Between 1985 and 1993, homicides of females increased 13 percent. In 1991, violent assaults killed 733 women and hospitalized 3,440 in California. Male partners were the main killers of women. The number of calls to California police related to domestic assault increased from 182,540 in 1988 to 238,895 in 1993. Women who were less educated or were receiving Medi-Cal were at particular risk of violent women, as were younger women. Black women had the highest rates of both fatal and hospitalized assaultive injuries. However, socioeconomic differences were as large or larger than racial or ethnic differences. In 1991, initial hospitalization costs totaled $39.8 million for 17,464 hospital days. Gun-related assaults cost $10 million. Medi-Cal was the main expected payer for all assaultive injuries. Figures, tables, appended methodological information, and 23 references