World Mayor 2023 Women in US local government
Research by City Mayors

ON THIS PAGE: Table: City councils with largest percentage of women ||| US cities with women mayors ||| Comparison of cities with male / female mayors ||| International perspective ||| Methodology |||


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Women in US local government:
Cities where women thrive in politics

September 2017:
After earlier this year in San Antonio, the only female mayor of a top-ten US city was ousted by a male rival, Forth Worth became the largest American city with a women at the helm. There are now only two women in charge of any of the 20 largest US cities – in Fort Worth (TX) and Charlotte (NC). But while the number of female mayors among American cities with more than 200,000 residents is still pitiful low, women are increasingly successful in being elected to city councils. New research conducted by City Mayors shows that while just under 20 per cent of the largest American cities have female mayors, more than 32 per cent of municipal councillors are women. Women representation is strongest in cities like Charlotte (NC), Greenboro (NC), Austin (TX) and Rochester (NY) and non-existent in the city halls of Mesa (AZ), Montgomery (AL) or Buffalo (NY).

Table 1:
US cities with the largest percentage of
female mayors and elected councillors

City
Mayor: Male / Female
No of councillors incl mayor
No of women councillors incl female mayor
Percentage of women councillors incl female mayor
Charlotte; North Carolina Female
12
8
66.7
Greensboro; North Carolina Female
9
6
66.7
Austin; Texas Male
11
7
63.6
Rochester, New York Female
10
6
60.0
Irvine; California Male
5
3
60.0
Reno; Nevada Female
7
4
57.1
Scottsdale; Arizona Male
7
4
57.1
Oakland; California Female
9
5
55.6
Arlington; Texas Male
9
5
55.6
Aurora; Colorado Male
11
6
54.5
Lexington-Fayette; Kentucky Male
13
7
53.8
Minneapolis; Minnesota Female
14
7
50.0
San Francisco; California Male
12
6
50.0
Seattle; Washington Male
10
5
50.0
Tulsa; Oklahoma Male
10
5
50.0
Richmond, Virginia Male
10
5
50.0
New Orleans; Louisiana Male
8
4
50.0
Hialeah; Florida Male
8
4
50.0
Spokane, Washington Male
8
4
50.0
Anaheim; California Male
6
3
50.0
Chula Vista; California Female
6
3
50.0
Madison; Wisconsin Male
21
10
47.6
Atlanta; Georgia Male
17
8
47.1
Kansas; Missouri Male
13
6
46.2
Louisville (Metro Council); Kentucky Male
27
12
44.4
Fort Worth; Texas Female
9
4
44.4
El Paso; Texas Male
9
4
44.4
Corpus Christi; Texas Male
9
4
44.4
Norfolk; Virginia Male
9
4
44.4
Las Vegas; Nevada Female
7
3
42.9
Stockton; California Male
7
3
42.9
Lubbock; Texas Male
7
3
42.9
Boise; Idaho Male
7
3
42.9
Huntington Beach, California Female
7
3
42.9
St. Louis; Missouri Female
30
12
40.0
Toledo; Ohio Female
15
6
40.0
Phoenix; Arizona Male
10
4
40.0
San Diego; California Male
10
4
40.0
Detroit; Michigan Male
10
4
40.0
Long Beach; California Male
10
4
40.0
Pittsburgh; Pennsylvania Male
10
4
40.0
Birmingham; Alabama Male
10
4
40.0
Henderson; Nevada Female
5
2
40.0
Nashville (Metro Council); Tennessee Female
42
16
38.1
Columbus; Ohio Male
8
3
37.5
Tucson; Arizona Male
8
3
37.5
Raleigh; North Carolina Female
8
3
37.5
St. Paul; Minnesota Male
8
3
37.5
Lincoln; Nebraska Male
8
3
37.5
San Bernardino; California Male
8
3
37.5
Denver; Colorado Male
14
5
35.7
Washington; DC Female
14
5
35.7
Virginia Beach; Virginia Male
12
4
33.3
St. Petersburg; Florida Male
9
3
33.3
Chesapeake; Virginia Male
9
3
33.3
Portland; Oregon Male
6
2
33.3
Albuquerque; New Mexico Male
10
3
30.0
Honolulu; Hawaii Male
10
3
30.0
Boston; Massachusetts Male
14
4
28.6
Orlando; Florida Male
7
2
28.6
Glendale; Arizona Male
7
2
28.6
Gilbert Town, Arizona Female
7
2
28.6
Des Moines, Iowa Male
7
2
28.6
Philadelphia; Pennsylvania Male
11
3
27.3
San Antonio; Texas Male
11
3
27.3
Indianapolis; Indiana Male
26
7
26.9
New York City; New York Male
52
13
25.0
Baltimore; Maryland Female
16
4
25.0
San Jose; California Male
12
3
25.0
Omaha; Nebraska Female
8
2
25.0
Bakersfield; California Female
8
2
25.0
Chicago; Illinois Male
51
12
23.5
Houston; Texas Male
17
4
23.5
Colorado Springs; Colorado Male
9
2
22.2
Plano; Texas Male
9
2
22.2
Winston-Salem; North Carolina Male
9
2
22.2
Memphis; Tennessee Male
14
3
21.4
Jacksonville; Florida Male
20
4
20.0
Cincinnati; Ohio Male
10
2
20.0
Newark; New Jersey Male
10
2
20.0
Jersey ; New Jersey Male
10
2
20.0
North Las Vegas; Nevada Male
5
1
20.0
Fremont; California Female
5
1
20.0
Anchorage, Alaska Male
12
2
16.7
Oklahoma ; Oklahoma Male
7
1
14.3
Santa Ana; California Male
7
1
14.3
Durham; North Carolina Male
7
1
14.3
Dallas; Texas Male
15
2
13.3
Los Angeles; California Male
16
2
12.5
Milwaukee; Wisconsin Male
16
2
12.5
Fresno; California Male
8
1
12.5
Tampa; Florida Male
8
1
12.5
Chandler; Arizona Male
8
1
12.5
Yonkers, New York Male
8
1
12.5
Cleveland; Ohio Male
18
2
11.1
Sacramento; California Male
9
1
11.1
Miami; Florida Male
9
1
11.1
Laredo; Texas Male
9
1
11.1
Garland; Texas (2) Male
9
1
11.1
Buffalo; New York Male
10
0
0.0
Fort Wayne; Indiana Male
10
0
0.0
Montgomery, Alabama Male
10
0
0.0
Irving; Texas Male
9
0
0.0
Riverside; California Male
8
0
0.0
Mesa; Arizona Male
7
0
0.0


US cities with women mayors
There are 21 large US cities where women make up at least 50 per cent of elected councillors and mayors. They include, in addition to Charlotte, Greensboro, Austin and Rochester, Irvine (CA), Reno (NV) Scottsdale (AZ), Oakland (CA), Arlington (TX), Aurora (CO) and Lexington (KY). The research identified six cities without any women mayors or councillors. In cities with female mayors, at least 20 percent of councillors are women.

Table 2:
US cities with female mayors

City
Mayor: Male / Female
No of councillors incl mayor
No of women councillors incl female mayor
Percentage of women councillors incl female mayor
Charlotte; North Carolina Female
12
8
66.7
Greensboro; North Carolina Female
9
6
66.7
Rochester, New York Female
10
6
60.0
Reno; Nevada Female
7
4
57.1
Oakland; California Female
9
5
55.6
Minneapolis; Minnesota Female
14
7
50.0
Chula Vista; California Female
6
3
50.0
Fort Worth; Texas Female
9
4
44.4
Las Vegas; Nevada Female
7
3
42.9
Huntington Beach, California Female
7
3
42.9
St. Louis; Missouri Female
30
12
40.0
Toledo; Ohio Female
15
6
40.0
Henderson; Nevada Female
5
2
40.0
Nashville (Metro Council); Tennessee Female
42
16
38.1
Raleigh; North Carolina Female
8
3
37.5
Washington; DC Female
14
5
35.7
Gilbert Town, Arizona Female
7
2
28.6
Baltimore; Maryland Female
16
4
25.0
Omaha; Nebraska Female
8
2
25.0
Bakersfield; California Female
8
2
25.0
Fremont; California Female
5
1
20.0


Comparison of US cities with male / female mayors
Some US cities seem to be more successful than others in electing women to local government. The authors of the City Mayors report on Women in US local government found that while overall some 32.3 per cent of elected mayors and local councillor (sometimes also described as aldermen / alderwomen or city supervisors) are women, in cities with female mayors, women make up 41.9 per cent of elected officials. In cities with male mayors, only 29.6 per cent of elected representatives are women. All cities with no female councillors have male mayors.

Table 3:
Comparison of US cities with male / female mayors

Cities
Total no of councillors incl mayors
Total no of women councillors incl female mayors
Percentage of women councillors incl female mayors
105 largest US cities
1203
387
32.2%
84 US cities with male mayors
955
283
29.6%
21 US cities with female mayors
248
104
41.9%


International perspective
One feature of US local government is the relative small size of its municipal councils. New York City, a city of more than eight million people, has only 51 councillors in addition to the mayor. Los Angeles has only 15 councillors, Chicago 50, Houston 16 – all cities with populations of more than two million. In Europe, Berlin’s city parliament has 160 members, Paris 162, Vienna 100 and Zurich, with a population of less than 400,000, has elected 125 members to its city council. Internationally, cities with a high percentage of women in Local government include Sydney (70%), Paris (51%), Manchester (51%) and Frankfurt (46%). A large number of European capital cities also have women mayors. They include Paris, Rome, Madrid, Stockholm and Warsaw.

Table 4:
International examples of women in local government

City
Mayor: Male / Female
No of councillors incl mayor
No of women councillors incl female mayor
Percentage of women councillors incl female mayor
London, UK
Male
26
9
34.6
Edinburgh, UK
Male
63
24
38.1
Manchester, UK(1)
Male
97
49
50.5
Berlin, Germany (2)
Male
161
53
32.9
Frankfurt, Germany (3)
Male
24
11
45.8
Paris, France
Male
163
83
50.9
Marseille, France
Male
101
45
44.6
Vienna, Austria
Male
101
36
35.6
Zurich, Switzerland
Female
126
34
27.0
Rome, Italy
Female
49
22
44.9
Tokyo, Japan
Female
128
37
28.9
Sydney, Australia
Female
10
7
70.0
Notes:
(1) Andy Burnham is Mayor of Greater Manchester, which includes in addition to the City of Manchester districts like Bolton, Oldham, Salford, Stockport and others. The Manchester City Council is responsible for the City of Manchester.
(2) Berlin is a German city state. Its mayor Michael Müller therefore enjoys the status of state prime minister (governor). He is elected by the city parliament.
(3) Frankfurt’s local government consists of the directly elected mayor, 9 full-time, paid councillors and 14 unpaid councillors.


Survey methodology
The research was carried out by City Mayors in September 2017. It examined 105 cities with populations of more than 200,000. The raw data was supplied by the city councils of the 105 cities.

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