Household Firearm Ownership and Storage Practices

The best state-level data on firearm ownership levels and storage were provided by Okoro et al in 2005.1 The graphs summarize the detailed results. You can compare your state to other states in the region or nationally. For instance, Texas is a fairly average state in terms of household gun ownership and gun storage levels.

These graphs also indicate the potential risk for children and youth from improperly stored firearms. A child in Massachusetts is 20 times less likely to be living in a home with a loaded, unlocked firearm compared to a child in Alabama. Subsequent studies examine the state-level associations between gun ownership/storage and gun suicide as well as unintentional gun death of children.

1Okoro CA, Nelson DE, Mercy JA, Balluz LS, Crosby AE, Mokdad AH, “Prevalence of household firearms and firearm-storage practices in the 50 states and the District of Columbia: findings from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2002” Pediatrics 2005 Sep;116(3):e370-6.

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

Table 1

Average Mortality Rate for Children and Youth Younger than 18 Years Old from 1999 to 2006 by State per 100,000

 

Unintentional Firearm Injury

Firearm Suicide

Firearm Homicide

Alabama

0.42

1.11

2.13

Alaska

0.63

4.56

2.72

Arizona

0.22

1.36

2.28

Arkansas

0.54

1.56

1.63

California

0.12

0.4

2.67

Colorado

0.16

1.32

1.34

Connecticut

0.04

0.31

0.89

Delaware

0.24

0.71

1.37

District of Columbia

0.5

0.3

18.05

Florida

0.12

0.63

1.51

Georgia

0.21

0.77

1.82

Hawaii

0

0.16

0.12

Idaho

0.56

2

0.66

Illinois

0.14

0.47

2.91

Indiana

0.25

0.98

1.75

Iowa

0.2

1.44

0.36

Kansas

0.27

1.18

1.09

Kentucky

0.43

0.95

0.93

Louisiana

0.58

1.24

3.49

Maine

0.08

1.24

0.28

Maryland

0.05

0.6

3.25

Massachusetts

0.02

0.16

0.76

Michigan

0.15

0.88

1.78

Minnesota

0.09

1.21

0.73

Mississippi

0.91

1.16

2.1

Missouri

0.3

1.17

2.31

Montana

0.68

3.32

0.9

Nebraska

0.11

1.54

1.06

Nevada

0.08

1.35

2.07

New Hampshire

0.04

0.61

0.12

New Jersey

0.05

0.17

1.05

New Mexico

0.31

2.29

2.41

New York

0.07

0.33

1.22

North Carolina

0.21

0.9

1.64

North Dakota

0.38

2.23

0.54

Ohio

0.2

0.64

1.26

Oklahoma

0.44

1.2

1.52

Oregon

0.2

1.06

0.7

Pennsylvania

0.15

0.84

1.83

Rhode Island

0

0.33

1.53

South Carolina

0.35

0.91

1.61

South Dakota

0.89

2.55

0.24

Tennessee

0.43

1.05

1.99

Texas

0.19

0.93

1.67

Utah

0.08

1.3

0.32

Vermont

0.25

1.24

0.25

Virginia

0.15

0.94

1.76

Washington

0.11

1.08

0.84

West Virginia

0.27

1.47

1.08

Wisconsin

0.22

1.36

1.52

Wyoming

0.57

3.39

0.57

Total

0.19

0.83

1.77

*Data retrieved from the Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System at www.cdc.gov on January 28, 2010

 

 

Table 2

Estimated No. of Children and Youth Living in Households:

 

with Loaded Firearms

with Loaded and Unlocked Firearms

Alabama

145,560

76,110

Alaska

19,970

12,380

Arizona

108,630

67,980

Arkansas

80,080

40,500

California

NA

84,440

Colorado

43,300

17,820

Connecticut

18,150

3,390

Delaware

7,910

2,890

District of Columbia

1,420

660

Florida

248,430

128,860

Georgia

228,650

104,700

Hawaii

4,040

1,650

Idaho

30,740

17,030

Illinois

70,620

28,650

Indiana

111,810

51,410

Iowa

16,100

10,080

Kansas

40,540

16,330

Kentucky

94,600

37,460

Louisiana

113,360

54,630

Maine

6,030

2,260

Maryland

42,860

20,820

Massachusetts

15,680

4,880

Michigan

104,160

49,560

Minnesota

30,560

19,770

Mississippi

87,350

36,780

Missouri

80,400

35,180

Montana

22,500

11,700

Nebraska

12,070

7,170

Nevada

36,220

14,560

New Hampshire

7,750

2,530

New Jersey

23,150

7,710

New Mexico

34,850

16,190

New York

95,640

52,430

North Carolina

168,360

82,110

North Dakota

3,730

2,880

Ohio

83,050

33,610

Oklahoma

76,680

40,560

Oregon

57,990

26,550

Pennsylvania

113,360

54,500

Rhode Island

4,720

1,950

South Carolina

83,610

42,200

South Dakota

9,390

6,000

Tennessee

136,340

43,370

Texas

434,300

199,670

Utah

28,090

11,910

Vermont

4,220

1,660

Virginia

121,210

49,210

Washington

70,710

24,790

West Virginia

27,030

10,690

Wisconsin

41,140

14,940

Wyoming

12,640

7,540

Median

42,000

19,770

*Data from Okoro et al , "Prevalence of Household Firearms and Firearm-Storage Practices in the 50 States and the District of Columbia: Findings from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2002" Pediatrics 2005, 116: e370-376