America's Most Heavily Armed States

Published on December 19, 2015
Duration: 13:35

This analysis from Guns & Gadgets ranks US states by firearms per 1,000 residents, utilizing ATF and US Census Bureau data. It highlights significant variations in legal gun ownership across states, with Wyoming leading and New York ranking lowest. The data focuses on registered firearms, acknowledging that total ownership could be higher.

Quick Summary

Wyoming leads the nation with 195.7 firearms per 1,000 residents, while New York has the lowest at 3.3 firearms per 1,000 residents. These rankings are based on legal, registered firearms using ATF and US Census Bureau data, and do not include unregistered firearms.

Chapters

  1. 00:00Introduction & Data Source
  2. 00:59Data Clarification: Registered vs. Illegal Guns
  3. 01:10Ranking Methodology
  4. 01:20State #51: New York
  5. 01:39State #50: Rhode Island
  6. 01:50State #49: Delaware
  7. 02:04State #48: Michigan
  8. 02:19State #47: Massachusetts
  9. 02:43State #46: Hawaii
  10. 03:21State #45: New Jersey
  11. 03:37State #44: Iowa
  12. 03:47State #43: Vermont
  13. 04:00State #42: Mississippi
  14. 04:12State #41: Nebraska
  15. 04:25State #40: California
  16. 04:44State #39: Wisconsin
  17. 04:55State #38: Missouri
  18. 05:05State #37: Washington
  19. 05:18State #36: Maine
  20. 05:29State #35: Illinois
  21. 05:39Tied #33: West Virginia
  22. 05:54Tied #33: Arizona
  23. 06:06Tied #31: North Dakota
  24. 06:22Tied #31: Minnesota
  25. 06:36State #30: Florida
  26. 06:50State #29: Kansas
  27. 07:01State #28: North Carolina
  28. 07:12Tied #25: Tennessee
  29. 07:31Tied #25: Montana
  30. 07:42Tied #25: Connecticut
  31. 07:52Tied #23: Oregon
  32. 08:04Tied #23: Ohio
  33. 08:16State #22: South Dakota
  34. 08:29State #21: South Carolina
  35. 08:41State #20: Colorado
  36. 08:51State #19: Oklahoma
  37. 09:01State #18: Texas
  38. 09:16State #17: Utah
  39. 09:28State #16: Kentucky
  40. 09:38State #15: Indiana
  41. 09:47Tied #13: New Hampshire
  42. 10:00Tied #13: Georgia
  43. 10:16Tied #11: Pennsylvania
  44. 10:25Tied #11: Maryland
  45. 10:35State #10: Louisiana
  46. 10:47State #9: Alaska
  47. 10:58State #8: Nevada
  48. 11:11State #7: Alabama
  49. 11:20State #6: Idaho
  50. 11:31State #5: Virginia
  51. 11:45State #4: New Mexico
  52. 11:58State #3: Arkansas
  53. 12:10State #2: Washington D.C.
  54. 12:28State #1: Wyoming
  55. 12:57Conclusion & Call to Action

Frequently Asked Questions

Which US state has the highest number of firearms per 1,000 residents?

Wyoming ranks as the most heavily armed state, with an estimated 195.7 firearms per 1,000 residents. This high per capita number is significantly influenced by the state's low overall population.

Which US state has the lowest number of firearms per 1,000 residents?

New York reports the lowest number of firearms per 1,000 residents, with approximately 3.3 registered firearms for every thousand people. This data is based on legal, registered firearm transfers.

What data sources were used to rank US states by firearm ownership?

The rankings were compiled using data from the ATF's firearm registry/transfer records and the US Census Bureau's 2014 population data. These sources provide a basis for calculating firearms per 1,000 residents.

Does the firearm ownership data include illegal firearms?

No, the data presented reflects only legal, registered firearms. The actual total number of firearms in circulation could be higher, as illegal or unregistered firearms are not accounted for in these statistics.

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