Chesapeake, VA slipped from 5th best in 2021 to 17th best this year. There, women make 81% of what men make, $53,000 after housing costs. They make up 33% of the workforce in the city. At the top of the list as the best city for women in tech is Arlington, Virginia, where women make almost 91% of what their male counterparts make, with an average income of $64,000 after housing costs, and where they make up 34% of the tech workforce.

Representation in STEM professions has steadily grown over the years, going from just 3% in 1970 to 15% in 2019, according to the Census Bureau. The trend is expected to continue, and as it does, Virginia will be doing its part in creating more female talent, as well as the excellent job opportunities they seek.

Already the state is said to have the country’s best tech talent pipeline, and is actively seeking to increase the number of tech workers it produces with efforts like the Tech Talent Investment Program, a $2 billion investment meant to double the number of tech graduates every year. Meanwhile the state sees more than half of the world’s internet traffic pass through its cables and data centers, and in recent years has used its location and resources to convince tech giants like Amazon and Boeing to locate headquarters here.

Thanks to Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads, the state is creating for itself a name as one of the world’s most important tech hubs, and with this commitment to tech it’s no surprise Virginia locations appear high on lists of the best cities for STEM workers. As the efforts continue and are stepped up it could mean we’ll see even more of our cities included in the future.