California is a tough economic state for millions of working and middle-class folks because the cost of living, particularly housing, is so high. But the Golden State is especially difficult for women trying to make a living, according to a new analysis.

For its ranking of “2017’s Best & Worst States for Women,” the personal-finance site WalletHub looked at 19 metrics encompassing economic health, social well-being, physical health and safety. The analysis was released ahead of Women's History Month in March. While California ranked in the middle — 21st overall — the state performed abysmally in key areas.

The Golden State was second to last in the nation (50th in a ranking that includes Washington, D.C.) for median earnings, which were adjusted for cost of living, according to the report. The state tied for the 46th worst female unemployment. It ranked 40th for its high school dropout rate for women. And it ranked 33rd for its share of women living in poverty.

California's best showing was third for women's life expectancy, the analysis found. The state also did relatively well for women's preventative health care (14th) and quality of women's hospitals (18th), according to the report.

The top five states for women overall were Minnesota, Vermont, North Dakota, Massachusetts and New Hampshire, according to WalletHub. Interestingly, Democrat-leaning “blue states” achieved a higher average overall ranking (16.57) than Republican-leaning “red states” (32.60), the analysis found.

Credit: WalletHub

Credit: WalletHub

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