The United States Has More Guns Than People
By Royal A. Brown III
We all know that the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution is the last defense against a tyrannical government so no surprise here.
Look at states with least amount of guns and you’ll find more government contol.
High Gun Ownership in Northwestern America by Free Republic
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.

This article is courtesy of DrRichSwier.com, an online community of citizen journalists, academics, subject matter experts, and activists to express the principles of limited government and personal liberty to the public, to policy makers, and to political activists. Please visit DrRichSwier.com for more great content.