More than 1,600 women in the U.S. were murdered by men in 2013, according to a new report released Tuesday by the Violence Policy Center. Black women were killed at a rate two and a half times that of white women.

The annual report, titled "When Men Murder Women," analyzes incidents in which one man kills one woman -- generally a sign of domestic homicide. It's a detailed and sobering look at lethal violence against women in the U.S.

Firearms, specifically handguns, were the most commonly used weapons. Domestic violence and guns are a deadly combination: Research has found that if an abuser has access to a gun, the victim is eight times more likely to be killed.

"Ninety-four percent of the women killed by men were killed by someone they knew," said Julia Wyman, executive director of the nonprofit group States United to Prevent Gun Violence. "Guns in the hands of domestic abusers are particularly deadly for women."

The new report ranked states by the rate at which women are murdered by men.

In 2013, South Carolina topped the list with 2.32 homicide victims per 100,000 women -- more than double the national average. The state's domestic violence problem drew national attention earlier this year when the Charleston Post and Courier won a Pulitzer for its reporting on the subject.

Alaska followed closely behind South Carolina, with 2.29 homicides per 100,000 women. New Mexico came in third, at 2.00 homicides per 100,000 women.

See the top 10 worst states in 2013 below, as well as a map of the U.S. showing where women are most likely to be killed by men over the past decade.

The States Where Women Are Most Likely To Be Killed By Men Every year, the Violence Policy Center tracks which states have the highest rate of incidents in which one man kills one woman, a typical indicator of domestic homicide. The Huffington Post crunched the data to find the worst offenders over the past decade. Between 2004 and 2013, Nevada had the highest rate, at 2.38 women killed per 100,000. In 2013, however, the most recent year for which data are available, Nevada's rate dropped to 1.95, and South Carolina took the top spot with 2.32 women killed per 100,000. Average rate of incidents of one man killing one woman, per 100,000 women, for years 2004-2013 No data 0–0.5 0.5–1 1–1.5 1.5–2 2–2.5 D.C. Note: In 2013, as in years past, the state of Florida did not submit any data to the FBI Supplementary Homicide Report. In 2013, 2012 and 2011, data from Alabama were not available from the FBI. Data from Florida and Alabama were not requested individually because the difference in collection techniques would create a bias in the study results. In addition, according to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports, limited SHR data was received from Illinois for 2009-2013. Source: Violence Policy Center

Need help? In the U.S., call 1-800-799-SAFE (7233) for the National Domestic Violence Hotline.

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