The national homicide rate among women murdered by men in 2008 was 1.26 per 100,000, according to a study by the Violence Policy Center. Those states that exceeded the national average were led by Nevada whose 2.96 rate was more than double the national average. Other states with a higher propensity for female murders at the hands of men included Vermont (2.54), Alabama (2.07) and North Carolina (2.05).

 

Nationwide, the average age of a woman murdered by a man was 39. The rate for African-American women was 2.74 per 100,000. Women are most likely to be killed by husbands, boyfriends, ex-husbands or ex-boyfriends.

 

The states with the lowest rates were New Hampshire (0.30), North Dakota (0.31) and Illinois (0.34).

 

Florida was not included in the rankings because, as in previous years, it did not submit data to the FBI Supplementary Homicide Report, which was used by the center to produce its findings.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2008 Homicide Data (Violence Policy Center) (pdf)