Women by State

This article lists women as a percentage of each state's population, per the 2010 U.S. census.

This data is relevant to national and state elections for two main reasons: Except for the deep south region, U.S. women are slightly more likely to vote Democratic than Republicans. Five of the six states (below) in which women comprise a very high percentage of the population are traditionally Democratic-blue states. In contrast, five of the nine states comprised of less than 50% women are staunchly Republican-red states, and the other four usually vote Republican.

"Recent polls have indicated that 41% of women identify as Democrats while only 25% of women identify as Republicans and 26% as independents, while 32% of men identify as Democrats, 28% as Republicans and 34% as independents," per Wikipedia.

Womens' issues, such as abortion and health care access, hold the potential of swaying women to vote Democratic rather than for Republican social conservatives.

A recent example occurred in red-state Arkansas in November 2011 when women voters defeated a "Personhood Amendment" pushed by evangelical Christian conservatives that would have criminalized abortions and many forms of birth control within the state.

In 2008, women voters were key to Democrat Obama winning the White House race. MSNBC reported on the morning after the historic election, "Women voters typically are crucial to a Democratic presidential victory, and Obama was pulling 55 percent of their votes, compared with 43 percent for McCain, according to exit polls. Obama and McCain were nearly even among male voters, who split 49-49 percent."

States with Very High Populations of Women
1. Alabama - 52.0% 2. New York - 51.6% 2. Massachusetts - 51.6% 2. Maryland - 51.6% 2. Delaware - 51.6% 2. Rhode Island - 51.6%

States with High Populations of Women
7. South Carolina - 51.4% 7. Mississippi - 51.4% 9. Pennsylvania - 51.3% 9. North Carolina - 51.3% 9. Connecticut - 51.3% 9. New Jersey - 51.3% 9. Tennessee - 51.3% 14. Ohio - 51.2% 14. Georgia - 51.2% 16. Florida - 51.1% 16. Maine - 51.1% 18. Missouri - 51.0% 18. Louisiana - 51.0% 20. Arkansas - 50.9% 20. Illinois - 50.9% 20. Michigan - 50.9% 20. Virginia - 50.9%

States with Median Populations of Women
24. Indiana - 50.8% 24. Kentucky - 50.8% 24. Vermont - 50.8% 27. New Hampshire - 50.7% 27. West Virginia - 50.7% 29. New Mexico - 50.6% 30. Iowa - 50.5% 30. Oregon - 50.5% 30. Oklahoma - 50.5% 33. California - 50.4% 33. Texas - 50.4% 33. Wisconsin - 50.4% 33. Minnesota - 50.4% 33. Nebraska - 50.4% 33. Kansas - 50.4% 39. Arizona - 50.3% 40. Washington - 50.2% 41. South Dakota - 50.0%

States with Low Populations of Women
42. Colorado - 49.9% 42. Idaho - 49.9% 42. Hawaii - 49.9% 45. Montana - 49.8% 45. Utah - 49.8% 47. Nevada - 49.5% 47. North Dakota - 49.5% 49. Wyoming - 48.9% 50. Alaska - 48.0%

Source - U.S. Census Bureau, Table 16 - Resident Population by Age and State: 2010

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