Firearm Ownership Rates Are the Highest and Lowest in These States
Regional variations, cultural differences, and state legislation all play a role in how many firearms each state has. To determine firearm ownership rates by state, Wisevoter pulled and ranked data from the nonprofit RAND Corporation.
These are the states with the highest and lowest firearm ownership rates. For reference when reading through this article, the national firearm ownership rate is 39.8%.
1: Montana
Montana has the highest firearm ownership rate in the nation. The Treasure State has a 65.7% ownership rate. Its registered gun rate is 33.2 per 1,000 residents, ranking it in sixteenth place for this category. Many Montanans use firearms for hunting, shooting sports, and protection against wildlife.
2: Wyoming
With a 60.7% firearm ownership rate, hunting and a history of frontier living are woven into much of Wyoming’s culture. The Cowboy State has a registered gun rate of 248.8 per 1,000 residents, which is the highest in the United States.
3: West Virginia
Many hunters and recreational shooters call West Virginia home, which helps explain the 60.6% firearm ownership rate. It also ranks number three in the nation for registered gun rate, at 92.8 firearms per 1,000 residents.
4: Idaho
The firearm ownership rate in Idaho is 57.8%. With its rural landscape and rich hunting traditions, The Gem State has 40.2 registered guns for every 1,000 residents.
5: Alaska
The harsh northern wilderness makes firearm ownership common in Alaska, where the ownership rate is 57.2%. Many people in The Last Frontier live far from city services and use firearms for self-defense. Alaska ranks twelfth in the nation for its registered gun rate of 38.5 per 1,000 people.
6: South Dakota
South Dakota has a 55.6% firearm ownership rate. Home to many ranches and a culture that promotes recreational shooting, The Mount Rushmore State ranks high for its registered gun rate (72.2 per 1,000 residents).
7: Oklahoma
Many Oklahomans ranch, farm, or hunt, which contributes to their higher-than-average 54.9% firearm ownership rate compared to the national average. Oklahoma’s registered gun rate is 25.9 per 1,000 residents, ranking it in spot number 21.
8: Mississippi
Firearms are essential tools for many hunters living in Mississippi, which has a 54.1% firearm ownership rate. The Magnolia State’s registered gun rate is 27.4 per 1,000 people.
9: North Dakota
North Dakota has a 53.3% firearm ownership rate. Many citizens enjoy hunting in the Great Plains, which partially accounts for the high rate of ownership. Its registered gun rate is 40 per 1,000 North Dakotans, the tenth highest in the nation.
10: Alabama
Alabama rounds out the top ten states with the highest firearm ownership rates, with a rate of 52.8%. It has a registered gun rate of 38.7 per 1,000, ranking it in eleventh place for that category.
11: Missouri
Missouri has a 52.8% firearm ownership rate. Missourian hunters put their firearms to work last year, harvesting nearly 42,000 turkeys during the 2023 turkey hunting season. The Show Me State’s registered gun rate is 18.4 per 1,000 residents, ranking it in 35th place.
12: Kentucky
Thirty-seven percent of licensed hunters in Kentucky use public land for their sport. The Bluegrass State’s firearm ownership rate is 52.5%, and its registered gun rate is 24.1 per 1,000 people.
13: Louisiana
Louisiana has a 52.3% firearm ownership rate. Its registered gun rate is also in the teens (17th place), with 32.9 registered guns per 1,000 residents.
14: Arkansas
The firearm ownership rate in Arkansas is 51.8%. Hunting and shooting sports are common in the Natural State, and its registered gun rate is 44.3 per 1,000 people, ranking it eighth in the nation for this category.
15: Vermont
Just over half of Vermont’s population (50.3%) is a registered firearm owner. The Green Mountain State still has a registered gun rate of 14.6 per 1,000 residents, ranking 40 in the nation.
16: Maine
Maine has a 47.7% firearm ownership rate. It ranks over half as low for its registered gun rate, at 15.6 per 1,000 people. That makes it 39th in the nation for its registered firearm rate.
17: Wisconsin
Wisconsin has a firearm ownership rate of 47.1%. With a registered gun rate of 16.3 per 1,000 residents, the Badger State ranks 38th in the U.S. for registered firearms.
18: Tennessee
Many Tennesseans own firearms for hunting and recreational shooting purposes, and the ownership rate is high at 46.9%. Its registered gun rate is a bit higher than Wisconsin’s at 21.7 per 1,000 people, ranking it 32 out of 50.
19: New Hampshire
New Hampshire has a firearm ownership rate of 46.3%. It has a large 52.1 registered gun rate per 1,000 residents. That ranks it sixth in the nation for registered firearm rate.
20: South Carolina
The firearm ownership rate in South Carolina is 45.5%. Many residents of the Palmetto State own a gun for hunting and target shooting. The Palmetto State’s registered gun rate is 23 per 1,000 residents, ranking it in 28th place.
21: Indiana
There’s a 42.4% firearm ownership rate in Indiana. Residents of the Hoosier State have a registered gun rate of 23.1 per 1,000 people, ranking it in 26th place in the U.S. for this category.
22: Kansas
The firearm ownership rate in The Sunflower State is 42.3%. Kansas ranks in the middle for its registered gun rate, taking 25th place with a rate of 23.8 registered firearms for every 1,000 residents.
23: Ohio
Ohio has a 41.9% firearm ownership rate. An ever-increasing deer population makes the Buckeye State a popular hunting ground. Its registered gun rate is 17.7 per 1,000 people, ranking it in 36th place.
24: Oregon
In Oregon, the firearm ownership rate is 41.4%. The Beaver State’s registered gun rate is 23.0 for every 1,000 residents. That ranks it 27th in the nation for its registered firearm rate.
25: Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has a firearm ownership rate of 40.2%. It ranks higher for its registered gun rate, in 20th place in the U.S., with a rate of 26.9 registered guns for every 1,000 people.
26: Utah
Utah has a firearm ownership rate of 39.7%, which is 0.01% below the national average. The Beehive State’s registered gun rate is 3.4 per 1,000 residents. That small number ranks it as the second-lowest state in the country for registered gun rates.
27: Nebraska
The Cornhusker State has a 39.2% firearm ownership rate. Nebraska’s registered gun rate is 22.0 per 1,000 residents, ranking it 31st in the nation.
28: Minnesota
Minnesota’s relatively low firearm ownership rate (39.1%) ranks it in 28th place. Its registered gun rate closely follows it, ranking 29th, with 22.7 registered firearms per 1,000 residents.
29: Michigan
According to Wisevoter, 38.9% of Michigan residents own firearms. They have a notably low registered gun rate of 10.9 per 1,000 people. That ranks it 42nd in the nation for registered firearm rates.
30: Delaware
Delaware has a 38.7% firearm ownership rate. Its registered gun rate falls within the single digits (6.1 per 1,000 people), ranking it 46th in the nation.
31: Iowa
The firearm ownership rate in The Hawkeye State is 38.5%. Iowa has a registered gun rate of 17.0 per 1,000 residents.
32: Colorado
Colorado has a 37.9% firearm ownership rate. In April 2023, Colorado’s governor signed four firearm bills into law that raise the minimum purchase age, impose a three-day post-purchase waiting period, and expand the state’s red-flag law, amongst other items. The Centennial State’s registered gun rate is 25.7 per 1,000 people, ranking it in 22nd place.
33: Georgia
The Peach State has a 37.7% firearm ownership rate. Its registered gun rate has a higher 18th-place ranking compared to several states covered recently, with a registered gun rate of 28.2 per 1,000 people.
34: North Carolina
The firearm ownership rate in North Carolina is 37.1%. Hunting and recreational shooting are popular pastimes for some in the Tar Heel State, and its registered gun rate is 21.1 for every 1,000 residents, ranking it 33rd in the country.
35: Arizona
Firearm ownership in Arizona is on the decline. In 1980, the firearm ownership rate was 58%, but today it’s only 36.4%, which could be attributed to changing population demographics. Arizona’s registered gun rate is 35.6 per 1,000 people, ranking it 14th in the nation for this category.
36: New Mexico
New Mexico’s firearm ownership rate is 35.9%, and its registered firearm rate is 58.1 for every 1,000 people. That ranks the Land of Enchantment’s registered gun rate in fifth place in the nation.
37: Texas
Texas has a 35.5% ownership rate. In comparison to other states, that may not sound high, but given the size of Texas’s population, 35.5% makes for many firearm owners. The Lone Star State has 34.1 registered guns per 1,000 residents, ranking it in 15th place for the registered firearms category.
38: Virginia
The firearm ownership rate in Virginia is 35.3%. With 49 registered guns per 1,000 residents, it ranks seventh in the U.S. for its registered gun rate.
39: Nevada
The Silver State has a firearm ownership rate of 32.9%. It ranks much higher for its registered gun rate (13th place), with a rate of 37.9 firearms per 1,000 Nevadans.
40: Washington
Washington just misses the top ten states with the lowest firearm ownership rates, with a rate of 32.1%. It ranks number 50 in the nation for having the lowest registered gun rate, with 1.2 registered firearms per 1,000 people.
41: Florida
The firearm ownership rate in Florida drops down significantly from Washington, at 28.8%. The Sunshine State has a registered gun rate of 23.8 per 1,000 people, ranking it in 24th place in the U.S.
42: Illinois
The firearm ownership rate in Illinois is 22.6% making it the state with the nineth-lowest rate in the nation. In contrast, the Prairie State has a registered gun rate of 11.4 per 1,000 people, ranking it the tenth-lowest.
43: Connecticut
Connecticut’s firearm ownership rate drops down into the teens, at 18.8%. The Nutmeg State’s registered gun rate ranks 34th in the nation, with 20.8 registered firearms per 1,000 residents.
44: Maryland
Maryland has a 16.7% firearm ownership rate and 22.1 registered firearms per 1,000 people. It ranks 30th in the country for its registered gun rate.
45: California
The firearm ownership rate in California is 16.3%. With a registered gun rate of 10.4 per 1,000 Californians, its registered firearm rate falls in 43rd place in the nation.
46: New York
The Empire State is the first state in the top five with the lowest firearm ownership rates, at 14.5%. It also has one of the lowest registered gun rates in the country (4.6 per 1,000 people), ranking it in 47th place in this category.
47: Rhode Island
The firearm ownership rate in Rhode Island is 13.9%. The Ocean State has a low registered gun rate of 4.5 per 1,000 Rhode Islanders. That ranks it in 48th place for registered gun rate.
48: Massachusetts
Less than one in ten (9.9%) Massachusetts residents own firearms, according to Wisevoter’s data. Additionally, the Bay State has a registered gun rate of 6.5 per 1,000 people.
49: Hawaii
Hawaii joins Massachusetts with a single-digit firearm ownership rate (9.1%). The Aloha State’s registered gun rate is 6.4 per 1,000 residents, which ranks it 45th in the nation.
50: New Jersey
New Jersey has the lowest firearm ownership rate in the U.S., at 8.9%. Its registered gun rate is also a low 1.1 registered firearms per 1,000 residents.
Ownership vs Registered Firearms Rate
The firearm ownership rate in a state can vary greatly from the rate of registered guns per 1,000 people. For example, Florida ranks 41st in the nation for firearm ownership rate but 24th for the registered gun rate.
Little Change
According to Statista, the percentage of American households with at least one firearm has remained relatively stable between 1972 and 2023, ranging from 37% to 47%. Last year, approximately 42% of U.S. households had at least one gun.
Reasons for Firearm Ownership
A Pew Research Center 2023 survey showed that 72% of gun owners say that protection is a major reason for them owning a firearm. Thirty-two percent report hunting being the major reason, and 7% cited it being for their job.
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