Gun Ownership By State

Gun Ownership Rate
Gun Ownership Rate
1.MontanaMontana66.3%
2.WyomingWyoming66.2%
3.AlaskaAlaska64.5%
4.IdahoIdaho60.1%
5.West VirginiaWest Virginia58.5%
6.ArkansasArkansas57.2%
7.MississippiMississippi55.8%
8.AlabamaAlabama55.5%
9.South DakotaSouth Dakota55.3%
10.North DakotaNorth Dakota55.1%
11.OklahomaOklahoma54.7%
12.KentuckyKentucky54.6%
13.LouisianaLouisiana53.1%
14.TennesseeTennessee51.6%
15.OregonOregon50.8%
16.VermontVermont50.5%
17.South CarolinaSouth Carolina49.4%
18.GeorgiaGeorgia49.2%
19.KansasKansas48.9%
20.MissouriMissouri48.8%
21.NevadaNevada47.3%
22.UtahUtah46.8%
23.MaineMaine46.8%
24.ArizonaArizona46.3%
25.New MexicoNew Mexico46.2%
26.North CarolinaNorth Carolina45.8%
27.TexasTexas45.7%
28.WisconsinWisconsin45.3%
29.NebraskaNebraska45.2%
30.ColoradoColorado45.1%
31.IndianaIndiana44.8%
32.VirginiaVirginia44.6%
33.IowaIowa43.6%
34.MinnesotaMinnesota42.8%
35.WashingtonWashington42.1%
36.New HampshireNew Hampshire41.1%
37.PennsylvaniaPennsylvania40.7%
38.MichiganMichigan40.2%
39.OhioOhio40.0%
40.FloridaFlorida35.3%
41.DelawareDelaware34.4%
42.MarylandMaryland30.2%
43.CaliforniaCalifornia28.3%
44.IllinoisIllinois27.8%
45.ConnecticutConnecticut23.6%
46.New YorkNew York19.9%
47.HawaiiHawaii14.9%
48.Rhode IslandRhode Island14.8%
49.MassachusettsMassachusetts14.7%
50.New JerseyNew Jersey14.7%

Gun Ownership Across The States

The United States leads the world in gun ownership, with estimates indicating a range of over 200 million to more than 350 million guns in circulation across the country. Varying regulations and individual factors make it challenging to ascertain exact numbers nationwide, and such variances extend to the states. The Pew Research Center, however, has worked assiduously to construct a credible database of gun ownership statistics, which forms the basis for the data discussed in this piece. This analysis focuses on gun ownership as a percentage of the adult population in each state. Predominantly rural areas indicate higher percentages of gun owners, corroborating historical links between rural life and gun ownership. Moreover, high gun ownership rates are noted predominantly in the Midwest and West regions of the United States, substantiating the Pew Research Center's report which attributes over 30% gun ownership levels to these areas. Key findings from the data include:

  • The states with the highest gun ownership rates include Montana (66.3%), Wyoming (66.2%), and Alaska (64.5%). These states are primarily rural with widespread hunting and shooting activities contributing to high gun ownership percentages.
  • In contrast, states with the strictest gun laws, such as Massachusetts and New Jersey, report the lowest gun ownership rates at 14.7%. Other states with low gun ownership rates include Rhode Island (14.8%) and Hawaii (14.9%).
  • Some states, despite significant populations, reflect high percentages of gun ownership. These include Idaho (60.1%) and West Virginia (58.5%).
  • From a regional perspective, southern states such as South Carolina (49.4%), Georgia (49.2%) and Alabama (55.5%), align with the Pew Research Center's findings of the South housing the highest number of gun owners across all U.S regions.

States with the Most Gun Ownership

The state with the highest percentage of gun ownership according to Pew Research Center's data is Montana, with a significant 66.3% of the adult population owning a firearm. Showcasing only a marginal difference, the second highest rate of gun ownership goes to Wyoming, with 66.2% of adults self-reporting as gun owners. Not far behind, Alaska ranks third with a gun ownership rate of 64.5%. Idaho is the fourth highest state for gun ownership showing 60.1% of adults as reported gun owners. Next in line is West Virginia, which records a 58.5% gun ownership rate. In sixth and seventh place respectively, Arkansas and Mississippi show slightly lower percentages, with 57.2% and 55.8% of adults claiming gun ownership. Meanwhile, Alabama comes in at eighth place with a gun ownership rate of 55.5%. Finally, rounding out the list at ninth and tenth are South Dakota and North Dakota with respective rates of 55.3% and 55.1% of adults being gun owners. States with the Most Gun Ownership

  1. Montana - 66.3%
  2. Wyoming - 66.2%
  3. Alaska - 64.5%
  4. Idaho - 60.1%
  5. West Virginia - 58.5%
  6. Arkansas - 57.2%
  7. Mississippi - 55.8%
  8. Alabama - 55.5%
  9. South Dakota - 55.3%
  10. North Dakota - 55.1%

States with the Least Gun Ownership

Sharing the lowest gun ownership rate in the country are New Jersey and Massachusetts, both at 14.7%. Despite being relatively small in terms of land size, these states maintain some of the most thorough and strict gun laws. Placed third from the bottom, we find Rhode Island with a 14.8% gun ownership rate. Like the two states before, it is situated in the Northeast region of the U.S., where gun ownership is generally lower than other regions. A mere fraction away, Hawaii shows a gun ownership rate of 14.9%. As the only state comprised entirely of islands, its remoteness and unique culture and laws likely play a significant role in its gun ownership status. New York, with its densely populated city layout, sees a gun ownership rate of 19.9% placing it next in the list. Likewise, Connecticut features a 23.6% gun ownership rate, maintaining the trend of Northeastern states with low gun ownership figures. Breaking the northeastern concentration, Illinois and California show gun ownership rates of 27.8% and 28.3% respectively. These two populous states, despite their geographical dispersity, share common factors such as large urban populations and strict state-level gun laws that may contribute towards these numbers. Rounding out our list, Maryland and Delaware, located in the Mid-Atlantic region, show gun ownership rates of 30.2% and 34.4% respectively. States with the Lowest Gun Ownership:

  1. New Jersey - 14.7%
  2. Massachusetts - 14.7%
  3. Rhode Island - 14.8%
  4. Hawaii - 14.9%
  5. New York - 19.9%
  6. Connecticut - 23.6%
  7. Illinois - 27.8%
  8. California - 28.3%
  9. Maryland - 30.2%
  10. Delaware - 34.4%

By Region

Alabama

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Alabama

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

55.5%

#8

Alaska

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Alaska

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

64.5%

#3

Arizona

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Arizona

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

46.3%

#24

Arkansas

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Arkansas

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

57.2%

#6

California

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California

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

28.3%

#43

Colorado

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Colorado

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

45.1%

#30

Connecticut

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Connecticut

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

23.6%

#45

Delaware

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Delaware

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

34.4%

#41

Florida

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Florida

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

35.3%

#40

Georgia

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Georgia

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

49.2%

#18

Hawaii

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Hawaii

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

14.9%

#47

Idaho

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Idaho

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

60.1%

#4

Illinois

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Illinois

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

27.8%

#44

Indiana

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Indiana

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

44.8%

#31

Iowa

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Iowa

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

43.6%

#33

Kansas

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Kansas

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

48.9%

#19

Kentucky

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Kentucky

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

54.6%

#12

Louisiana

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Louisiana

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

53.1%

#13

Maine

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Maine

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

46.8%

#23

Maryland

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Maryland

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

30.2%

#42

Massachusetts

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Massachusetts

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

14.7%

#49

Michigan

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Michigan

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

40.2%

#38

Minnesota

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Minnesota

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

42.8%

#34

Mississippi

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Mississippi

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

55.8%

#7

Missouri

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Missouri

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

48.8%

#20

Montana

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Montana

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

66.3%

#1

Nebraska

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Nebraska

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

45.2%

#29

Nevada

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Nevada

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

47.3%

#21

New Hampshire

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New Hampshire

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

41.1%

#36

New Jersey

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New Jersey

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

14.7%

#50

New Mexico

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New Mexico

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

46.2%

#25

New York

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New York

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

19.9%

#46

North Carolina

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North Carolina

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

45.8%

#26

North Dakota

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North Dakota

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

55.1%

#10

Ohio

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Ohio

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

40.0%

#39

Oklahoma

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Oklahoma

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

54.7%

#11

Oregon

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Oregon

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

50.8%

#15

Pennsylvania

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Pennsylvania

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

40.7%

#37

Rhode Island

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Rhode Island

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

14.8%

#48

South Carolina

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South Carolina

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

49.4%

#17

South Dakota

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South Dakota

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

55.3%

#9

Tennessee

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Tennessee

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

51.6%

#14

Texas

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Texas

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

45.7%

#27

Utah

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Utah

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

46.8%

#22

Vermont

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Vermont

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

50.5%

#16

Virginia

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Virginia

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

44.6%

#32

Washington

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Washington

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

42.1%

#35

West Virginia

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West Virginia

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

58.5%

#5

Wisconsin

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Wisconsin

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

45.3%

#28

Wyoming

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Wyoming

Metric

Value

Rank

Gun Ownership Rate

66.2%

#2

Table

Region ↕Gun Ownership Rate ↕
Alabama iconAlabama55.5%
Alaska iconAlaska64.5%
Arizona iconArizona46.3%
Arkansas iconArkansas57.2%
California iconCalifornia28.3%
Colorado iconColorado45.1%
Connecticut iconConnecticut23.6%
Delaware iconDelaware34.4%
Florida iconFlorida35.3%
Georgia iconGeorgia49.2%
Hawaii iconHawaii14.9%
Idaho iconIdaho60.1%
Illinois iconIllinois27.8%
Indiana iconIndiana44.8%
Iowa iconIowa43.6%
Kansas iconKansas48.9%
Kentucky iconKentucky54.6%
Louisiana iconLouisiana53.1%
Maine iconMaine46.8%
Maryland iconMaryland30.2%
Massachusetts iconMassachusetts14.7%
Michigan iconMichigan40.2%
Minnesota iconMinnesota42.8%
Mississippi iconMississippi55.8%
Missouri iconMissouri48.8%
Montana iconMontana66.3%
Nebraska iconNebraska45.2%
Nevada iconNevada47.3%
New Hampshire iconNew Hampshire41.1%
New Jersey iconNew Jersey14.7%
New Mexico iconNew Mexico46.2%
New York iconNew York19.9%
North Carolina iconNorth Carolina45.8%
North Dakota iconNorth Dakota55.1%
Ohio iconOhio40.0%
Oklahoma iconOklahoma54.7%
Oregon iconOregon50.8%
Pennsylvania iconPennsylvania40.7%
Rhode Island iconRhode Island14.8%
South Carolina iconSouth Carolina49.4%
South Dakota iconSouth Dakota55.3%
Tennessee iconTennessee51.6%
Texas iconTexas45.7%
Utah iconUtah46.8%
Vermont iconVermont50.5%
Virginia iconVirginia44.6%
Washington iconWashington42.1%
West Virginia iconWest Virginia58.5%
Wisconsin iconWisconsin45.3%
Wyoming iconWyoming66.2%
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