Mapped: How do Gun-Related Death Rates Vary by State?
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Mapped: How do Gun-Related Death Rates Vary by State?
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- Mississippi has the highest gun death rate in the U.S. at 28.1 per 100K people—over 7 times higher than Hawaii’s.
- The Southern and Western states dominate the upper end of the rankings, while the Northeast reports the lowest rates.
- Gun violence rates often correlate with lax firearm laws, higher gun ownership, and socioeconomic disparities.
Gun violence remains one of the most persistent public health challenges in the United States. While the national conversation often focuses on federal policy, the reality on the ground varies dramatically by state.
The map above, created by USAFacts using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), shows the age-adjusted rate of firearm deaths per 100,000 residents in each U.S. state in 2024.
Here is a table of all 50 states and their firearm death rates:
| Rank | State | Firearm Deaths per 100K People (Age Adjusted, 2024) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mississippi | 28.1 |
| 2 | New Mexico | 27.0 |
| 3 | Alaska | 24.8 |
| 4 | Alabama | 24.0 |
| 5 | Wyoming | 23.6 |
| 6 | Louisiana | 23.0 |
| 7 | Arkansas | 20.8 |
| 8 | District of Columbia | 20.4 |
| 9 | Montana | 20.3 |
| 10 | Tennessee | 20.2 |
| 11 | South Carolina | 19.9 |
| 12 | Missouri | 19.8 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | 19.4 |
| 14 | Kentucky | 18.8 |
| 15 | Georgia | 17.8 |
| 16 | Nevada | 17.7 |
| 17 | Indiana | 17.5 |
| 18 | South Dakota | 17.4 |
| 19 | Arizona | 17.3 |
| 20 | North Carolina | 16.7 |
| 21 | Idaho | 16.3 |
| 22 | Colorado | 15.6 |
| 23 | Kansas | 15.4 |
| 24 | West Virginia | 15.3 |
| 25 | Ohio | 14.8 |
| 26 | Oregon | 14.4 |
| 27 | Texas | 14.3 |
| 28 | Utah | 13.7 |
| 29 | Florida | 13.2 |
| 30 | Virginia | 12.9 |
| 31 | Illinois | 12.6 |
| 32 | North Dakota | 12.5 |
| 33 | Wisconsin | 12.2 |
| 34 | Delaware | 12.1 |
| 35 | Michigan | 12.1 |
| 36 | Pennsylvania | 12.1 |
| 37 | Iowa | 12.0 |
| 38 | Maine | 12.0 |
| 39 | Maryland | 11.8 |
| 40 | Washington | 11.3 |
| 41 | Nebraska | 11.1 |
| 42 | Vermont | 10.7 |
| 43 | New Hampshire | 10.3 |
| 44 | Minnesota | 9.9 |
| 45 | California | 7.1 |
| 46 | Connecticut | 5.9 |
| 47 | Rhode Island | 4.7 |
| 48 | New York | 4.4 |
| 49 | New Jersey | 4.1 |
| 50 | Massachusetts | 3.9 |
| 51 | Hawaii | 3.8 |
At a glance, we can see a wide spectrum—from just 3.8 deaths per 100,000 people in Hawaii to over 28 in Mississippi.
U.S. Gun Deaths: A National Crisis with Local Variations
Compared to other high-income nations, the U.S. gun death rate is exceptionally high. However, the disparity becomes even more striking when comparing individual states. Southern states like Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama lead the country in firearm mortality, with death rates often double or triple those in Northeastern states like Massachusetts, New Jersey, and New York.
What Drives State-by-State Disparities?
The reasons behind these geographic differences are complex but generally revolve
United States
