Women, on average, make less than men, and while it's not as bad as it was, a gap still exists. But these four cities defy that gap—here women make as much as men, if not more, according to Census data on women’s earnings and labor force participation rate, cost of living, and the average unemployment rate from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

See which four US cities are the best, and most fairly paid, for women.

1. Rochester, Minnesota

More women work in healthcare than men, making the home of the Mayo Clinic—which employs tens of thousands of healthcare professionals—the best city in the US for female professionals.

2. Minneapolis, Minnesota

Healthcare is also a major part of Minneapolis' economy, and in addition to healthcare, more women work as educators than men. And the city delivers on that front as well with the University of Minnesota and its 50,000 students.

3. St. Paul, Minnesota

As you can see, Minnesota dominates this list. In all three of the state's cities on the list women’s median incomes are over 90% of those of men’s, and both unemployment and the cost of living are lower than elsewhere in the US.

4. Iowa City, Iowa

With a population of 73,000, Iowa City just barely earns the name. The city's top employers are the University of Iowa and University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, both in female-dominated industries, clinching this small city's position on the list. [Money]