"What Is Gun Ownership Like State by State." Is Mental Illness a Risk Factor for Gun Violence? Gun violence in the United States by state - Wikipedia Gun violence in the United States by state This article is a list of the U.S. states, with population, murders and non-negligent manslaughter, murders, gun murders, and gun ownership percentage, then calculated rates per 100,000. Despite the individual states abilities to create laws surrounding how an individual may purchase, carry, and use their weapon- legally obtained firearm ownership is safe from persecution. It is estimated that approximately 393 million legal guns are owned in the United States, meaning its possible every person owns a gun, possibly two. The Small Arms Survey claims that the United States has by far the highest level of gun ownership, with 88.8 guns per 100 people. An estimated 48.9% of Kansas adults have firearms in their homes. Learn more about how Statista can support your business. However, the Pew Research Center has compiled data that is about as accurate as it gets. The graph above plots the per capita firearms rate in the United States (stated as number of firearms per 10 people) against the murder rate as tabulated in the FBI Uniform Crime Reports. A closer analysis of this demographic data reveals that about 46% of rural households own guns, while just 19% of urban households do. These proxy measures may be strongly influenced by factors other than the rate of gun ownership and may not have a constant relationship with gun ownership over time. Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World, Next: 2. The only other State with less than 20 percent arms ownership in New York, at 19.9 percent. In fact, eight-in-ten say they have more than one reason for owning, and 44% have more than one major reason. Even a study done by the Center for Disease Control in 2012 concluded that as many as 3 million violent crimes may be thwarted each year due to gun ownership. ThoughtCo. In the lowest age group18- to 29-year-oldsown 27% own a gun. Registered Gun Rate help 44.3 per 1k Ranked in the US #8 Household Firearm Ownership Rate help 51.8% Ranked in the US #14 Gun Death Rate help 22.6 per 100k Ranked in the US #8 Handgun Open Carry Status help Allowed Registered Gun Rate Household Firearm Ownership Rate Gun Death Rate California See more add_circle Registered Gun Rate help 10.4 per 1k In addition to the three-in-ten adults who currently own a gun, another 10% say they have owned one in the past; 58% say they have never owned a gun. Massachusetts and New Jersey have the lowest gun ownership rate of 14.7%, followed by Rhode Island, with 14.8%, and Hawaii, with 14.9%. Please create an employee account to be able to mark statistics as favorites. Thirty-three percent of Americans aged 50 and older own at least one gun. "The source does not state the amount of guns in the respective households. 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For example, while 66% of urban gun owners say people in their community generally have a positive view of most gun owners, less than half of those who do not own guns in urban areas say this is the case (42%). Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting. David DeLoia, the owner of Heritage Gun & Coin in West Warwick, says he saw an uptick in applications for gun purchases while businesses were shuttered due to the pandemic in 2020. In this photo, police display drugs and guns confiscated in the state. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. There is a significant link, however, between owning a gun for protection and perceptions of whether the world, broadly speaking, has become more dangerous. An estimated 40.7% of adults in Pennsylvania have guns in their homes. (+1) 202-857-8562 | Fax Moreover, the data is in -- the states with the most guns per capita and laxest firearm ownership laws have the highest gun fatality per capita rates. Most (61%) say people in their community generally view gun owners in a positive way, and this is particularly the case among those who live in rural communities. Furthermore, the survey was conducted among adults who have responded to Pew Research Center surveys in the past as part of the American Trends Panel and thus may be more comfortable answering the questions. An estimated 42.8% of Minnesotans share their homes with at least one firearm. Gun safes have grown to become essential accessories for ammunition and arms. Household Gun Ownership By State, 2012-2016. T he U.S. has the most firearms per capita of any country in the world. You need at least a Starter Account to use this feature. In Oklahoma, 54.7% of adults have guns at home. This chart presents the annual estimated proportion of adults living in a household with a firearm between 1980 and 2016. Of those who didnt grow up with guns in their household, smaller shares say the same (46%). These states also have some of the lowest gun ownership overall, with only 14.8% of Rhode Island residents owning a gun and only 19.9% of New York residents owning a gun. This is the case in many other states, so it's important to remember that the majority of guns in the U.S. are not registered. For example, about seven-in-ten of those who live in urban or suburban areas say protection is a major reason they own a gun (71% each), as do most gun owners in rural parts of the country (62%). Various state laws surrounding registration and permits also drive these statistics, since states throughout the South, Midwest, and West have more relaxed laws overall in reference to the steps required for registration and carrying when compared to many Northern states. To compare countries' gun ownership rates, researchers in the original study assigned each nation a score based on figures from the Small Arms Survey, the country's ratio of firearm suicides to all suicides (a common proxy for firearm availability . Yemen came second to the US with 52.8 guns per 100 residents, or less than half the US figure. While men and women are equally likely to say there were guns in their household growing up, men who grew up in a gun-owning household are far more likely than their female counterparts to say they went hunting or shooting when they were growing up. 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Ryan/The Boston Globe/Getty Images, MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images, Chris Melzer/picture alliance via Getty Images, Jeremy Hogan/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images, Laurie Skrivan/St. Measuring gun ownership comes with its own set of challenges. Among women who grew up in a gun-owning household, about one-in-five (22%) say they went hunting at least sometimes when they were growing up, while most say they hardly ever (18%) or never (61%) did this. In Indiana, 44.8% of adults have at least one firearm at home. About two-thirds (68%) of whites who have never owned a gun say they have fired one at some point, compared with 32% of blacks and 35% of Hispanics who have never owned a gun. About four-in-ten say the same about hunting (38%), while three-in-ten say sport shooting, including target, trap and skeet shooting is a major reason they own a gun. The RAND report found that 45.8% of adults in North Carolina have guns in their homes. By contrast, older Americans who grew up in a gun-owning household are far more likely than younger adults who grew up with guns to point to hunting as a reason guns were present in their household. In Texas, 45.7% of adults say they live in homes with guns. 1. Table 1 (left side) shows that the 31.0% of households reported having a firearm in 2014, essentially tying with 2010 for the lowest level of gun ownership in the last 40-some years. Wyoming has "more guns per capita than any state"-yet they have a gun-related murder rate that is below the national average. The lowest is 3 per 1,000 people in Rhode Island and New York, to 229 per 1,000 people in Wyoming. The U.S. has over 50% more firearms per capita than the next two highest nations, Serbia and Yemen at about 0.55 and three times as many as major European countries such as France and Germany. Note that the United States has, by far, the most number of guns per capita, at 89 per 100, but a homicide by firearm rate of only 3 per 100,000. Gun ownership is more common among men than women, and white men are particularly likely to be gun owners. You need a Statista Account for unlimited access. Statista, 2019. A Ruger .22 caliber semiautomatic and other guns are displayed on an American flag in Woodbury. Obtaining a permit or license required to even purchase a gun in these states can take weeks and is relatively rigorous. The following table shows the number of registered firearms in the U.S. by state. While reading, it's important to remember that only six states and the District of Columbia require the registration of firearms. The sum of registered firearms equals only 6,058,390, a far cry from the 393 million total in America. (+1) 202-419-4372 | Media Inquiries. This reflects, in part, the fact that men who own guns are more likely than their female counterparts to have more than one reason for doing so. Republicans are more than twice as likely as Democrats to own a gun. First, they used a small-area estimation technique to create state-level ownership estimates for each of 51 nationally representative surveys . As soon as this statistic is updated, you will immediately be notified via e-mail. RAPID CITY, S.D. For example, eight-in-ten adults who grew up in a gun-owning household in a rural area cite hunting as a reason there were guns in their household, while fewer cite protection (57%) or sport shooting (51%). In data collected by CBS News from U.S. Census data and other publicly available sources, Wyoming holds the top spot in gun ownership with nearly 200 registered guns per 1,000 people in the. Here are the 10 states with the highest numbers of guns: What Is Gun Ownership Like State by State. Despite the legal challenges the Second Amendment has run across in the last few decades, the Supreme Court has ruled multiple times in favor of individual rights to own legally defined firearms. An average from 2004 to 2011 actually has a insignificantly higher 42% of Americans living in a household with a gun. That's due in large part to lack of national standards for licensing and registering firearms, which is left to the states and their varying degrees of regulation. RAND found that 46.8% of adults in Maine have at least one gun at home. "Gun Ownership and Gun Violence in America, by the Numbers." You can only download this statistic as a Premium user. Additionally, given that not every person in the U.S. owns a gun, many people own multiple or many. Take a look at the following tables that provides a look at legal gun ownership percentages throughout the United States: Gun ownership in America has a long and illustrious history. Two-thirds of gun owners say they own more than one gun, including 29% who own five or more guns. An estimated 14.9% of adults in Hawaii have guns at home. Opinions are more mixed among gun owners themselves: 54% say society tends to have a negative view and 45% say it has a positive view of most gun owners. Among men who own or have owned a gun and who grew up in a gun-owning household, 61% say they personally became gun owners before they turned 18; a quarter of women in the same group say they were younger than 18 when they first got their own gun. The top 5 states that currently have the most guns include: But these are large states, with large populations. Park County Sheriff Scott Steward told CBS News there are so many guns in Wyoming that those who do not own one "are very much in the minority.". How it works: Hover over or tap on a line on the chart to identify the state and year shown. Still, even after controlling for the number of reasons they own a gun, male gun owners remain more likely than their female counterparts to own multiple guns. Virginia, which is the 12th-biggest state, ranks sixth for gun sales (about 778,000), and Alabama, 23rd . They were charged with one count each of unlawful use of a weapon, a felony, but later pardoned by the governor. Researchers can use these annual, state-level measures of household gun ownership rates to test theories about the relationship between gun ownership and crime, injury, and public policy. Nevada's gun ownership for every 1,000 residents averages at 34. The co-owners of Thunder Beast Arms Corp. prepare to shoot high-powered rifles at a range west of Cheyenne. The following statistics portray current gun ownership statistics in the US. Republicans are twice as likely to own a gun than Democrats, and Southern households are more likely to own firearms (36%) than other regions of the U.S. Most look to firearms as protection, with hunting and recreation coming in as secondary reasons respectively. These groups often disagree on the interpretation of laws and court cases related to firearms and of the effectiveness . Gun owners overwhelmingly state protection as the reason why they own a firearm. Up to four states can be selected at a time. "Percentage of households in the United States owning one or more firearms from 1972 to 2022." What Is The Difference Between Blowback Vs Recoil? New Hampshire, which has the second-highest guns per capita, has some of the most relaxed firearm laws in the U.S., including no requirement to register your gun. Fortitude Ranch is a survivalist retreat in Mathias. In Mississippi, 55.8% of adults have guns at home. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions. In Michigan, 40.2% of adults have at least one gun at home. Wide differences on most gun policies between gun owners and non-owners, but also some agreement, Amid a Series of Mass Shootings in the U.S., Gun Policy Remains Deeply Divisive. Understanding gun ownership in America is not as simple as knowing who does and does not own a gun. In Missouri, 48.8% of adults have guns at home. Around 49.2% of Georgian adults live in homes with guns. In Wyoming, an estimated 66.2% of adults live in homes with guns. Those who advocate for gun control support increased regulation of gun ownership; those who advocate for gun rights oppose increased restriction of gun ownership. To view a specific state, type the name into the field below. There are an estimated 300 million guns in the U.S. Alaska has the highest per capita firepower with nearly 62 percent of its populace having guns.Other states with the high gun ownership rates include Arkansas (57.9 percent) and West Virginia (54.2) in the south and Idaho (56.9) in the west. For example, 89% of gun owners who see owning a gun as very or somewhat important to their overall identity say they cant see themselves ever not owning a gun, compared with 58% of those who say owning a gun is not too important or not at all important their sense of identity. Thirty-nine percent of men say they own a firearm, while 22% of women do. For a different perspective, CBS conducted a telephone survey and ranked the states by guns per capita. In addition to Wyoming, several other small states are near the top of the list when it comes to per capita gun sales. States are categorized from highest rate to lowest rate. While this difference is most pronounced among those who grew up in rural areas 48% of those who grew up with guns now own a gun vs. 12% of those who didnt grow up with guns in their household it is also evident among those who grew up in small towns, suburbs or cities. In the survey the question was asked in the following wording: "Do you have a gun in your home? Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. And while 85% of gun owners who say the right to own guns is essential to their sense of freedom say they cant see themselves ever not owning a gun at some point, 41% of those who dont see the right to own guns as essential say the same. The passing of conceal and open carry laws has helped reduce violent crimes, and those who are issued permits for concealed carry has shown that those people are 14% less likely to engage in a violent crime. New York is the only other state with gun ownership less than 20% at 19.9%. Fewer gun owners cite a gun collection (13%) or their job (8%) as major reasons. [Online]. Of the 2,032,000 guns, 959,000 were rifles, 726,000 shotguns, 122,000 combination rifles, 88,000 pistols, 55,000 revolvers, 3,000 automatic guns and 78,000 weapons parts. 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Besides demographic differences, clear partisan divides emerge when it comes to gun ownership. Now, lets take a look at gun ownership by state. Assistant Kansas Attorney General Amy Hanley shows a jury a Ruger Redhawk gun during a 2013 murder trial. And while 36% of whites report that they are gun owners, about a quarter of blacks (24%) and 15% of Hispanics say they own a gun. While one state may have more guns, the population may also be higher. Handguns are the most commonly owned type of gun, followed by rifles, then shotguns. Overall, 45% of American men and 40% of American women live in a household with a gun. Read our research on: Congress | Economy | COVID-19. Based on this, the state of Montana has the highest gun ownership rate, with 66.3% of adults owning a gun. About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. 1 country in terms of gun ownership. In the United States over 300 million people own firearms. Increase in gun sales creates a new norm. About four-in-ten adults (42%) report that there is a gun in their household, with three-in-ten saying they personally own a gun and 11% saying they dont own a gun but someone else in their household does. In April, gun sales were down 23% compared with the . She is a three-time delegate to the California Democratic Party and a former federal elections official. An estimated 55.3% of South Dakota adults have guns in their homes. In New Hampshire, 41.1% of adults have guns in their homes. (+1) 202-419-4300 | Main About half of men who grew up with guns in their homes say they went hunting often (27%) or sometimes (23%). Roughly seven-in-ten male gun owners (69%) say they own a rifle and 60% own a shotgun, compared with 50% and 44% of women who own each type of gun, respectively. (2021, July 31). Most gun owners cite multiple reasons for owning a gun. And with record gun sales since, it's no wonder we have the highest rate of gun homicides, (3.21 per 100,000 people), among the world's wealthy nations. This definitely changes past demographic polls, and rather drastically in some cases. Deborah White is a political journalist specializing in progressive political issues and perspectives. All of these variables are higher in states with higher rates of . Guns are in the households of 50.8% of Oregonians. An estimated 35.3% of adults in Florida live in homes with guns. The four other states with the highest number of guns per capita (guns per 1,000 people) are: New Hampshire (47), New Mexico (46), Virginia (36), and Alabama (33). One-in-ten men who didnt grow up with guns in their household say they went hunting often or sometimes, compared with 5% of women. After taking the man into custody, police later confirmed the rifle was a replica Airsoft weapon. Views of gun safety and the key responsibilities of gun owners. Overall, men who currently own guns or who have done so in the past report that they first became gun owners at age 19, on average; for women who own or previously owned guns, that age is 27. Christian Florea, 10, looks over an FN MK 48 machine gun at an NRA event in Louisville. About eight-in-ten of those ages 65 and older (84%) and 73% of those ages 50 to 64 cite hunting as a reason; a narrower majority of adults ages 30 to 49 who grew up in a gun-owning household (60%) and about half of those younger than 30 (52%) cite hunting. 1 The number of deaths per 100,000 total population. First published on September 13, 2017 / 12:29 PM. Before diving into gun ownership stats by state, lets look at some general gun statistics throughout the nation. About half of those who grew up with guns (47%) say they were younger than 18 when they first got their own gun, compared with 19% of those who didnt grow up with guns in their household. Gun Ownership by Firearm Type Pistols are the most commonly owned firearm among gun owners - second is rifles and then shotguns last. You can find those results here. But women are quickly gaining ground in this department. The most salient reason behind firearm ownership is the prevalence of "gun culture," or the acceptance of firearms by friends, family, and . The owner of Ready Gunman in Springville stands behind the counter at his shop. This is, perhaps, not surprising, considering that eight-in-ten gun owners cite more than one reason for owning a gun including 44% who say there is more than one major reason and may need different types of guns for different purposes. While about seven-in-ten gun owners who say the world has become more dangerous cite protection as a major reason they own a gun (72%), half of those who dont see the world that way say protection is central to why they own a gun. Most U.S. firearms go unregistered, so numbers are hard to come by. But the trend has not always been upward. Both Israel and Switzerland probably have much higher gun ownership rates, but including them, the way the Small Arms Survey does, biases the results so that those countries look lower than they actually are. With 66.3% of adults living in homes with guns, Montana is the highest-ranking state in the RAND study. Reasons for having had guns in the household growing up vary considerably across community type. According to the Small Arms Survey, there are more than 393 million guns in the U.S. That's more than one-third of all civilian-owned guns in the world, making America the No. Gun Ownership By Gender 39% of men own a firearm, while 22% of women say the same. City-Data.com compiled the list (We should note there's no source posted for the city-data list) and created the map.It was then spread by a reddit user. Unlike the states with higher guns per capita, these states all have some of the country's strictest gun laws. Most gun owners (66%) say they own more than one gun, with about three-in-ten (29%) saying they own five or more guns. According to the Pew Research Center, the southern United States has the highest amount of gun owners, with about 36% of residents living in this region owning a gun. The population data is from the U.S. Census Bureau. About seven-in-ten say they own a handgun or pistol (72%), while 62% own a rifle and 54% own a shotgun. In South Carolina, 49.4% of adults say they share their homes with at least one gun. Although a pressing argument by many non-gun owners is that crime increases with every gun sold, this simply isnt the case. Most gun owners cite more than one reason for owning a gun, but protection tops the list, with 67% of gun owners saying this is a major reason they personally own a gun. Gun politics within American politics is defined by two primary opposing ideologies about civilian gun ownership. Rural households are more likely to own a firearm than urban households, 46% vs. 19%, and those 50 or older have the highest gun ownership rate than other age groups at 33%. Chart. Still, there are windows into the world of gun ownership slices of data that offer pieces to the puzzle. 70+ KPIs per store Revenue analytics and forecasts . And many who dont currently own a gun, including those who have never owned one, may be open to doing so in the future. In, Gallup. These social gun cultures have rarely been formally studied but may be important determinants of gun ownership," the study's authors wrote. The wording of this has been contested time and again in various courts, but in 2008, theDistrict of Columbia vs Heller case concluded that that the Second Amendment right to bear arms vests in individuals, not merely collective militias, while also ruling that the right is not unlimited. This does not mean that every US citizen can legally carry a firearm, nor does it mean that you can purchase or own any type of firearm, but it does recognize the individuals right to own and carry legally on a federal level. Of Wyoming's 581,075 people, there are 132,806 registered guns. Park County Sheriff Scott Steward told CBS News there are so many guns in Wyoming that those who do not own one "are very much in the minority.". Men who grew up in a gun-owning household are also more likely than women who grew up with guns in their homes to say they went shooting or to a gun range growing up, though relatively few men or women say they did this often (13% and 7%, respectively). That's a total of 104,998 registered guns among 3,080,156 residents. Due to Texas's population size, its guns per capita is 21 per 1,000 people.