Jake Driskell, a police officer and owner of Gun Guy Tactical, helps first-time shooter Katherine Huffman in Petal. Most guns in the United States are owned by rural households, while more men own guns than women. 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). 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.". Three-in-ten American adults say they currently own a gun, and another 11% say they dont personally own a gun but live with someone who does. CBSNews.com, 15 February 2018. Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are more than twice as likely as Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents to say they own a gun (44% vs. 20%). Seventeen states have at least 20 guns per capita. In this photo, Rick Berg target shoots at the National Guard Armory in Bismarck. Here, the camp's chief operating officer stands next to a 50-caliber gun. The RAND report found that 45.8% of adults in North Carolina have guns in their homes. Source: RAND Corporation . Convention-goers look at Old West handguns at an NRA gathering in Nashville. Thirty-nine percent of men say they own a firearm, while 22% of women do. 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. Charts explaining some of the key statistics behind gun ownership and attacks linked to guns in the US. Salesman Nathan Williams attends to customers at The Outdoorsman gun shop in Santa Fe. These estimates are derived from a statistical model that draws on a wide range of survey and administrative data sources associated with household gun ownership. Here's the latest ranking, along with the RAND numbers, which reveal insights into America's love of guns. Texans purchased more than 1.6 million guns in 2021, about one gun for every 14 adults in the state. Here, a far-right demonstrator holds an apparent assault rifle during a confrontation with anti-fascist protesters on August 8, 2021 in Portland, Oregon. There is no significant difference in the rate of gun ownership across educational attainment among nonwhites. Americans have a different assessment of how people in their own communities view gun owners. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. 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. 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. Guns and daily life: Identity, experiences, activities and involvement, Gun ownership is most common among men, whites, Two-thirds of gun owners cite protection as a major reason for owning a gun, About two-thirds of gun owners own more than one gun, Most gun owners say there were guns in their household growing up, Most Americans say they have fired a gun at some point, Most Americans say society has a negative view of gun owners, but that people in their own communities look at gun owners is a positive way, 2. Number of registered weapons in the U.S. in 2019, by state. 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. In April, gun sales were down 23% compared with the . In Missouri, 48.8% of adults have guns at home. Here are the 10 states with the highest gun deaths per capita: Alaska (24.5 per 100k people) Alabama (22.9 per 100k people) Montana (22.5 per 100k people) Louisiana (21.7 per 100k people) Mississippi (21.5 per 100k people) Missouri (21.5 per 100k people) PaoliLion NJPSU California, the nation's largest state, ranks third by the sheer number of estimated gun sales (about 1.2 million), while Texas and Florida, two other huge-population states, are in the top three, both with estimated sales over 1.6 million. Among adults who have never personally owned a gun, seven-in-ten of those who grew up with guns in their household say they have fired a gun at some point, compared with 47% of those who didnt grow up in a gun-owning household. There were 2,032,000 guns or 21 guns per 100 residents. For example, unlike many demographic questions, there is not a definitive data source from the government or elsewhere on how many American adults own guns. Moore is right that Canada has a far lower rate of firearm homicides than its . As for the gun-owning majority, Steward said, "The low end's . Men who grew up in a gun-owning household report that they first fired a gun when they were, on average, 12 years old. Some states require registration upon purchase, but for the most part, gun ownership, per capita is an estimate based upon overall gun sales and independent polls. 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. This definitely changes past demographic polls, and rather drastically in some cases. In Indiana, 44.8% of adults have at least one firearm at home. Deborah White is a political journalist specializing in progressive political issues and perspectives. 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. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/gun-owners-percentage-of-state-populations-3325153. Men are particularly likely to own multiple guns: About three-quarters of male gun owners (74%) say they own two or more guns, compared with 53% of female gun owners. Overall, about seven-in-ten gun owners say they own a handgun or pistol (72%), while 62% own a rifle and 54% own a shotgun. 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. Still, this can give us an idea of how gun ownership breaks down by state. Biography of Elizabeth Warren, Senator and Scholar, Top 10 Classic Films With a Social Message, Biography of Ross Perot, Third-Party Presidential Candidate, Beto O'Rourke Biography: Progressive Politician From Texas, Pros & Cons of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, The Obama Administration's Animal Protection Record, 2010-2011, Biography of Elizabeth Vargas, ABC News Journalist, Congress Members Who Voted Against the 2002 Iraq War, Gun Ownership and Gun Violence in America, by the Numbers, America's Passion for Guns: Ownership and Violence by the Numbers, M.B.A., California State University, Long Beach, B.A., Journalism and Nonfiction Writing, University of California, Los Angeles. Hawaii, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York have the four lowest number of gun deaths. 3. 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%. Here, a red-hot gun barrel is prepared for work on a blacksmith's anvil at an event near the U.S. Capitol in 2021. Among those who live in rural areas, 46% say they are gun owners, compared with 28% of those who live in the suburbs and 19% in urban areas. America's Complex Relationship With Guns. In New Hampshire, 41.1% of adults have guns in their homes. About half of men who grew up with guns in their homes say they went hunting often (27%) or sometimes (23%). But men who didnt grow up with guns are somewhat more likely than women who didnt grow up with guns to say they participated in these activities at least sometimes. When it comes to airsoft guns, such as paintball, BB or pellet guns, 57% of men including 72% of those who grew up with guns in their household and 42% of those who didnt say they used them often or sometimes when they were growing up. Wyoming closely follows at 66.2%, with Alaska in third at 64.5%. 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. Tiffany Teasdale, owner of Lynnwood Gun and Ammunition, demonstrates a Daniel Defense DD5 semi-automatic rifle on April 2, 2020. White, Deborah. CBS News staff. How it works: Hover over or tap on a line on the chart to identify the state and year shown. Thirty-three percent of Americans aged 50 and older own at least one gun. November 15, 2022. 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. 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. For example, about four-in-ten men (39%) say they personally own a gun, compared with 22% of women. In 2005, women only made up 13% of gun ownership, but by. Furthermore, the percentage of people who live in gun houses according to . The population data is from the U.S. Census Bureau. A paid subscription is required for full access. White, Deborah. Datatable showing data for the United States Map figure. In the lowest age group18- to 29-year-oldsown 27% own a gun. About four-in-ten who grew up in a gun-owning household say they currently own a gun (42%), compared with 19% of those who didnt grow up with guns in their household. 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. Still, a substantial share of those who grew up in a small town (52%), a suburb (37%) or a city (39%) say guns were present in their home when they were growing up. Owning and keeping a gun in the home (or business), even if you do not carry, helps reduce the likelihood of being made a target. Increase in gun sales creates a new norm. According to the Small Arms Survey of 2017, the United States had a population size of around 326,474,000 people. That's an average of 32 guns for every 1,000 residents. Canada, on the other hand, ranks 13th on the study's list, with 9.95 million firearms or 31 per 100 residents. Prince William County prosecutor Richard C. Conway holds the grip of a small gun during a 2003 trial. Percentage of households in the United States owning one or more firearms from 1972 to 2022 [Graph]. States are allowed to interpret and conclude at will, as well, and it is the gun owners responsibility to know the laws in the state they reside within. However, they provide a decent picture, per capita, of what gun ownership by state in American looks like. 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. Its population of 731,545 people has 23,455 registered guns. They were made to safeguard freedoms against tyranny, and are not granted by the Government, but considered a God-given right and are not to be infringed upon by any government. Pew Research Center, 2017. White, Deborah. The United States has the highest gun ownership rate in the world and the highest per capita rate of firearm-related murders of all developed countries. Most gun owners (66%) say they own more than one gun, with about three-in-ten (29%) saying they own five or more guns. Overall, about three-in-ten adults with a high school diploma or less (31%) and 34% of those with some college education say they own a gun; a quarter of those with a bachelors degree or more say the same. While one state may have more guns, the population may also be higher. 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. In addition to Wyoming, several other small states are near the top of the list when it comes to per capita gun sales. Adults who describe the community where they grew up as rural are particularly likely to have grown up with a gun in their household: 72% in this group say this is the case. The United States is ranked number one globally when it comes to gun ownership. Thirty-three percent of Americans aged 50 and older own at least one gun. RAND estimates 14.8% of adults in Rhode Island live in homes with guns. Nearly four-in-ten current or past gun owners (37%) report that they were younger than 18 when they first got their own gun. New York is the only other state with gun ownership less than 20% at 19.9%. 1. About two-thirds of current gun owners (67%) say there were guns in their household growing up, and 76% report that they first fired a gun before they were 18. You need at least a Starter Account to use this feature. 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. They were charged with one count each of unlawful use of a weapon, a felony, but later pardoned by the governor. This police photo shows guns and ammunition found at the scene of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtownin 2012. Members of a self-appointed civilian paramilitary group prepare to patrol the U.S.-Mexico border near Arivaca. 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%). Estimating Global Civilian-Held Firearms Numbers. A closer analysis of this demographic data reveals that about 46% of rural households own guns, while just 19% of urban households do. Obtaining a permit or license required to even purchase a gun in these states can take weeks and is relatively rigorous. While similar shares of male and female gun owners own a handgun (73% and 71%, respectively), rifles and shotgun are more popular among men. This partisan gap remains even after controlling for demographic differences. 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. (2021, July 31). Read our research on: Congress | Economy | COVID-19. Is Mental Illness a Risk Factor for Gun Violence? 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. Guns are in the households of an estimated 30.2% of Maryland adults. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. In Wyoming, an estimated 66.2% of adults live in homes with guns. About seven-in-ten adults (72%) say they have fired a gun at some point in their lives. Guns are in the households of 50.8% of Oregonians. Among the 11% of Americans who dont personally own a gun but live in a gun-owning household, relatively few (19%) say they ever use the gun or guns in their household. In the wake of the most recent U.S. mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 pupils and two teachers were killed by an 18-year-old with an . 1 country in terms of gun ownership. RAPID CITY, S.D. A pink rifle with the inscription "My First Rifle" sits in a gun store in Pierre, South Dakota. The Falkland Islands -- a British territory in the southwest Atlantic Ocean, claimed by Argentina and the subject of a 1982 war -- is home to the world's second-largest stash of civilian guns. Handguns are the most commonly owned type of gun, followed by rifles, then shotguns. 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. And while 68% of those who live in rural areas who have never owned a gun say they have fired one, about half of those who live in urban (48%) or suburban (56%) areas have had this experience. Just 20% of women say they used airsoft guns at least sometimes when they were growing up. "The source does not state the amount of guns in the respective households. On the other side of the scale, we have the states with the lowest percentage of gun owners. 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