Collin County placed fourth among 252 Texas counties in a new ranking of economic opportunity for women released Tuesday by Texas Women's Foundation, according to Plano Magazine.
The Texas Women's Economic Opportunity Index, built with the policy group Every Texan, scores each county from 1 to 100 using 12 measures grouped into four areas: work and economic security, health and well-being, child care and family, and workforce development and education. The foundation describes it as an interactive tool that lets residents and local officials compare counties.
The statewide picture is less flattering. Child care was the weakest category in most counties, the report found, and seven of the state's 10 largest counties landed in the bottom half there. Infant care costs eat up 22% of a working mother's earnings, and only 33% of Texas 3- and 4-year-olds are enrolled in public pre-K, according to the findings.
On health, the report says 63% of Texas counties are maternity care deserts or have low access to maternity care, and 36% of Texas women who gave birth in 2024 did not get prenatal care in the first trimester.
Pay gaps also persist. Texas women who work full time earn 81 cents for every dollar men earn, down from 83 cents in 2024, the foundation reported. Women are more likely than men to hold bachelor's degrees but remain underrepresented in leadership, and while they own 42% of privately held Texas businesses, those firms bring in 14% of revenue.
