April 22, 2015 Page 7 2SLQLRQDUWLFOHVGRQRWQHFHVVDULO\UHSUHVHQWWKHYLHZVRIWKH 3RUWODQG2EVHUYHU:HZHOFRPHUHDGHUHVVD\VSKRWRVDQG VWRU\LGHDV6XEPLWWRQHZV#SRUWODQGREVHUYHUFRP O PINION +RZ0XFK'R:H0DNH&RPSDUHGWR0HQ Dramatic differences state by state BY M ARTHA B URK For years, Time magazine has a run a feature on the best places to live in the United States. But no- body ever ranked the best places for women — until now. A major factor for anyone’s quality of life, of course, is the ability to earn a living. And nationally, according to a new study by the Institute for Wom- en’s Policy Research, women workers pull in an average of just $38,000 a year, compared to $48,000 for their male coun- terparts. But it varies dramatically from state to state. You could either be shortchanged or e reap a relative bonanza re all a because of where you hang your hat. h Young women in the District of Columbia rake D in the most, at nearly D \HDU DQG 0DU\ODQG women come in second at 40 grand. Way out west, Idaho is dead last at just under $25,000, HGJLQJ RXW 1HZ 0H[LFR DQG 0LVVLVVLSSL IRU ERWWRPRIWKH barrel honors. And that ever-present pay gap with men? It’s better in New York. Though women in the state overall get just 87.6 percent of men’s pay, young women actually out-earn their male peers by 2 cents on the dollar — which puts that state at the top of the heap. Women in Wyoming suffer the most in that regard, getting paid just 67.9 cents to their brother’s buck. One reason could be that Wyoming women have their ¿UVWEDELHVPXFK\RXQJHU²DW an average age of 23 — com- pared to their sisters in Go- tham, who wait until they’re 27 or 28, giving them more time to get educated and start careers. Some states are closing the gap faster than others, but it’s going to be a long time before women in any state reach pari- ty with men. Based on historic rates of FKDQJH )ORULGD ZLOO EH ¿UVW but not until 2038. And poor Wyoming won’t be equal for another century and a half. There are a few other sur- prises. Well, maybe more than a few. For example, young women in D.C. binge drink more than those in America’s sin city, Las Vegas. Is that due to frustration with government gridlock? The report doesn’t say. Researchers also look at depression. As you’d expect, sunny climes like Hawaii and California boast the happi- est workers, while cold, rainy states are downers. What’s a girl to do? Since not everybody can just pick up and move, a better question is what the states can do to improve women’s lives. Providing better educational opportunities and higher pay, including a bigger minimum wage, would make great places to start. Martha Burk is the director RIWKH&RUSRUDWH$FFRXQWDELOLW\ 3URMHFWIRUWKH1DWLRQDO&RXQ- cil of Women’s Organizations and the author of the book Your 9RLFH