North Carolina One of the Top States for Women-Led Startups in 2023

Author Randi Moultrie

January 5th, 2023 9:26 AM

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Here’s to the new year and new business adventures happening. 2022 would have been a great year for those contemplating starting up their own businesses. Plenty of people are enjoying starting up their own businesses and enjoying being their own bosses.

Merchant Maverick is giving their list of the top 10 states for women-led startups and the results might excite you. Women-led businesses have taken over the entrepreneurship field by storm and their not letting up. To find out the best states for women-led businesses, Merchant Maverick looked into a few key factors. Things such as total venture capital in the past 5 years invested in women-led startups, % of employer firms led by women, % of employees at women-led firms, % of women self-employed in their own business, and more.

Fortunately for us, North Carolina is one of the top states for women-led startups in 2023. North Carolina came in at No. 9 on the list. The Tar Heel state received an overall score of 67. According to statistics, 28.2% of all employer firms in the state are led solely by women. Also, 20.82% of employees are led solely by a woman, according to Merchant Maverick. Check out the full list here and see what other states are great for women-led businesses in the U.S.

Randi Moultrie is a Charleston, South Carolina native and has been in the radio industry for the last few years in Charlotte. Randi started with Beasley Media Group as an intern in 2019 and is now thriving in the digital world. Randi enjoys writing about her favorite foods (especially pizza) and all things fashion and travel. As one who loves taking trips to find new foods, it’s not surprising that she enjoys writing about both!

North Carolina City Tops The List Of Best Cities for Working Women

We are still celebrating Women’s History Month all of March. As part of that celebration, Apartment List and Fishbowl, a social network for professionals, conducted a study to uncover the best cities for working women. And one North Carolina city topped the working women list!

Fishbowl first polled women to understand what factors are important to them. Their conversations discovered that income equity, employment opportunities, and being surrounded by a fulfilling and diverse community are priorities when choosing a new place to live. Therefore, their rankings are based on economic equity, business representation, affordability, and community satisfaction for women. We find the best cities for working women are:

Fishbowl Defined each of these metrics as:

The Economic Opportunity score identifies places where women succeed in the workplace. This score considers the female employment rate, female college graduation rate, median female earnings, and the earnings gap between women and men.
The Community Satisfaction score identifies places where women (and their families) thrive within their broader community. This score considers violent crime rates, primary and secondary school enrollment rates, racial and ethnic diversity, and female satisfaction with social and dating opportunities.
The Business Representation score identifies places where women are properly represented in key societal functions. This score considers the share of local businesses that are owned by women, the share of local physicians who are women, and the share of public administration jobs (e.g., local government) that are held by women.
The Housing & Affordability score identifies places where women are least burdened by increasing cost-of-living expenses. This score considers the homeownership rate among women who live alone, the median rent for a 1-bedroom apartment, and the share of women who say they are satisfied with local affordability.

Read the full study here

The Top Cities For Working Women According To Fishbowl

10. San Fransisco, CA
9. Albuquerque, NM
8. Columbia, SC
Columbia, South Carolina, USA skyline and highway.
7. Denver, CO
Panorama of Denver skyline long exposure at twilight.
6. Richmond, VA
5. Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis. Image of Minneapolis downtown skyline at sunset.
4. Washington, DC
The United States Capitol building in Washington DC
3. Austin, TX
Austin Skyline in the evening and bluehour
2. Atlanta, GA
1. Raleigh, NC
Raleigh, North Carolina topped the list as the overall best city for working women. The North Carolina capital city received high scores in all categories. But what put it on top is the city’s relative affordability compared to other large cities across the country.