Introduction

This report provides critical data illuminating the status of women in Lubbock County, in terms of their civic engagement, health outcomes, vulnerability to poverty, and access to employment, education, and entrepreneurial opportunities. It examines how status may differ among women from different racial and ethnic groups, ages, marital status, and country of origin.

In terms of basic demographics, the 153,000 women residing in Lubbock County are younger, more likely to be single, and less likely to be immigrants than women in Texas or the United States overall (Appendix Table 1). The county is also less diverse in terms of race/ethnicity than Texas as a whole: White women comprise a larger share of the female population in Lubbock County than in the state overall (56.1 percent and 43.5 percent, respectively).

In Texas and across the country, women have made progress in narrowing the wage gap, attaining postsecondary degrees, and moving into professional and managerial jobs, yet significant areas for progress remain for women in Lubbock County, including increasing educational opportunities and reducing poverty. There are important steps that policymakers, advocates, and philanthropists can take to ensure that women and girls from all backgrounds and walks of life can prosper in Lubbock County.