Roughly every four out of ten adults in the United States live in a household where there is a gun. Over 30% of adults are gun owners. The right to bear arms, established with the Second Amendment of the Constitution, has allowed for firearms to become a fixture in American culture. Personal protection still tops the list of reasons why to own a gun, but the broader discussion on the topic is quite varied.
While gun ownership stands at a historic high, attitudes towards firearms still vary widely across the country. Prevailing public opinion regarding guns is often reflected in laws enacted at the state level, and while some states have expanded widely on federal gun control policies, others have adopted a hands-off approach. More direct indicators of public sentiment across the U.S. include gun ownership rates and the concentration of firearm retailers. Based on these measures, gun culture is demonstrably far stronger in some parts of the country than in others.
Using data from multiple sources, including the Rand Corporation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, 24/7 Wall St. identified the states with the strongest gun cultures. States are ranked — from least to most pro-gun — on a three-part, equally weighted index, made up of the number of firearm retailers for every 100,000 people, the gun ownership rate, and the strength of gun control laws. Data on firearm retailers is from the ATF and is current as of 2021. The estimated gun ownership rate is from a Rand Corporation report published in 2020, and gun safety law ratings are from the Giffords Law Center, a gun violence prevention advocacy group.
While gun ownership stands at a historic high, attitudes towards firearms still vary widely across the country. Prevailing public opinion regarding guns is often reflected in laws enacted at the state level, and while some states have expanded widely on federal gun control policies, others have adopted a hands-off approach. More direct indicators of public sentiment across the U.S. include gun ownership rates and the concentration of firearm retailers. Based on these measures, gun culture is demonstrably far stronger in some parts of the country than in others.
Using data from multiple sources, including the Rand Corporation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, 24/7 Wall St. identified the states with the strongest gun cultures. States are ranked — from least to most pro-gun — on a three-part, equally weighted index, made up of the number of firearm retailers for every 100,000 people, the gun ownership rate, and the strength of gun control laws. Data on firearm retailers is from the ATF and is current as of 2021. The estimated gun ownership rate is from a Rand Corporation report published in 2020, and gun safety law ratings are from the Giffords Law Center, a gun violence prevention advocacy group.
