Some legislatures, including those in Texas, Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming, meet every other year and did not go into session in 2020 at all. In 2018, for example, 4,305,851 firearms were imported but only 554,237 were exported. 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. Oklahoma, 47. I am in my natural element when Im in the mountains with pen & paper or a laptop with a full battery. Gun laws within the state are quite friendly, and hunting is quite a common hobby among residence. Do Pistols Benefit From Popular Aftermarket Modifications? Latest Update: Version 1.0 (April 22, 2020). Wonder how many hunters there are in the US right now? 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 . 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. The best of the best: the portal for top lists & rankings: Strategy and business building for the data-driven economy: Show sources information Like in Washington, firearm perception tends to vary between the urban and rural populations. 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. That said, this data is likely to correlate well with overall firearm or gun ownership, so a state thats high on this list is likely also high up when it comes to overall firearm ownership and a state thats low here should be low there as well. (2019 rank: 28), No relevant outcomes in 2020. 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. 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. Number of registered weapons in the U.S. in 2019, by state. 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. NH VT MA CT RI NJ DE MD DC NYC PR HI AK CA NV OR WA ID MT WY UT AZ CO NM TX OK KS NE SD ND MN IA WI IL MO AR LA MS AL TN KY IN MI OH PA . 1 country in terms of gun ownership. Suppressors can be great to have anytime youre shooting with other people or hunting. Thousands upon thousands of bills died on the vine as lawmakers vacated their respective state capitols. These bills allow permittees to carry in places of worship, protect the rights of gun owners in times of emergency and prevents municipalities from restricting firearm possession. With that said, the prevalence of gun ownership isnt uniform across the country. : The prevalence of firearm ownership has declined in virtually every state over the past several decades. Please note that while we have done our best to rank states as objectively as possible, reasonable minds disagree with our findings. Some states require citizens to retreat before the use of deadly force is authorized. Gun Ownership Mapped: How Many Guns Each State Had In 2020? If anything, most would be surprised to see why Texas is so low on the list. Private transfers were effectively eliminated and a Red Flag confiscation program has been created. Do so in the comments below. Cookies used to make website functionality more relevant to you. Recreational shooting remains a very popular hobby, but self-defense remains the most commonly cited reason for owning a firearm. The state has a long-ingrained gun culture and features very friendly gun laws. I know a lot of people with a lot of guns, and most of them dont own a single NFA item. (2019 rank: 41), No relevant outcomes in 2020. These laws often require registration of certain firearms and, in some states, ban ownership altogether. Please create an employee account to be able to mark statistics as favorites. Show publisher information The state doesnt seem to have a strong gun culture, so, if anything, the current rate of gun ownership comes as a bit of a surprise as being a bit higher than one expects. Your tax-deductible donation to The Trace will directly support nonprofit journalism on gun violence and its effects on our communities. . , which improved the state-level reliability of the estimates. Arkansas, New Mexico and Virginia round out the top five with each state having over 30 registered guns per 1,000 people. Gun laws are very permissive, and ownership of firearms is encouraged. May-issue states that rarely issue permits are graded accordingly and can receive 1-6 points, depending on the standard review factors. (2019 rank: 40), Bills that would ban private transfers and allow for firearm confiscation by law enforcement passed the Democratic-controlled Minnesota House in February but stalled in the Republican-led Senate. Most states exhibit strikingly similar trends, with ownership rates beginning to fall steadily in the early 1990s before plateauing in the mid-2000s, followed in some places by a modest rebound. (2019 rank: 20), No relevant outcomes in 2020. For the purpose of this article, were focusing on the total percentage of gun ownership in relation to the states population. The perception of firearms inclines more towards the negative the Golden State. According to the FBI's 2020 Uniform Crime Report, the total number of murders increased by nearly one-third from 2019 to 2020. Directly accessible data for 170 industries from 50 countries and over 1 million facts: Get quick analyses with our professional research service. The most widely used proxy for gun ownership is the percentage of suicides involving a firearm. Missouri - 23.9. This is the most subjective category in our survey but allows us some leeway to quantify the culture and environment in a given state. Open carry laws are considered under the miscellaneous column and can also be used as a tiebreaker. The world has said "good riddance" to 2020 and ushered in a new year . The annual Explosives Incident Report (EIR) and Arson Incident Report (AIR)reviews bombing and explosives andarsonrelated incidents and threats from information reported to the United States Bomb Data Center through the Bomb Arson Tracking System (BATS). North Dakota a rich heritage of hunting, and many of its residences share a strong fondness for guns. Rifles at a gun shop in Lynnwood, Washington. | You can review and change the way we collect information below. If you are an admin, please authenticate by logging in again. Gun laws are reasonable, and hunting is the biggest cited reason for firearm purchases. 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. Not only that, but how much ammunition, high-capacity magazines, optics, and other accessories are already in circulation. Calling 2020 a "different year" would be a gross understatement. ATF shares annual and monthly statistics on compliance inspectionresults for federal firearms licensees (FFLs). Our rankings reflect whether a state regulates any category of firearm by its features or limits magazine capacity. With a long-established gun culture, a thriving gun industry, and plenty of hunting opportunities, if anything, one would expect the rate of ownership to be even higher. 2023 Outdoor Sportsman Group. (2019 rank: 15), No relevant outcomes in 2020, the states legislature did not meet in 2020. Average Gun Ownership, by State Select Map Select Law. More on that further down. This equates to nearly 5 million first-time gun owners in the first seven months of 2020. There is also a thriving gun industry within the state. Overview and forecasts on trending topics, Industry and market insights and forecasts, Key figures and rankings about companies and products, Consumer and brand insights and preferences in various industries, Detailed information about political and social topics, All key figures about countries and regions, Market forecast and expert KPIs for 600+ segments in 150+ countries, Insights on consumer attitudes and behavior worldwide, Business information on 70m+ public and private companies, Detailed information for 35,000+ online stores and marketplaces. 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. Generation gap on social issues - attitude towards gun control in the U.S. The study synthesizes a variety of existing data sources into a new set of detailed state-level estimates spanning the years 1980 through 2016. Despite the relatively restrictive gun laws, and it being an island with a majority urban population, Hawaii still features a surprisingly high rate of gun ownership. Hunting and recreational shooting are cited as the biggest reasons for owning a firearm. Permitless carry was already legal for Idaho residents, but this legislation extends the law to cover all U.S. Citizens over the age of 18 to carry, including in the cities. Kansas Travis Morisse/AP. 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. 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. Cookies used to track the effectiveness of CDC public health campaigns through clickthrough data. (2021, July 31). There is one big question I take away from this list: what on earth is going on in Wyoming? Wyoming follows with 60 percent and Alaska with 59. Shall-issue states, states that require that a permit be issued as long as the applicant is qualified, are given 6-8 points. To use individual functions (e.g., mark statistics as favourites, set The National Rifle Association is one of the most powerful special interest groups in America. Become a member today during our Spring Member Drive. The study does not estimate the absolute number of guns in each state, nor the share of individuals who own guns. People who own guns now often own three, four, five guns.. (2019 rank: 29), No relevant outcomes in 2020. Nevada has long been associated with the wild west and gun culture. In July, the State Police announced that mandatory handgun training required to obtain a Handgun Qualification License can now take place online due to the pandemic. Check your concealed carry permit reciprocity and learn about every state's concealed carry. Small ammunition manufacturers entrepreneurial spirit inspires us to work harder and build smarter. Hawaii. 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. Roughly half of Americans (53%) favor stricter gun laws, a decline since 2019, according to the Center's April 2021 survey. No article of this length could capture every nuance of a states statutory and regulatory framework. In 2020, over 45,000 people in the United States (13.6 per 100,000 people) died by firearms. registration or special taxation on the ownership or possession of firearms or ammunition. 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. 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%. Joe Raedle/Getty Images News/Getty Images. Daniel Nass was The Traces visual journalist and associate editor for data and graphics from 2017 to 2021. Friendly gun laws, a long-established gun culture as well as the high popularity of hunting as a pastime all result in a high rate of gun ownership in the state. https://www.thoughtco.com/gun-owners-percentage-of-state-populations-3325153 (accessed May 2, 2023). What Is Gun Ownership Like State by State. Other proxies, some of which have been, with firearm suicides, include per capita measures of hunting licenses, firearm. Indeed, according to NSSF.org, the full economic impact of the firearms industry just in the United States is over $63 billion dollars annually. Then they used a second technique, structural equation modeling, to combine those adjusted surveys with the other proxy measures to produce the final estimates. On the opposite end of the spectrum, New Jersey had the lowest average with 8 percent, nearly tied with Hawaii. The state has a large firearm industry with, on a per capita basis, manufacturers the most guns and ammunition. Before diving into gun ownership stats by state, lets look at some general gun statistics throughout the nation. Self-defense is also commonly cited as a reason for firearm procession, especially in the cities. Sign up now to get our latest stories and eye-opening briefings. A special session of the legislature is currently underway but, as of now, there are no indications that gun control bills will be pursued. Legislation passed that weakens the states preemption laws and numerous municipalities are already acting to prevent firearm possession in public areas. The result is a marketplace that lets you hit the ground running and scale quickly. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, please visit www.rand.org/pubs/permissions. from the nonprofit think tank RAND Corporation, published today, provides researchers and the public with fresh figures on gun ownership. The number of firearms made is likely to very closely parallel how many firearms are purchased, so this should be a close indicator of how many were purchased in a given year. Use Ask Statista Research Service, Murder victims by weapon used in the U.S 2021, Mass shootings in the U.S.: legality of shooter's weapons, as of April 2023, Worst mass shootings in the U.S., as of January 2023. Men are more likely than women to own a gun, according to Pew. With that said, the prevalence of gun ownership isn't uniform across the country. The rate of gun ownership is also dropping as the population grows. RAND tools may include models, databases, calculators, computer code, GIS mapping tools, practitioner guidelines, web applications, and various toolkits. Estimates put the number of guns circulating within the country at nearly 400 million, almost 40% of that of the total global firearms. The National Firearms Act Division is responsible for the administration of the National Firearms Act (NFA) as amended, and regulations issued pursuant to the Act. The gun homicide rate in the United States is 25 times higher than in other high-income nations. Gun laws in Rhode Island are permissive, but a very low rate of crime plus little fondness of shooting as a sport among locals translates to a very low rate of firearm possession. If youre wondering how many actual guns are in circulation in the US right now, this data by itself is not particularly helpful, especially since NFA items purchased by law enforcement agencies are included in the calculation. They are already everywhere, and uncertain socio-political circumstances always push more people to buy more. 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? Please do not hesitate to contact me. A small victory in an otherwise hostile environment for gun owners. Hunting and shooting are a popular pastime among residents. Generous readers sustain our work. I think most people drastically underestimate just how many guns there are in circulation in the United States. The figures on this chart are the number of NFA items per thousand residents, and there arent a lot of surprises here, except Washington, D.C. being second only to Wyoming. Friendly gun laws and a relatively high purchasing power also factor in the high gun ownership rate. Gun-friendly laws and an established gun culture largely explain the high rate of firearm possession. 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. ), 2014 Report on Firearms Commerce in the U.S. 2013 Report on Firearms Commerce in the U.S. 2012 Report on Firearms Commerce in the U.S. 2011 Report on Firearms Commerce in the U.S. Federal firearms licensees (FFLs) must report to ATF each missing, lost, or stolen firearm within 48 hours of discovery of the loss or theft by completing and forwarding a Federal Firearms Licensee Theft/Loss Report. 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. Any questions not covered there should be directed to the Federal Firearms Licensing Center Customer Service at 866-662-2750, or emailed to AFMERrequests@atf.gov. The state has a sizable rural population. An attempt by the legislature to override that veto failed, closing the book on this issue for 2020. Recreational shooting seems to be the most commonly cited reason for firearm ownership. More than half of these people died by suicide. These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. Any other weapon is a bit of a catch-all phrase that can be a bit misleading, as again it only applies to NFA items that are not common enough to warrant their own category. Gun laws are also highly restrictive, which may explain the low rate of firearm ownership. West Virginias demographics are also defined by a high rural population. Alabama - 23.6. The Pardee RAND Graduate School (PardeeRAND.edu) is home to the only Ph.D. and M.Phil. and discover some of the best prices on the market. Furthermore, the more guns an individual owns, the more likely they are to vote Republican. Like Alaska, Arkansas also possesses a long-established gun culture and a majority non-urban population. Any firearm transfers or sales that take place online have to be shipped to a licensed FFL dealer and a background check conducted on the buyer before the firearm can be transferred, and its illegal to knowingly sell a firearm offline to someone who is not allowed to have one. Though West Virginia is a permitless carry state, the LCDW is key when traveling to other jurisdictions and also satisfies the background check requirements for purchasing a firearm. Subscribe to the weekly Policy Currents newsletter to receive updates on the issues that matter most. (2019 rank: 18), Governor Chris Sununu vetoed legislation in August that would have allowed for firearm confiscation without adequate due process protections. The United States is ranked number one globally when it comes to gun ownership. Other reasons for the high rate of gun ownership include favorable gun laws and long-established gun culture. The state has a small urban population, and recreational shooting is a popular hobby. This measure was opposed by the states sheriffs, many of whom derive revenue from the issuing of carry permits. (2019 rank: 13), No relevant outcomes in 2020. Massachusetts. The places with the highest gun murder rates in 2021 included the District of Columbia (22.3 per 100,000 people), Mississippi (21.2), Louisiana (18.4), Alabama (13.9) and New Mexico (11.7). Hunting remains a poplar hobby within the state. . 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. (2019 rank: 43), No relevant outcomes in 2020. Candidate, Pardee RAND Graduate School, and Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND, Ph.D. Student, Pardee RAND Graduate School, and Assistant Policy Researcher, RAND, by Terry L. Schell, Samuel Peterson, Brian G. Vegetabile, Adam Scherling, Rosanna Smart, Andrew R. Morral.