Map Options

Color Scheme:
Map Type:
Download SVG:
map placeholder
Mississippi
33.90
Louisiana
29.10
New Mexico
27.80
Alabama
26.40
Wyoming
26.10
Alaska
25.20
Montana
25.10
Arkansas
23.30
Missouri
23.20
Tennessee
22.80
South Carolina
22.40
Oklahoma
21.20
Kentucky
21.10
Georgia
20.30
Nevada
19.80
Indiana
18.40
Arizona
18.30
Colorado
17.80
Kansas
17.30
North Carolina
17.30
West Virginia
17.30
North Dakota
16.80
Delaware
16.60
Ohio
16.50
Idaho
16.30
Illinois
16.10
Texas
15.60
Michigan
15.40
Maryland
15.20
Oregon
14.90
Pennsylvania
14.80
South Dakota
14.30
Virginia
14.30
Florida
14.10
Utah
13.90
Wisconsin
13.50
Maine
12.60
Vermont
11.90
Iowa
11.20
Washington
11.20
Nebraska
10.30
Minnesota
10.00
California
9.00
New Hampshire
8.30
Connecticut
6.70
Rhode Island
5.60
New York
5.40
New Jersey
5.20
Hawaii
4.80
Massachusetts
3.40

Gun Deaths by State 2024

Gun Deaths by State 2024

There is a painfully high amount of gun-related violence in the United States annually. Some deaths are point-blank murders, many are suicides, and many gun-related deaths happen by accident due to negligent behavior or children getting their hands on weapons and firing a shot without knowing any better. Many states in the U.S. do not have strong firearm laws or strict gun ownership rules. As a result, an abundance of gun-related injuries occur in states where gun laws aren't strong.

Gun violence statistics across the United States are alarming. About seventy-two percent of all murders across the nation involve the use of guns. According to the Department of Justice, 60% of adult firearm deaths are by suicide. The U.S. has more than 33,000 gun deaths per year. In 2017, there were 39,773 deaths by firearms, the highest since 1986. Of these deaths, 23,854 were by suicide, and 14,542 were homicides, 12 deaths per 100,000 people, and seven deaths per 100,000 people.

Suicides account for the highest number of gun-related deaths by state in the United States of America. Most suicides are done with firearms of some type that were also the registered and licensed owners of the weapons. Research has uncovered a correlation between people in states with lower population densities and a higher likelihood of suicides. The thought behind this finding is that lower population densities mean lower rates of loneliness, isolation, and lack of purpose.

On this note, the states with the highest suicide rates are Montana, Alaska, and Wyoming and various smaller cities in midwestern states of America. On the other end of the spectrum, states with large population sizes and even larger population density values, such as New Jersey, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts, have the lowest suicide rates in the United States.

Firearm deaths per year are not just reflections of citizens failing to get along or respect each other's rights to life. Firearms have also been involved in the attempted assassinations of 11 U.S. presidents. Bullet wounds killed four presidents. Three handguns and one rifle were the weapons of choice for shooting, injuring, and ultimately killing four U.S. presidents (Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Kennedy).

What percentage of Americans own guns? The United States has the highest percentage of gun ownership worldwide. There are 120 firearms per 100 people in the U.S., with 30% of Americans owning at least one gun. The majority of gun owners own more than one firearm. According to the Pew Research Center, two-thirds of gun owners own more than one firearm, and 29% own five or more.

How many Americans own guns? There are over 98 million gun owners in the United States. There are more guns than there are people in the United States, with over 390 million guns for 327 million people. This means that the 98 million gun owners often own more than one gun. Numbers in this article are provided by the CDC and are from 2019.

States with the Most Gun Deaths

State
Death Rate 2021
Mississippi33.90
Louisiana29.10
New Mexico27.80
Alabama26.40
Wyoming26.10
Alaska25.20
Montana25.10
Arkansas23.30
Missouri23.20
Tennessee22.80

The five states with the highest gun death rates, in deaths per 100,000, are: Alaska (24.4), Mississippi (24.2), Wyoming (22.3), New Mexico (22.3), and Alabama (22.2). Of these states, Wyoming has the highest gun ownership rate of 64.5%, followed by Alaska with 64.5%. Mississippi's gun ownership rate is 55.8%, New Mexico's is 46.2%, and Alabama's is 55.5%. Texas had the highest number of gun deaths, with 3,683. California followed with 2,945 and Florida with 2,872.

States with the Fewest Gun Deaths

The five states with the lowest gun death rates, in deaths per 100,000, are:

State
Death Rate 2021
Massachusetts3.40
Hawaii4.80
New Jersey5.20
New York5.40
Rhode Island5.60

These five states also have the lowest gun ownership rates in the U.S. Massachusetts and New Jersey have the lowest at 14.7% each, followed by Rhode Island with 14.8%. Hawaii's gun ownership rate is 14.9%, and New York's is 19.9%. These are the only states with gun ownership rates below 20%. Rhode Island had the lowest number of gun deaths, with 48. Hawaii followed 62 and Vermont with 67. Both Delaware and North Dakota had 93 gun deaths. These are the only five states that had fewer than 100 gun deaths in 2019.

Gun Deaths by State 2024

Download Table Data

Enter your email below, and you'll receive this table's data in your inbox momentarily.

State
Death Rate 2021 (per 100k)
Deaths 2021
Death Rate 2018 (per 100k)
Deaths 2021
Mississippi33.9096219.80587
Louisiana29.101,31421.20987
New Mexico27.8057818.20383
Alabama26.401,31521.40NaN
Wyoming26.1015517.50101
Alaska25.2018223.00177
Montana25.1028019.00NaN
Arkansas23.3069817.70541
Missouri23.201,41418.80NaN
Tennessee22.801,56917.00NaN
South Carolina22.401,13617.70891
Oklahoma21.2083619.60766
Kentucky21.1094717.50772
Georgia20.302,20014.90NaN
Nevada19.8063316.70498
Indiana18.401,25114.90997
Arizona18.301,36515.20NaN
Colorado17.801,06414.30812
Kansas17.3050313.30383
North Carolina17.301,83913.60NaN
West Virginia17.3031917.50332
North Dakota16.8012811.9090
Delaware16.6015810.90111
Ohio16.501,91112.90NaN
Idaho16.3030914.60242
Illinois16.101,99511.60NaN
Texas15.604,61312.10NaN
Michigan15.401,54412.20NaN
Maryland15.2091511.80707
Oregon14.9067011.80513
Pennsylvania14.801,90511.90NaN
South Dakota14.3012813.50108
Virginia14.301,24812.00NaN
Florida14.103,14212.60NaN
Utah13.9045012.90370
Wisconsin13.5079311.40664
Maine12.601788.20123
Vermont11.908311.0078
Iowa11.203649.20288
Washington11.208969.00686
Nebraska10.302009.10171
Minnesota10.005737.60432
California9.003,5767.90NaN
New Hampshire8.301239.30132
Connecticut6.702484.60172
Rhode Island5.60644.0049
New York5.401,0784.40900
New Jersey5.204755.50485
Hawaii4.80714.5066
Massachusetts3.402473.40242
showing: 50 rows

Gun Deaths by State 2024

Sources