What does this measure?
The ratio of female to male median earnings, in 2018 dollars.
Why is this important?
The pay equity gap is hotly debated. While the data clearly shows that women generally earn less than men, there can be many factors contributing to this, including choices about when and how much to work, and what types of occupations men and women gravitate toward. This indicator looks broadly at what pay gap is between women and men overall.
How is our region doing?
In 2014-18, women in the MetroWest region earned a median income of $33,045, or 65 cents for every dollar earned by men (a female to male earnings ratio of 0.65). This ratio was up 12% from 58 cents in 2000. The ratio was slightly lower than for the nation (0.66).
Notes about the data
Multiyear figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS). The bureau combined five years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census. Data for this indicator are expected to be released in December.
2000 | 2009-13 | 2014-18 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States | 0.58 | 0.65 | 0.66 | |||
Massachusetts | 0.59 | 0.63 | 0.66 | |||
Region | 0.58 | 0.63 | 0.65 | |||
Middlesex | 0.59 | 0.64 | 0.64 | |||
Norfolk | 0.57 | 0.62 | 0.65 | |||
Worcester | 0.54 | 0.62 | 0.65 | |||
Acton town, Middlesex County | 0.41 | 0.51 | 0.43 | |||
Ashland town, Middlesex County | 0.60 | 0.69 | 0.71 | |||
Bedford town, Middlesex County | 0.49 | 0.55 | 0.54 | |||
Bellingham town, Norfolk County | 0.55 | 0.66 | 0.64 | |||
Boxborough town, Middlesex County | 0.43 | 0.39 | 0.56 | |||
Carlisle town, Middlesex County | 0.35 | 0.39 | 0.35* | |||
Concord town, Middlesex County | 0.44 | 0.39 | 0.51 | |||
Dedham town, Norfolk County | 0.64 | 0.72 | 0.69 | |||
Dover town, Norfolk County | 0.38 | 0.48 | 0.30* | |||
Framingham city, Middlesex County | 0.61 | 0.61 | 0.66 | |||
Franklin town, Norfolk County | 0.53 | 0.55 | ||||
Groton town, Middlesex County | 0.45 | 0.39* | 0.49* | |||
Harvard town, Worcester County | 0.48 | 0.68* | 0.66 | |||
Holliston town, Middlesex County | 0.48 | 0.50 | 0.50 | |||
Hopkinton town, Middlesex County | 0.44 | 0.34* | 0.45* | |||
Hudson town, Middlesex County | 0.54 | 0.65 | 0.60 | |||
Lexington town, Middlesex County | 0.43 | 0.39 | 0.43 | |||
Lincoln town, Middlesex County | 0.50 | 0.58 | 0.33 | |||
Littleton town, Middlesex County | 0.53 | 0.46 | 0.54* | |||
Marlborough city, Middlesex County | 0.56 | 0.64 | 0.67 | |||
Maynard town, Middlesex County | 0.56 | 0.76 | 0.62 | |||
Medfield town, Norfolk County | 0.37 | 0.51 | 0.42 | |||
Medway town, Norfolk County | 0.48 | 0.65 | 0.60 | |||
Milford town, Worcester County | 0.58 | 0.60 | 0.59 | |||
Millis town, Norfolk County | 0.57 | 0.56* | 0.54 | |||
Natick town, Middlesex County | 0.56 | 0.63 | 0.56 | |||
Needham town, Norfolk County | 0.45 | 0.45 | 0.41 | |||
Sherborn town, Middlesex County | 0.35 | 0.45* | 0.20* | |||
Southborough town, Worcester County | 0.40 | 0.49 | 0.54 | |||
Stow town, Middlesex County | 0.45 | 0.44* | 0.39* | |||
Sudbury town, Middlesex County | 0.30 | 0.31* | 0.34 | |||
Walpole town, Norfolk County | 0.49 | 0.55 | 0.77 | |||
Waltham city, Middlesex County | 0.69 | 0.69 | 0.78 | |||
Wayland town, Middlesex County | 0.38 | 0.40 | 0.45 | |||
Wellesley town, Norfolk County | 0.24 | 0.18 | 0.23 | |||
Westborough town, Worcester County | 0.49 | 0.45 | 0.52 | |||
Westford town, Middlesex County | 0.40 | 0.40 | 0.46 | |||
Weston town, Middlesex County | 0.21 | 0.25* | 0.24* | |||
Westwood town, Norfolk County | 0.51 | 0.56 | 0.49 |
Notes: Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%.
2000 | 2009-13 | 2014-18 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
United States | $16,327 | $22,941 | $24,208 | |||
Massachusetts | $28,898 | $27,332 | $29,212 | |||
Region | $48,206 | $33,594 | $33,045 | |||
Middlesex | $33,517 | $32,456 | $34,687 | |||
Norfolk | $35,072 | $34,087 | $35,969 | |||
Worcester | $26,232 | $26,158 | $27,287 | |||
Acton town, Middlesex County | $39,859 | $41,071 | $40,130 | |||
Ashland town, Middlesex County | $39,420 | $38,947 | $45,968 | |||
Bedford town, Middlesex County | $40,426 | $38,148 | $46,211 | |||
Bellingham town, Norfolk County | $32,241 | $32,711 | $35,870 | |||
Boxborough town, Middlesex County | $42,467 | $42,132 | $41,197 | |||
Carlisle town, Middlesex County | $47,793 | $50,580 | $42,879* | |||
Concord town, Middlesex County | $38,793 | $36,057 | $47,317 | |||
Dedham town, Norfolk County | $35,505 | $38,417 | $39,660 | |||
Dover town, Norfolk County | $50,294 | $53,525 | $46,250* | |||
Framingham city, Middlesex County | $31,334 | $25,952 | $29,166 | |||
Franklin town, Norfolk County | $33,311 | $36,503 | ||||
Groton town, Middlesex County | $35,895 | $31,752* | $33,750* | |||
Harvard town, Worcester County | $48,250 | $34,272* | $40,787 | |||
Holliston town, Middlesex County | $36,184 | $35,766 | $38,130 | |||
Hopkinton town, Middlesex County | $39,832 | $33,633* | $44,898* | |||
Hudson town, Middlesex County | $31,957 | $29,636 | $30,568 | |||
Lexington town, Middlesex County | $42,953 | $40,276 | $45,444 | |||
Lincoln town, Middlesex County | $38,754 | $48,579 | $31,486 | |||
Littleton town, Middlesex County | $37,759 | $31,742 | $35,000* | |||
Marlborough city, Middlesex County | $32,339 | $29,465 | $29,940 | |||
Maynard town, Middlesex County | $34,379 | $35,258 | $36,291 | |||
Medfield town, Norfolk County | $37,414 | $40,719 | $41,461 | |||
Medway town, Norfolk County | $34,255 | $38,228 | $41,984 | |||
Milford town, Worcester County | $29,917 | $27,067 | $29,649 | |||
Millis town, Norfolk County | $36,320 | $33,235* | $34,272 | |||
Natick town, Middlesex County | $39,033 | $40,977 | $41,542 | |||
Needham town, Norfolk County | $41,378 | $39,373 | $39,324 | |||
Sherborn town, Middlesex County | $43,333 | $44,864* | $27,986* | |||
Southborough town, Worcester County | $38,833 | $45,482 | $41,766 | |||
Stow town, Middlesex County | $41,182 | $36,517* | $35,208* | |||
Sudbury town, Middlesex County | $39,622 | $35,878* | $37,147 | |||
Walpole town, Norfolk County | $33,117 | $32,894 | $43,457 | |||
Waltham city, Middlesex County | $31,789 | $28,375 | $32,950 | |||
Wayland town, Middlesex County | $39,300 | $41,474 | $47,355 | |||
Wellesley town, Norfolk County | $27,569 | $20,120 | $23,950 | |||
Westborough town, Worcester County | $36,881 | $33,783 | $36,641 | |||
Westford town, Middlesex County | $37,151 | $35,915 | $39,161 | |||
Weston town, Middlesex County | $32,125 | $35,121* | $26,951* | |||
Westwood town, Norfolk County | $40,272 | $45,024 | $44,583 |
Notes: Figures in 2017 dollars. Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%.
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