American women in municipal government
Women in Colorado, Nevada and Oregon are close to achieving parity with men in municipal government *
Women comprise more than 40% of elected municipal government officials in seven US states. But in five states less than 25% of elected officers are female.
July 2024: Coloradan women in municipal government have almost reached parity with men. The Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers * ranked Colorado first regarding the share of women who serve in municipal government, at 46 per cent. Other states where women make up more than 40 per cent of elected local government officials include Nevada, Oregon and Arizona. In contrast, in Mississippi and Nebraska, less than 20 per cent of local government councillors are women.
Of the 13 council members of Colorado’s capital city Denver, nine are women. Among the nine council members of Colorado Springs, the state’s second-largest city, four are women. Aurora, with a population of just 400,000, has a city council consisting of six men and four women.
Federal Heights, a Coloradan city of some 14,000 people, has an all-female city council. Even the mayor of the city is female. Mayor Linda Montoya, who was re-elected in 2023, said the all-female city council worked more efficiently. “Past council meetings took much longer. Now we just go in there and get the job done.” She also said her leadership style was less combative than those of previous mayors.
Percentage of women in municipal office in US states in 2024
(Ranked 1 to 50, with 2023 rankings in brackets.)
1 (=3) Colorado
Percentage of women: 46.1%
State ranked by population: 21
2 (=3) Nevada
Percentage of women: 44.3%
State ranked by population: 32
3 (5) Oregon
Percentage of women: 43.2%
State ranked by population: 27
4 (=1) Arizona
Percentage of women: 42.6%
State ranked by population: 14
5 (6) Vermont
Percentage of women: 40.8%
State ranked by population: 49
6 (7) Washington
Percentage of women: 40.7%
State ranked by population: 13
7 (8) Hawaii
Percentage of women: 40.0%
State ranked by population: 40
8 (9) California
Percentage of women: 39.7%
State ranked by population: 1
=9 (11) Kentucky
Percentage of women: 37.9%
State ranked by population: 26
=9 (12) Virginia
Percentage of women: 37.9%
State ranked by population: 12
11 (=1) Alaska
Percentage of women: 37.3%
State ranked by population: 48
12 (16) Minnesota
Percentage of women: 36.5%
State ranked by population: 22
13 (14) Maryland
Percentage of women: 36.4%
State ranked by population: 19
14 (10) Maine
Percentage of women: 36.1%
State ranked by population: 42
15 (18) Connecticut
Percentage of women: 35.9%
State ranked by population: 29
16 (16) Michigan
Percentage of women: 35.4%
State ranked by population: 10
17 (15) Utah
Percentage of women: 34.3%
State ranked by population: 30
18 (=20) Florida
Percentage of women: 33.6%
State ranked by population: 3
19 (=20) Massachusetts
Percentage of women: 33.2%
State ranked by population: 16
20 (23) North Carolina
Percentage of women: 32.9%
State ranked by population: 9
21 (12) Montana
Percentage of women: 32.7%
State ranked by population: 43
22 (22) New Mexico
Percentage of women: 32.1%
State ranked by population: 36
23 (28) Georgia
Percentage of women: 31.8%
State ranked by population: 8
24 (25) Illinois
Percentage of women: 31.5%
State ranked by population: 6
=25 (27) New Jersey
Percentage of women: 31.2%
State ranked by population: 11
=25 (18) Rhode Island
Percentage of women: 31.2%
State ranked by population: 44
27 (25) Louisiana
Percentage of women: 30.4%
State ranked by population: 25
28 (30) Idaho
Percentage of women: 30.1%
State ranked by population: 38
29 (15) New York
Percentage of women: 30.0%
State ranked by population: 4
30 (33) Wisconsin
Percentage of women: 29.8%
State ranked by population: 20
31 (35) Pennsylvania
Percentage of women: 29.6%
State ranked by population: 5
=32 (28) Kansas
Percentage of women: 29.4%
State ranked by population: 34
=32 (31) New Hampshire
Percentage of women: 29.4%
State ranked by population: 41
34 (37) South Carolina
Percentage of women: 29.3%
State ranked by population: 0
=35 (38) Ohio
Percentage of women: 29.2%
2024 rank 0; (2023 rank: 0)
State ranked by population: 23
=35 (41) Tennessee
Percentage of women: 29.2%
State ranked by population: 15
37 (44) Indiana
Percentage of women: 29.1%
State ranked by population: 17
38 (40) Arkansas
Percentage of women: 29.0%
State ranked by population: 33
39 (34) Iowa
Percentage of women: 28.9%
State ranked by population: 31
40 (31) Delaware
Percentage of women: 28.4%
State ranked by population: 45
41 (36) Missouri
Percentage of women: 27.9%
State ranked by population: 18
42 (39) Texas
Percentage of women: 27.5%
State ranked by population: 2
43 (43) West Virginia
Percentage of women: 27.2%
State ranked by population: 39
44 (42) Oklahoma
Percentage of women: 25.8%
State ranked by population: 28
45 (47) Wyoming
Percentage of women: 25.5%
State ranked by population: 50
46 (45) Alabama
Percentage of women: 23.1%
State ranked by population: 24
47 (46) South Dakota
Percentage of women: 23.0%
State ranked by population: 46
48 (50) North Dakota
Percentage of women: 20.0%
State ranked by population: 47
49 (49) Mississippi
Percentage of women: 19.7%
State ranked by population: 35
50 (48) Nebraska
Percentage of women: 19.2%
State ranked by population: 37
* Data sources: Data provided by the Center for American Women and Politics and KnowWho Data Services. Numbers include members and officers of the municipal legislative branch of incorporated cities and towns with populations over 10,000 as per the US Census. These bodies vary by municipality but include city councils, boards of alderman, and city commissions, among others. Mayors and other officials who perform mayoral functions are included in these counts. Data is as of March 2024 and will be updated annually.