Gun Ownership by State (2023 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.

Report Highlights:

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.

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

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 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.

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.

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 resident. In contrast, New Jersey has only 1.1 guns per resident, making it the lowest gun ownership state per capita.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.