Washington, D.C.

The nation's capital is located between Virginia and Maryland on the Potomac River. Although crime and unemployment have plagued the city, in recent years the district has rebounded due to a robust economy. With the large cluster of Smithsonian and other national museums around the Mall, a multitude of historic sights and monuments and the Kennedy Center of the Performing Arts, there is never a lack of things to do in D.C. Playwright Edward Albee, jazz great Duke Ellington and actresses Goldie Hawn, Helen Hayes and Chita Rivera all got their starts here. The Cherry Blossom Festival is celebrated each spring as 3,000 trees, given to the district by Tokyo in 1912, blossom and cover the Mall in white.

Overall rankings for select categories:

• Women professionals #102
• Educational attainment #27
• Breast cancer #193
• Divorce rate #53