The Geography of Gun Ownership
Firearm ownership in America is not distributed evenly. It follows distinct geographic, cultural, and demographic patterns. Rural states in the Mountain West and South lead ownership rates, while urban coastal states lag behind. This divide reflects deeper cultural differences about guns, hunting traditions, self-defense philosophies, and political ideology.
The most comprehensive state-level firearm ownership data comes from RAND Corporation's 2016 study, which synthesized multiple data sources including surveys, background checks, hunting licenses, and suicide methods. The interactive chart below reveals the stark geographic divide.
Geographic Distribution
This interactive map visualizes the complete geographic pattern of firearm ownership across all 50 states. The Mountain West and South form a continuous high-ownership belt, while the Northeast corridor shows consistently lower rates.
🗺️ The 60% Club
Four states exceed 60% household ownership: Montana (66.3%), Wyoming (66.2%), Alaska (64.5%), and Idaho (60.1%). All are rural, sparsely populated, with strong hunting and outdoor cultures. West Virginia (58.5%) and Arkansas (57.2%) follow closely.
🏙️ Rural Households 2.5X More Likely to Own Guns
In Montana, 70%+ of rural households own firearms compared to just 35% in cities like Billings. Hunting traditions, wildlife protection needs, and longer police response times drive rural ownership patterns.
🌎 Texas Has More Gun Owners Than Bottom 20 States Combined
With 16 million gun owners, Texas alone exceeds the combined total of the bottom 20 states. The South (44% average ownership) and Mountain West (53%) far exceed the Northeast (21%) and West Coast (28%).
📊 3% of Americans Own Half of All Firearms
Ownership is highly concentrated: just 3% of Americans own 50% of all firearms. The average gun-owning household has 4.6 firearms. Super-owners with 10+ guns account for 130 million weapons.
📉 Fewer Owners, More Guns: 400 Million Firearms in US
Ownership rates declined from 50% in the 1970s to 40% today, but total firearms tripled to 400+ million. Ownership is consolidating among fewer, more heavily armed households.
⚖️ 34-Point Partisan Gap in Gun Ownership
Republican households: 55% ownership. Democrat households: 21%. Independents: 39%. This 34-point partisan gap has nearly doubled from 18 points in 1990, making guns one of America's starkest political divides.
Regional Distribution
Grouping states by region reveals the cultural geography of American gun ownership. This chart shows how ownership varies dramatically by region, with the Mountain West and South leading in household firearm ownership.
The Gun Dealer Network
Behind America's 400 million firearms sits a vast commercial infrastructure: 129,817 Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) as of 2023. These licensed dealers range from Walmart sporting goods counters to kitchen-table hobbyists. Their geographic distribution reveals both market demand and regulatory patterns.
🔫 Houston Metro Has More FFLs Than Entire Rhode Island
Texas dominates with 8.4% of all U.S. dealers. Houston metro alone has 2,000+ licensees—more than entire Rhode Island (540). Rural counties like Denton have 1 FFL per 800 residents.
🔫 California FFLs Concentrate in Rural Counties
Despite strict gun laws, California ranks #2 in absolute FFL count due to population. But per-capita rates are low: 25 per 100k vs 85 in Texas. Most concentrate in rural counties like Shasta vs few in San Francisco.
🔫 Florida Concealed Carry Licenses Jumped 6X Since 2008
The Gunshine State ranks 3rd with explosive growth post-2008. Concealed carry licenses jumped from 400k to 2.5 million. Tourist-heavy Tampa and Orlando see brisk sales to out-of-state buyers.
🏠 60% of FFLs Are Home-Based Hobbyists
Most FFLs are home-based hobbyists processing <50 transactions/year. They pay $200 for a 3-year license. ATF inspections average once per 10 years. Some function as straw purchase pipelines despite legal gray areas.
⚠️ Texas Hosts 500+ Gun Shows Annually
25-50% of gun show vendors lack FFLs, exploiting the "private sale" exemption from background checks. Texas hosts 500+ shows/year—more than any state. Estimated 5,000 shows annually attract 4 million attendees.
💻 GunBroker Processes 10 Million Listings Annually
Internet sales must ship to licensed FFLs for transfer. But components, 80% lowers (unfinished receivers), and 3D printer files bypass tracking. GunBroker.com processes 10 million listings annually.
FFL Density by Population
Raw FFL counts favor large states, but per-capita rates tell a different story. When normalized per 100,000 residents, rural states surge to the top, revealing the true concentration of the gun dealer network.
Veterans & Firearm Ownership
Military service and gun ownership overlap significantly. Veterans are 1.8x more likely to own firearms than civilians. States with large veteran populations often have higher ownership rates, driven by firearms familiarity from service, self-defense mindsets, and cultural affinity.
🎖️ Veterans 1.8X More Likely to Own Firearms
45% of veterans own firearms vs 25% of non-veterans. For post-9/11 veterans, the rate jumps to 52%. Many cite "comfort with weapons" from military training as a primary reason for ownership.
🔐 12 States Exempt Veterans From CCW Requirements
27% of veteran gun owners have concealed carry permits vs 18% of civilian owners. 12 states exempt veterans from permit requirements or training. Florida has 400,000+ veteran CCW holders.
📊 High-Veteran States Average 52% Firearm Ownership
The 10 states with highest veteran percentages average 52% firearm ownership vs 24% in the 10 lowest. Alaska (veteran rate 10.4%, ownership 64.5%) exemplifies this relationship.
⚠️ Montana Leads in Both Gun Ownership and Veteran Suicide
Montana ranks #1 in both firearm ownership (66.3%) and veteran suicide rate (52.3 per 100k). Access to lethal means is a primary risk factor. 70% of veteran suicides involve firearms.
💔 70% of Veteran Suicides Involve Firearms
Among the 6,392 veteran suicides in 2021, 4,474 (70%) used firearms—higher than the general population (50%). Rural veterans face combined risks of isolation, access to guns, and stigma against help-seeking.
🛡️ Lethal Means Safety Reduces Suicide Attempts 30-40%
VA's Lethal Means Safety program encourages temporary firearm removal during crisis periods. Studies show 30-40% reduction in suicide attempts when guns are secured off-site for 2-4 weeks during high-risk windows.
County-Level Veteran Concentration
While firearm ownership data is only available at the state level, veteran population density can be visualized at the county level (3,222 counties). This map reveals geographic clustering around military bases, retirement communities, and rural areas with strong military traditions. Counties with high veteran populations often overlap with high-ownership states, suggesting reinforcing effects.
The Regulatory Patchwork
Gun laws vary wildly across state lines, creating a complex patchwork. Restrictive states like California require background checks for all sales, ban assault weapons, and limit magazine capacity. Permitless carry states allow concealed weapons without licenses. This fragmentation enables gun trafficking across state borders.
🔓 27 States Now Allow Permitless Carry
As of 2024, 27 states allow concealed carry without permits or training. This "constitutional carry" wave began in Alaska (2003) and accelerated post-2010. Texas (2021) and Ohio (2022) recently joined. No licenses = no tracking of carriers.
✅ 21 States Require Universal Background Checks
21 states require background checks for all gun sales including private transactions. Federal law only mandates checks for FFL sales. California (1991) pioneered this; Colorado (2013) and Washington (2014) followed after mass shootings.
🚨 21 States Have Red Flag Laws
Extreme Risk Protection Orders allow police/family to petition courts for temporary firearm removal from dangerous individuals. Connecticut (1999) was first after workplace shooting. California uses 2,000+ orders/year; Florida enacted post-Parkland.
🔫 10 States Ban Assault Weapons
10 states ban AR-15-style rifles, high-capacity magazines, or bump stocks. Federal ban (1994-2004) expired under Bush. California, NY, CT, MA lead with strictest rules. Enforcement challenged by grandfathering, ghost guns, 3D printing.
⏰ 11 States Impose 3-10 Day Waiting Periods
11 states impose 3-10 day waiting periods between purchase and possession. Designed to prevent impulsive violence/suicide. California (10 days) and Hawaii (14) have longest waits. Studies show 7-10% reduction in gun suicides in states with waits.
🚦 60% of Crime Guns Cross State Lines
60% of crime guns in strict states originated elsewhere. Chicago's guns: 60% from Indiana/Wisconsin. NYC's: 90% from southern "Iron Pipeline" states (GA, SC, VA, FL). ATF traces 400,000 crime guns/year across state lines.
The Iron Pipeline
Crime gun trace data reveals systematic interstate trafficking patterns. This visualization shows the flow of firearms from source states (lax laws) to destination states (strict laws). Line thickness indicates the volume of traced crime guns moving between states.
State Policy Landscape
The patchwork of state gun laws creates regulatory arbitrage opportunities for traffickers. This circular chart shows adoption rates for key regulations.
Data Sources & Methodology
This analysis synthesizes data from RAND Corporation's firearm ownership study, ATF's Federal Firearms Licensee database, Census veteran statistics, and state policy tracking databases.
Data Sources
- RAND Corporation: State-level household firearm ownership estimates (2016) using surveys, background checks, hunting licenses, and suicide method data
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF): Federal Firearms Licensee counts by state (2023)
- U.S. Census Bureau: American Community Survey veteran statistics and population data (2022)
- Giffords Law Center: State-by-state gun law tracking and policy categorization
- Department of Veterans Affairs: Veteran suicide rates and firearm involvement data
- Age: 2016 estimates don't reflect 2020-2021 pandemic surge (+8.4M first-time buyers, +40% background checks).
- State-Level Primary Data: RAND firearm ownership data only available at state level. County-level veteran and military data provided as correlates.
- Model Uncertainty: Bayesian model has 95% credible intervals of ±3-5 percentage points per state.
- Concealed Carry Blindness: 27 permitless carry states no longer track carriers, reducing proxy data quality post-2016.
- Private Sales: 25-50% of transfers lack background checks (gun show loophole, private sales), creating tracking gaps.