TOP TOWNS FOR WOMEN TOP TOWNS FOR WOMEN Percentage in which median full-time wages for single childless women ages 22-30 exceeds those of single childless men in the same age group: Metro areas Wage advantage Atlanta 21% Memphis/Ark./Mo. 19% New York City- Northeastern N.J. 17% Sacramento 16% San Diego 15% Miami-Hialeah, Fla. 14% Charlotte-Gastonia- Rock Hill, N.C./S.C. 14% Raleigh-Durham, N.C. 14% Los Angeles-Long Beach, Calif. 12% Phoenix 12% Source: Reach Advisors WHERE ARE THE JOBS? WHERE ARE THE JOBS? FORECASTS FOR REBOUND: Map shows the latest outlook for all 50 states and 384 metro areas, by job sectors. LOOKING FOR A JOB?: Try our Quick Job Search widget powered by CareerBuilder. JOB SEARCH HELP: Videos from career counselors provide advice Single, childless women in their twenties are finding success in the city: They're out-earning their male counterparts in the USA's biggest metropolitan areas. Women ages 22 to 30 with no husband and no kids earn a median $27,000 a year, 8% more than comparable men in the top 366 metropolitan areas, according to 2008 U.S. Census Bureau data crunched by the New York research firm Reach Advisors and released Wednesday. The women out-earn men in 39 of the 50 biggest cities and match them in another eight. The disparity is greatest in Atlanta, where young, childless single women earn 21% more than male counterparts. RECOVERY WATCH: Tracking the economy JOBS OUTLOOK: Latest data for all states, 384 metros The shift in earnings power started showing up in a few big cities a few years ago and has become widespread. It isn't true for all women in their 20s working full time — overall, they earn 90% of what all men in their 20s make — just for those who don't marry or have kids. Education is the key: "Young women are going to college in droves," Reach Advisors reports. "Nearly three-quarters of girls who graduate from high school head to college, vs. two-thirds of the boys. But they don't stop there. Women are now 1.5 times more likely than men to graduate from college or earn advanced degrees." Armed with degrees, young women command higher salaries. The trend is especially apparent in cities where minority groups make up more than half the population. Among blacks and Hispanics, women are more than twice as likely as men to earn college degrees. Contributing to the shift: the "decimation of the manufacturing employment base," which has wiped out good-paying jobs for young men who didn't go to college, Reach Advisors notes. The increase in twentysomething women earning decent paychecks while skipping or delaying marriage and motherhood has big implications for society and for the economy. Reach Advisors says twentysomethings who put off marriage increasingly live at home with their parents, dashing the hopes of builders who had expected Generation Y to drive demand for apartments. Male-oriented businesses such as automakers and sporting goods companies will increasingly target women with cash to spend. "They don't need marriage as much," says Stephanie Coontz, who teaches history and family studies at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Wash. "They're likely to be pickier, and they're likely to delay marriage." Coontz dismisses the notion that successful single women intimidate men and can't find husbands. They just marry later in life, she says. "One day, I'll get married and have kids. But I'm in no rush," says Rebecca Loveridge, 27, a Washington, D.C., magazine marketing director who also writes a restaurant blog. She likes dining out, attending concerts and checking out art galleries with her friends. "Now is the time to be single," she says. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more