While one state may have more guns, the population may also be higher. Arkansas, New Mexico and Virginia round out the top five with each state having over 30 registered guns per 1,000 people. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions. For four of the outcomes we studied defensive gun use, hunting and recreation, mass shootings, and police shootingswe found inconclusive evidence, at best, on the effects of any of the policies. The Judge has been promoted! (2019 rank: 41), No relevant outcomes in 2020. Any scholar interested in this field will necessarily have to consider the findings of this report.. A closer analysis of this demographic data reveals that about 46% of rural households own guns, while just 19% of urban households do. Calling 2020 a "different year" would be a gross understatement. Learn More. 2020. Alaska tops our list for the highest rate of gun ownership within the country. (2019 rank: 50), Governor Murphy shut down gun shops, shooting ranges and firearm transfers in March by executive order. The Yankee states of New England went for gun control by a margin of 61 to 36 . I know a lot of people with a lot of guns, and most of them dont own a single NFA item. First-Time Gun Buyers Grow to Nearly 5 Million in 2020 NSSF https://www.thoughtco.com/gun-owners-percentage-of-state-populations-3325153 (accessed May 2, 2023). Strong gun culture and a large local gun industry also factor in the relatively high rate of gun ownership. Here are the 10 states with the highest rates of gun ownership. 11 Cases of Defensive Gun Use as 2020 Came to a Close. Gun laws within Michigan are reasonable. If we dont calculate it per thousand residents, and just look at the total numbers of registered guns, we see that Texas jumps to the top of the list (and I dont think anyone is surprised), followed by Florida and Virginia. Difference From Previous Data in Percentage is mentioned, Calculation: Number of Weapons / Population x 1000. Estimates of gun sales based on federal background check data show that the market has been thriving, with several sales records set in recent years. Politically, Republicans are twice as likely as Democrats to own a gun. The numbers provided are for the most notable areas, and do not include all items identified by an industry operation investigator during an inspection. Small ammunition manufacturers entrepreneurial spirit inspires us to work harder and build smarter. Here's where the lack of good federal data haunts. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Alabama - 23.6. Profit from the additional features of your individual account. But there are several reputable organizations that track firearms-related statistics, such as the nonpartisan Pew Research Center, which can provide a fairly accurate look at gun ownership by state, as well as annual federal licensing data. We are working quickly to ensurethey are accessible for all users of our site. Other proxies, some of which have been used in combination with firearm suicides, include per capita measures of hunting licenses, firearm background checks, and even subscriptions to Guns & Ammo magazine. ATF compiles the submitted data and releases it here each January, with a one-year delay to comply with the Trade Secrets Act. Apart from three surveys conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention nearly two decades ago, no authoritative state-level measurement of household gun ownership exists. By the Numbers: Gun Ownership Through the Years Statista, 2019. There are a lot of reasons why someone might purchase an NFA item since they cover everything from suppressors to explosives, so its difficult to speculate on why states like Texas and Wyoming are so high. Overall, in the US more than 4 in 10 adults report that they live in a household with a firearm. But This May Be the First Step Toward a Fix. The vast majority of these firearms stay here in the states with only a few hundred thousand each year being exported. States are awarded 0-10 points in each category and ranked according to their total number of points. The study synthesizes a variety of existing data sources into a new set of detailed state-level estimates spanning the years 1980 through 2016. The programs, policies, and people driving positive change in Americas gun violence problem. You can see all the data for the years from 1986-2019 on this chart: To use this information to accurately calculate how many firearms are in circulation, youd need to take into account the average lifespan of a firearm, and how many may be returned to gun store due to defects, damaged in some irreparable way, sold to a pawn shop, or simply lost. Currently, you are using a shared account. 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. Gun Policy in America | RAND The perception of firearms inclines more towards the negative the Golden State. (2019 rank: 15), No relevant outcomes in 2020, the states legislature did not meet in 2020. Helping Coastal Communities Plan for Climate Change, Measuring Wellbeing to Help Communities Thrive, Assessing and Articulating the Wider Benefits of Research, Growing Evidence About the Effects of Gun Policies Provides Needed Information for Policy Decisions, Development of the RAND State Firearm Law Database and Supporting Materials. Most residents cite self-defense as the primary reason for owning a gun. We report stories that would go untold. We can use the ATF information as a starting point and compare it to other data like polls from the RAND Corporation and get a pretty good sense. In response to requests from the industry, ATF released interim AFMER data for the first time in July 2010. The ideal entry-level account for individual users. Furthermore, the more guns an individual owns, the more likely they are to vote Republican. This equates to nearly 5 million first-time gun owners in the first seven months of 2020. Generous readers sustain our work. Ned Lamont declared firearm and ammunition retailers as essential businesses as part of his pandemic-related executive order. The state of New York has probably among the worst gun laws in the country. Estimates show that there are anywhere from over 200 million to more than 350 million guns in the U.S. Because of variances in regulations throughout the nation, its impossible to get exact numbers when it comes to the total number of guns in the nation and the number of guns in each state. Give a Gift
Efforts to put semi-auto and magazine bans on the states November 2020 ballot failed, but the proponents will surely be back. A list of all federally licensed manufacturers, dealers, collectors and importersof firearms and destructive devices are available by state for each month of the calendar year. This document and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. We use this category to track preemption statutes, laws and rules that fall outside of our other buckets as well as the availability of places to shoot. Heres what we can do. on the United States government, it would come as no surprise that Utah features an above-average rate of gun-ownership. A very negative perception of firearms largely leads the cause behind the state having the lowest rate of gun ownership in all of the country. A special session of the legislature is currently underway but, as of now, there are no indications that gun control bills will be pursued. Best States for Gun Owners (2020) - Guns and Ammo In 2018, for example, 4,305,851 firearms were imported but only 554,237 were exported. Texas had 830,109 registered NFA items as of 2019 according to the ATF, which is significantly higher than Florida in the #2 spot. These cookies perform functions like remembering presentation options or choices and, in some cases, delivery of web content that based on self-identified area of interests. ATF shares annual and monthly statistics on compliance inspectionresults for federal firearms licensees (FFLs). Cookies used to track the effectiveness of CDC public health campaigns through clickthrough data. Thirty-nine percent of men say they own a firearm, while 22% of women do. The term Castle Doctrine has become shorthand for a states use-of-force laws. Were trying to identify the true value of gun ownership that would explain all of the available data from all of these measures, said Schell. The state also has a flourishing gun industry. Joe Kurtenbach, Executive Editor of Gun & Ammo, and John Myles from Smith & Wesson discuss features of the Equalizer 9mm micro-compact pistol and new-for-2023 M&P 5.7. Show publisher information Gun Ownership Mapped: How Many Guns Each State Had In 2020? To compile its list, the group used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, looked at each state's rate of gun deaths in 2020 and compared those rates with 50 policies that . I have long lampooned a WV law that prevented guns from being displayed in a store window thanks to legislation sponsored by Delegate Brandon Steele, that law is off the books! Texas gun ownership: A look at the data | The Texas Tribune Hunting is also very popular within the state, with as much as. But collectively, they are useful.. For example, for several years Pew has asked participants, Do you happen to have any guns, rifles or pistols in your home? Surveys with more detailed and specific questions about ownership are scarcer, perhaps because those questions are likely to dissuade gun owners from participating altogether. The world has said "good riddance" to 2020 and ushered in a new year . This largely thanks to its. (2019 rank: 20), No relevant outcomes in 2020. Do so in the comments below. Missouri - 23.9. Gun laws within the state are highly restrictive, which makes it difficult to purchase and own firearms. Arizona remains number one on our list due to its thriving competitive shooting scene and firearms industry presence. Thank you for taking the time to confirm your preferences. This database was first released in 2020 and is available free to the public. What looked like a sure thing in January fell victim to the COVID shutdown when the bill failed to advance before the legislatures adjournment. How can ownership levels decline even as Americas gun stock grows? Gun laws are quite relaxed here, and there is no indication of that changing anytime soon. CDC twenty four seven. Gun map: Ownership by state - statistics and rates - CBS News An attempt by the legislature to override that veto failed, closing the book on this issue for 2020. The above bar graph depicts the number of NFA firearms processed from applications captured in the NFRTR by Fiscal Year from FY 2005 to FY 2022; see table of data below. The rate of gun ownership is also dropping as the population grows. The most widely used proxy for gun ownership is the percentage of suicides involving a firearm. White, Deborah. October 15, 2021. Based on this, the state of Montana has the highest gun ownership rate, with 66.3% of adults owning a gun. Data & Statistics - Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives programs offered at an independent public policy research organizationthe RAND Corporation. Other bills were signed that increased opportunities for concealed carry, including legislation that specifies that a permit is not required when carrying a firearm on a motorcycle, snowmobile or off-road vehicle. Open carry laws are considered under the miscellaneous column and can also be used as a tiebreaker. Firearms businesses paid over $4 billion in federal taxes and almost $3 billion in state taxes in 2020, not to mention the $665 million in excise taxes paid by firearms manufacturers. An attempt by the Governor to exponentially raise the cost of pistol permits and firearm licenses failed when the measure was omitted by the legislatures budget bill. Featuring a relatively high median income among residences and highly friendly gun laws, more than half its residents possess a firearm. Obtaining a gun Is very easy in Missouri, and a strong culture is also present, which makes the average figure of gun ownership rather surprising. In fact, in the same years, firearm purchase has actually increased! : The prevalence of firearm ownership has declined in virtually every state over the past several decades. New York is the only other state with gun ownership less than 20% at 19.9%. A very low crime rate and a negative perception of firearms translate to a low rate of gun ownership. Oklahoma, 47. Iveys shutdown of the state. Firearms trace data is critically important information developed by ATF. Counties in darker blue had higher rates of firearm. It maintains the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR), the central registry of all NFA firearms in the United States. Frequently asked questions related to AFMER are available in our Questions and Answers section. However, the Pew Research Center has compiled data that is about as accurate as it gets. Alaska4. White, Deborah. Hawaii51. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) cannot attest to the accuracy of a non-federal website. (2019 rank: 1), Check here for Guns & Ammo's Best States for Gun Owners in 2019. For people between the ages of 30 and 49, 28% own a firearm. Despite huge advantages in fundraising by out-of-state groups, Democrats were unsuccessful in gaining majorities in the states two legislative chambers. will appear on this list. Please note that while we have done our best to rank states as objectively as possible, reasonable minds disagree with our findings. Despite having among the friendliest gun laws on the East coast, Maine features an ownership rate that is below that of the US average. Estimates put the number of guns circulating within the country at nearly 400 million, almost 40% of that of the total global firearms. All of these variables are higher in states with higher rates of gun ownership, and vice versa, but none directly reveal what percentage of a states residents own guns. At HuntingMark we have a general rule of thumb not to get political. Those laws protect individuals from frivolous lawsuits related to self-defense encounters, and eliminate fees for concealed carry permits in the state. The new estimates fill in the details of a trend whose contours were already known: The prevalence of firearm ownership has declined in virtually every state over the past several decades. Drawing upon decades of experience, RAND provides research services, systematic analysis, and innovative thinking to a global clientele that includes government agencies, foundations, and private-sector firms. The new estimates fill in the details of a trend whose contours were. circulating on the island than there are people living there. Note: The download is a zipped Microsoft Excel file. The map below, which uses a different CDC dataset from the set the report used, shows where gun deaths were concentrated from 2011 to 2020. A largely negative perception of a firearm also factors behind the low rate of gun ownership. For example, data released in January 2019 was for calendar year 2018. 51. All federally licensed manufacturers of firearms and destructive devices (Federal Firearms License types 07 and 10) are required to submit a production report of manufacturing and export activity to ATF by April 1 of each year. Joe Raedle/Getty Images News/Getty Images. Thirty-three percent of Americans aged 50 and older own at least one gun. Industry revenue of small arms, ordnance, and ordnance accessories manufacturing in the Find your information in our database containing over 20,000 reports, highest rate of civilian-owned firearms in the world. Find state gun laws including conceal carry, open carry, licensing, and more. Here are the 10 states with the highest rates of gun ownership: Montana - 66.3% Wyoming - 66.2% Alaska - 64.5% Idaho - 60.1% West Virginia - 58.5% Arkansas - 57.2% Mississippi - 55.8% Alabama - 55.5% South Dakota - 55.3% North Dakota - 55.1% Gun Ownership by State 2023 Gun Ownership Gun Ownership by State 2023 Gun Ownership by State 2023 Sources Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/215655/number-of-registered-weapons-in-the-us-by-state/, Number of registered weapons in the United States in 2021, by state, Immediate access to statistics, forecasts & reports, Gun ownership in the U.S. 2022, by gender, Gun ownership in the U.S. 2021, by ethnicity, Gun ownership in the U.S. 2021, by education level, Gun ownership U.S. 2022, by party affiliation, Number of registered weapons U.S. 2021, by state, U.S. number of firearms manufactured 1986-2021, Number of total firearms manufactured U.S. 2021, by firearm category, Economic impact of U.S. sporting arms and ammunition industry 2020, Number of exported firearms U.S.1986-2021, U.S. number of exported firearms manufactured 2021, by firearm category, Number of imported firearms U.S. 1986-2020, Number of imported firearms U.S. 2020, by firearm category, NICS background checks performed in the U.S. 1998-2021, Number of homicides by firearm in the U.S. 2006-2021, Homicides by firearm in the U.S. 2006-2020, Homicide by firearm rate in the U.S. 2006-2020, Murders involving firearms in the U.S. 2020, by state, Number of firearm deaths U.S. 2019, by gender, U.S. public opinion on the strictness of laws covering firearms sale 1990-2022, Support for stricter gun control laws U.S. 2022, by party, Support for protecting or limiting gun ownership rights U.S. 2022, by party, U.S. public opinion on a law that bans private handgun possession 1990-2022, Support for banning assault-style weapons in the U.S. 2022, by party, Support for banning high-capacity ammunition magazines U.S. 2022, by party, U.S. number of federal firearms licensees 2020, by state, Gun ownership in the U.S. 2014, by gender, Gun ownership in the U.S. 2012, by ethnicity, United States: presence of a firearm at home 2022, Gun ownership in the U.S. 2012, by education, Gun ownership in the U.S. 2017, by region, Share of Chinese arms exports 2012, by recipient, Number of non-fatal firearm crimes U.S. 2000-2019, Non-fatal firearm crimerate in the U.S. 2011, by ethnicity, Import value of bladed weapons and accessories into Sweden 2016, by country. Required fields are marked *. A closer analysis of this demographic data reveals that about 46% of rural households own guns, while just 19% of urban households do. The state has a long-ingrained gun culture and features very friendly gun laws. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/gun-owners-percentage-of-state-populations-3325153. The first thing that must be said here is this: no one knows the answer to this question. RAND tools may include models, databases, calculators, computer code, GIS mapping tools, practitioner guidelines, web applications, and various toolkits. Available from no other source, this comprehensive collection of ATF-related data from national surveys, state-based surveys, other collected license statistics, and other data sources documents trends in firearms, commerce and use of federal services in the United States. Before diving into gun ownership stats by state, lets look at some general gun statistics throughout the nation. Current Processing Times for ATF Applications. Surprisingly, despite an abundance of game, hunting isnt cited as a major reason for owning a gun. However, this hasnt deterred Coloradoans from purchasing firearms. The Midwest and West each have gun ownership levels that exceed 30%, while the Northeast has the lowest number of gun owners at about 16%. Gun laws within the state are quite friendly, and hunting is quite a common hobby among residence. Use Adobe Acrobat Reader version 10 or higher for the best experience. The nationwide gun death rate in 2020 also increased dramatically: from 12.10 per 100,000 in 2019 to 13.73 per 100,000 in 2020. Not only that, but how much ammunition, high-capacity magazines, optics, and other accessories are already in circulation. Taurus Marketing Manager Caleb Giddings highlights the features of the new Taurus Raging Hunter 460 Magnum, a purpose-built revolver with a 10.5-inch barrel and an effective recoil-taming brake, with Guns & Ammo Executive Editor Joe Kurtenbach. Ruger's multi-role small frame autoloading rifle - Sear - combines AR-10 power with AR-15 Portability. Firearms have also been an integral part of the states history and culture. Cookies used to enable you to share pages and content that you find interesting on CDC.gov through third party social networking and other websites. Gun laws with Nebraska are permissive. Stats of the States - Firearm Mortality - CDC Annual Firearms Manufacturing and Exportation Report Under 18 U.S.C. "America's Passion for Guns: Ownership and Violence by the Numbers." "Gun Ownership and Gun Violence in America, by the Numbers." Gun laws are very permissive, and ownership of firearms is encouraged. Massachusetts. All RAND tools undergo rigorous peer review to ensure both high data standards and appropriate methodology in keeping with RAND's commitment to quality and objectivity. They are already everywhere, and uncertain socio-political circumstances always push more people to buy more. as well as a culture that prizes gun ownership. Generation gap on social issues - attitude towards gun control in the U.S. I am in my natural element when Im in the mountains with pen & paper or a laptop with a full battery. Those with the lowest gun murder rates included Massachusetts (1.5), Idaho (1.5), Hawaii (1.6), Utah (2.1) and Iowa (2.2). (2019 rank: 4), No relevant outcomes in 2020. States with thriving competitive shooting communities are also recognized here and states with laws that allow for gun confiscation without due process, i.e., Red Flag laws, are penalized. She is a three-time delegate to the California Democratic Party and a former federal elections official. Interestingly, Florida has the most machine guns, Texas has (by far) the most silencers, and California has the most destructive devices, which would be things like grenades and other explosives. Thirty-nine percent of men say they own a firearm, while 22% of women do. Hunting and recreational shooting are often cited as major reasons for owning a firearm. Reporting by The Trace and FiveThirtyEight has spurred an independent review of a federal database used to track gun injuries. The research described in this report was sponsored by Arnold Ventures and conducted by the Justice Policy Program within RAND Social and Economic Well-Being. The new big bore pistols feature industry-first capacity, with a standard 15-round capacity and 22+1 rounds of 10mm or 18+1 rounds of .45 ACP from the extended magazines. This is the most subjective category in our survey but allows us some leeway to quantify the culture and environment in a given state. Also, Texans, often depicted as trigger-happy people, are below the 50% mark (37.5% to be exact), way behind Hawaii where 45.1% of the population owns guns Who'd a thunk it? Directly accessible data for 170 industries from 50 countries and over 1 million facts: Get quick analyses with our professional research service. Like in Washington, firearm perception tends to vary between the urban and rural populations. based on federal background check data show that the market has been thriving, with several sales records set in recent years. Among some urban residence, self-defense is also cited as a top reason for owning a firearm. May-issue states that rarely issue permits are graded accordingly and can receive 1-6 points, depending on the standard review factors. The report covers activity for the calendar year ended the previous December 31. What looked like certain victory for a semi-auto, magazine and suppressor ban took a sharp turn when a handful of Democrats voted against the measure during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. The other bill requires that gun owners give formal notice when permanently removing a firearm from the state, with financial penalties imposed for non-compliance. In the wake of tragic mass shootings like the ones in Colorado and Atlanta, gun owners and second amendment advocates like myself can find ourselves in a tricky situation of standing firm in defense of our own rights while trying to push the conversation about mass killings and violence in a productive direction to reduce the amount of death and other violences such as firearm suicides in our country. Firearm related crime, deaths and injuries, Facebook: quarterly number of MAU (monthly active users) worldwide 2008-2022, Quarterly smartphone market share worldwide by vendor 2009-2022, Number of apps available in leading app stores Q3 2022, Profit from additional features with an Employee Account. The role of the gun industry in Americas gun violence epidemic. (2019 rank: 29), No relevant outcomes in 2020. Deborah White is a political journalist specializing in progressive political issues and perspectives. Conclusion Gun ownership over the past 60 years has trended up. There is also a thriving gun industry within the state. With very friendly gun laws and lots of outdoor shooting and hunting opportunities, it should surprise no one that Florida features a gun ownership rate higher than what is the national average. (2019 rank: 37), No relevant outcomes in 2020. Florida has 497, 078, followed by Virginia with 390,946 and California with 386,795.