San Antonio is not an ideal place to live, especially for women. Apart from being listed as one of the 25 most dangerous cities in the nation by the U.S. News World and Report, government data shows appalling gender inequality in San Antonio. From wage gaps to femicide rates, the City of San Antonio (SA.Gov) reports the disproportionate status of its women in comparison to other metropolitan cities in Texas.
When comparing women’s wages across Texas’s major cities, San Antonio has the lowest earnings and the widest gender wage gaps. SA.Gov reports, “The actual median earnings of women workers in San Antonio are lower than those of women in Austin, Dallas, and Houston.” San Antonio women earn approximately 77 cents for every dollar made by Austin women. In the 2013 to 2017 period, — on average — full-time, year-round working women in San Antonio earned $9,610 less than Austin women, $2,900 less than Dallas women and $2,364 less than Houston women. Moreover, SA.Gov reports “The earnings gap in San Antonio is somewhat wider than those found in the other three major cities in the state.”
While wage differences rely on many factors, a common cause for difference is education levels. San Antonio women face educational imbalance compared to the major cities, as it ranks lowest in attainment of a bachelor’s degree, with Austin ranking highest, and Houston and Dallas tying. According to the Pew Research Center, nearly 42% of adults without bachelor’s degrees say they have not received one because they could not afford college. It appears to be a paradox, women are earning less because of less education, and they are going to school less because they cannot afford it. San Antonio women are at multiple disadvantages, and many of them seem to be intertwined.
Additionally, Pew Research shows that 36% of people who choose not to earn degrees say they need to work to help support their families instead. SA.Gov’s data states, “The highest poverty rates among females in San Antonio occur among young women 18 to 24 years of age.” These rates include college students who may not work full time due to classes — this illustrates how poverty is still present among degree-earners. Still, the San Antonio poverty gender gap does not close with older age. The largest gap is in adults between 25 to 44 years old and those who are 65 and older, with women being 48% of these adults and men being 43% percent.
For women looking to start a family, San Antonio is a poor place to do so — unless married. Among families experiencing poverty, married-couple families have the lowest poverty rate at 5.4%, whereas single mothers have poverty rates four times higher. Between single parents, single mothers’ poverty rate sits at 1.6 times higher than single fathers.
Additionally, among single homeowners, men’s homes have a higher value than women’s, and in comparison to Texas’ metropolitan cities, San Antonio has the lowest property values, while Austin has the highest. While this can seem positive, as homes appear to be more affordable for women in San Antonio, women are still at a disadvantage, as they earn less than men and experience higher rates of poverty. Even if one argues that women may be less likely to own homes in San Antonio, this is still a downfall for women, as they would be missing out on the economic benefits of homeownership, which only contributes to the economic gender gaps.
Apart from the economic inequalities women face in San Antonio, SA.Gov reveals the social disparities women experience. SA.Gov states “San Antonio has the highest revised rape rate at 75.4 compared to 63.2 in Austin, 61.4 in Dallas, and 36.6 in Houston.” Additionally, in 2017, Bexar County had the highest homicide rate among women at 4.8, compared to 3.4 in Harris County and 2.9 in Dallas.
SA.Gov reports, “Counties where women have more favorable levels of income, employment, education, and occupational attainment tend to have lower female homicide rates.” Again, all these gender inequities seem to be tied together in one big paradoxical knot. Every injustice women face in San Antonio is causing a domino effect, only producing the outcome of more disparities.
From higher crime rates to lower earnings, San Antonio is proving itself to be unfit for women, especially young ones. If a woman’s goals include starting a family, owning a home, attaining a degree or working full-time, San Antonio is less than ideal. This city is undoubtedly falling behind other Texas metropolitan cities in gender equality, and it is time for change.
For safety and wellbeing resources, please visit the Bexar County Family Justice Center homepage, their assistance page and SA.Gov’s violence prevention site.
