factors. The list is divided into two categories: 25 big cities and 10 smaller cities or towns.

The final list of highlighted cities are the places where the publication believes filmmakers "have the best chance of both succeeding in the famously difficult entertainment industry, and making [their] own art."

Dallas' eye-catching skyline, public art displays, and its "vast green spaces" are just a few of the attributes that make it an appealing place for filmmakers to thrive, but MovieMaker also noted that Dallas' film scene has "always been about commerce as much as art."

"In addition to hosting many of the same Taylor Sheridan productions as nearby Fort Worth, including Landman and The Madison, it also does brisk business with commercials for a bevy of major brands," the report said. "The state’s grant rebate of up to 31 percent is a major boon, as is Dallas’ deep crew base: Seasoned crew members go back to the days of Walker, Texas Ranger and the soapy classic Dallas."

The report gave a special shout-out to The Dallas Film Commission and its free production assistant bootcamp, which first launched in July 2025 in partnership with Pegasus Media Project. The commission also supports and collaborates with film schools, unions, local organizations, and festivals like the Dallas International Film Festival, Oak Cliff Film Festival, and more.

Dallas edged out neighboring Fort Worth, which ranked as the 12th best place to live and work as a moviemaker in 2026, up seven spots from its 2025 ranking. MovieMaker said Yellowstone director and honorary Fort Worth resident Taylor Sheridan is to thank for Cowtown's jump in the report. Sheridan has shot many of his TV shows in North Texas, such as Landman; Special Ops: Lioness; 1883; and a new anticipated Yellowstone spinoff called The Madison, which will premiere on March 14, 2026.

"SGS Studios, which Sheridan founded, recently partnered on a new 450,000-square foot production campus at Fort Worth’s 27,000-acre AllianceTexas development," the report said.

Elsewhere in Texas, Austin was named the No. 5 best place to live and work as a filmmaker in North America, Houston ranked 10th, San Antonio appeared as No. 14, and El Paso landed at No. 25 on the list.

filmmaking dallas moviemaker magazine rankings city life entertainment