These Are The US States With The Most Guns

The U.S. has more guns than people, with nearly 400 million in civilian possession.

In this map, Visual Capitalist’s Bruno Venditti ranks states by the highest percentage of gun ownership for adults, based on data from the Pew Research Center compiled by Data Pandas as of 2024.

High Gun Ownership in Northwestern America

Montana tops the ranking of the states with the highest percentage of gun ownership, with 66.3% of the adult population owning firearms. The state has some of the most relaxed gun control laws in America. No state permit is required to purchase or possess a rifle, shotgun, or handgun.

The state is followed on our list by its neighbor, Wyoming, where 66.2% of adults own a firearm. Alaska comes in third, with 64.5%.

State
Gun Ownership Rate ↕
Montana
66.3%
Wyoming
66.2%
Alaska
64.5%
Idaho
60.1%
West Virginia
58.5%
Arkansas
57.2%
Mississippi
55.8%
Alabama
55.5%
South Dakota
55.3%
North Dakota
55.1%
Oklahoma
54.7%
Kentucky
54.6%
Louisiana
53.1%
Tennessee
51.6%
Oregon
50.8%
Vermont
50.5%
South Carolina
49.4%
Georgia
49.2%
Kansas
48.9%
Missouri
48.8%
Nevada
47.3%
Maine
46.8%
Utah
46.8%
Arizona
46.3%
New Mexico
46.2%
North Carolina
45.8%
Texas
45.7%
Wisconsin
45.3%
Nebraska
45.2%
Colorado
45.1%
Indiana
44.8%
Virginia
44.6%
Iowa
43.6%
Minnesota
42.8%
Washington
42.1%
New Hampshire
41.1%
Pennsylvania
40.7%
Michigan
40.2%
Ohio
40.0%
Florida
35.3%
Delaware
34.4%
Maryland
30.2%
California
28.3%
Illinois
27.8%
Connecticut
23.6%
New York
19.9%
Hawaii
14.9%
Rhode Island
14.8%
New Jersey
14.7%
Massachusetts
14.7%

On the other side of the spectrum, New Jersey and Massachusetts share the lowest gun ownership rate in the country, both at 14.7%.

Two other states with very low ownership rates include Hawaii (14.9%) and Rhode Island (14.8%).

The Number of Firearms is Increasing

According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), U.S. gun manufacturing and imports have increased by about 10% annually over the last decade.

In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic spurred record demand for firearms, 17 million guns entered the domestic market.

If you enjoyed this post, check out Which U.S. States Have the Most Gun Manufacturers?on Voronoi, the new app from Visual Capitalist.