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.
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%
- Other demographic and economic factors that could powerfully influence the 2012 elections, particularly the presidential contest, include:
- Unemployment Rate by State
- Foreclosure Rates by State
- Senior Citizen Population by State
- Hispanic Population by State
- African-American Population by State
- Poverty Level Persons by State
Source - U.S. Census Bureau, Table 16 - Resident Population by Age and State: 2010