Women in Sports in West Virginia
How women in sports fare in West Virginia — 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 West Virginia modifies the baseline by -12.2% 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.
West Virginia elected its first woman US Senator in 2015.
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 West Virginia
Sports in other states
Related pages
Frequently asked
What is the pay gap for women in sports in West Virginia?
West Virginia’s overall pay ratio is 73.6% — a 26.4% gap. The gap within sports follows the national pattern modified by West Virginia’s overall wage environment. See the full national field data for in-field specifics.
How does West Virginia rank on pay equity?
West Virginia ranks #48 of 51 US jurisdictions on pay equity, per Census ACS state ratios.
How are women represented in West Virginia politics?
13.4% of West Virginia state legislators are women (CAWP 2024). 1 women from West Virginia 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