Gun Ownership by State (2024 Statistics)

Where does your state rank in gun ownership? We analyzed all 50 states, gun ownership rates, and ownership percentages to bring you this article. Of course, we’ve also included the answers to some of your most burning questions about gun control, ownership, and crime.

5 States with Highest and Lowest Gun Ownership

Montana has the highest rate of gun ownership, followed by Wyoming, Alaska, Idaho, and West Virginia. On the contrary, New Jersey has the lowest rate, with Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Hawaii, and New York trailing closely behind.

Global Civilian Firearm-Ownership

Globally, it is estimated that more than 857 million civilians own firearms for personal or defensive use. It’s likely that this number is much higher than the registered firearms that local governments can track.

The United States has far more civilian-owned firearms than any other nation. In fact, the country with the second most firearms compared to the U.S. is Canada, with 72% fewer guns per 100 citizens.

Note: This information is based on a survey. The information given is only as accurate as the respective government provides.

Global Civilian Firearm Rates & Gun Deaths

One of the more pressing questions regarding civilian firearm ownership is, “Do firearms result in more deaths?” If we compare ownership to firearm-related gun deaths (including homicides and suicides), the correlation between ownership rates and deaths becomes unclear.

While the U.S. has more firearms than any other country, Brazil, El Salvador, Mexico, and Greenland have higher rates of gun-related deaths.

Gun Ownership Rates By State

While more states with strict firearm purchasing laws have fewer firearms, that isn’t always the case, despite State-mandated background checks and permits-to-purchase, many states still rank rather high.

State Ranking of Gun Ownership Against Permits-to-Purchase and Background Checks

Excluding Oregon, Vermont, and Nevada, states with permit-to-purchase requirements and/or state-regulated background checks are among the 25 lowest states for gun ownership.

What State Has the Most Guns

It is estimated that Texas has more guns than any other state, with 1,005,555 guns and just over 29 million residents. Florida trails behind in second place, with 518,725 guns and a population of just over 21 million residents.

Rhode Island has the lowest number of guns, with 4,887, and a population size of just over one million residents.

Gun Ownership Per Capita By State

While Wyoming doesn’t have the most guns of any state, it does have the most guns per person. Based on recent estimates, Wyoming has 245.8 guns per 1,000 residents. In contrast, New Jersey has only 1.1 guns per 1,000 residents, making it the lowest gun ownership state per capita.

Percentage of Gun Ownership by State

More than 50% of citizens in 16 states own firearms. However, fewer than 10% of citizens in New Jersey and Hawaii own firearms. Most states have between 35% and 50% gun ownership.

Montana has the highest percentage of residents who own guns, with 65.7% of the population. Furthermore, New Jersey has the lowest percentage of gun owners (only 8.9% of residents own a firearm).

State Firearm Ownership and Firearm-Related Deaths

Firearm Ownership & Firearm-Related Deaths

Texas, California, Georgia, Illinois, and Florida had more homicides and suicide deaths (all methods) than any other state in 2021. On average, however, these five states have a firearm-ownership rate of only 15.4/1,000.

There is no direct correlation between gun ownership and firearm-related death. In fact, the five states with the highest firearm-related deaths have relatively low firearm ownership rates.

Firearm Ownership & Firearm-Related Suicides

Texas, California, Georgia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio had the highest number of suicides by firearm in 2021. These five states have an average of 7.9 firearms for every 1,000 people.

In 2021, there were 26,328 firearm-related suicides in the U.S. Thirty percent of firearm-related suicides in 2021 occurred in five states that don’t fall in the top ten for gun ownership.

Firearm Ownership & Firearm-Related Homicides

The deadliest states in the U.S. in 2021 regarding firearms were Texas, California, Illinois, Florida, and Georgia. These states are not in the top fifteen for gun ownership.

ATF Seizures and State of Origin

More firearms are recovered in Georgia, Texas, Florida, Indiana, and Virginia than in any other state. However, there's no correlation between permit-to-purchase laws and ownership rates.

The ATF now tracks firearms recovered and their state of origin. Tracking firearms is important as it indicates which states are contributing to gun crime in strict areas. However, the states with the most guns are rarely the origin place of seized firearms. (Source)

Note: These firearms were recovered by the ATF. They may or may not have been involved in a crime.

Sources

• Gun Ownership Facts
• Gun Ownership Statistics
• Everytown Gun Laws
• Global Firearm Deaths
• Global Gun Ownership
• Demographics of Gun Ownership in the U.S.
• Main Reason U.S. Gun Owners Own a Gun
• What Percentage of Americans Own Guns
• Number of Registered Guns per State
• ATF Firearm Tracing
• Supreme Court Civilian Firearm Ownership