Women in Sports in Minnesota
How women in sports fare in Minnesota — state-adjusted pay gap, state ranking, and the national context that frames the local picture.
The state-adjusted picture
Women in sports nationally face the same structural conditions as women in every other field — but the overall wage environment in Minnesota modifies the baseline by -1.9% relative to the US average. A state where the overall pay gap is narrower tends to reflect narrower gaps within fields too, though field-specific dynamics dominate for specialized professions.
Minnesota elected its first woman US Senator in 2007.
National context
Women's sports is the fastest-growing category in professional athletics — but still a fraction of the media spend, prize money, and franchise valuation of men's. This page tracks the numbers on participation, pay, viewership, and the leagues closing the gap.
National headline stats (sports)
Other fields in Minnesota
Sports in other states
Related pages
Frequently asked
What is the pay gap for women in sports in Minnesota?
Minnesota’s overall pay ratio is 82.2% — a 17.8% gap. The gap within sports follows the national pattern modified by Minnesota’s overall wage environment. See the full national field data for in-field specifics.
How does Minnesota rank on pay equity?
Minnesota ranks #23 of 51 US jurisdictions on pay equity, per Census ACS state ratios.
How are women represented in Minnesota politics?
36.8% of Minnesota state legislators are women (CAWP 2024). 3 women from Minnesota serve in the 119th US Congress.
Where does the national sports data come from?
NFHS High School Sports Participation Survey; Wasserman Collective — The Collective Think Tank; Women's Sports Foundation