Data / Rankings / Firearm death rate / US states

US states by firearm death rate

District of Columbia had the highest firearm death rate of 51 states in 2023, at 30.6 per 100,000 people. Massachusetts had the lowest, at 3.7 per 100,000 people. The median was 14.8 per 100,000 people. Source: the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Highest30.6District of Columbia
Lowest3.7Massachusetts
Median14.851 states

Map of states, 2023

Alabama: 25.6 per 100,000 peopleAlaska: 23.5 per 100,000 peopleArizona: 18.5 per 100,000 peopleArkansas: 21.9 per 100,000 peopleCalifornia: 8 per 100,000 peopleColorado: 16.6 per 100,000 peopleConnecticut: 6.2 per 100,000 peopleDelaware: 12 per 100,000 peopleDistrict of Columbia: 30.6 per 100,000 peopleFlorida: 13.7 per 100,000 peopleGeorgia: 18.6 per 100,000 peopleHawaii: 4.9 per 100,000 peopleIdaho: 17.9 per 100,000 peopleIllinois: 13.5 per 100,000 peopleIndiana: 18.3 per 100,000 peopleIowa: 10.5 per 100,000 peopleKansas: 16.3 per 100,000 peopleKentucky: 18.4 per 100,000 peopleLouisiana: 28.3 per 100,000 peopleMaine: 14 per 100,000 peopleMaryland: 12.3 per 100,000 peopleMassachusetts: 3.7 per 100,000 peopleMichigan: 13.9 per 100,000 peopleMinnesota: 8.9 per 100,000 peopleMississippi: 29.4 per 100,000 peopleMissouri: 21.4 per 100,000 peopleMontana: 21.5 per 100,000 peopleNebraska: 10.6 per 100,000 peopleNevada: 18.4 per 100,000 peopleNew Hampshire: 9.6 per 100,000 peopleNew Jersey: 4.6 per 100,000 peopleNew Mexico: 25.3 per 100,000 peopleNew York: 4.7 per 100,000 peopleNorth Carolina: 16.4 per 100,000 peopleNorth Dakota: 12.8 per 100,000 peopleOhio: 15 per 100,000 peopleOklahoma: 19.9 per 100,000 peopleOregon: 14.2 per 100,000 peoplePennsylvania: 13.6 per 100,000 peopleRhode Island: 4.8 per 100,000 peopleSouth Carolina: 19.1 per 100,000 peopleSouth Dakota: 12.3 per 100,000 peopleTennessee: 22 per 100,000 peopleTexas: 14.9 per 100,000 peopleUtah: 14.8 per 100,000 peopleVermont: 12 per 100,000 peopleVirginia: 13.8 per 100,000 peopleWashington: 13 per 100,000 peopleWest Virginia: 16.8 per 100,000 peopleWisconsin: 12.7 per 100,000 peopleWyoming: 21.5 per 100,000 people
  • Under 9.9
  • 9.9 to 13
  • 13 to 15
  • 15 to 18
  • 18 to 22
  • 22 and over
per 100,000 people, 2023. Source: CDC, NCHS Stats of the States: firearm mortality by state, age-adjusted death rate. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2023

District of Columbia: 30.6 per 100,000 peopleDistrict of Columbia30.6Mississippi: 29.4 per 100,000 peopleMississippi29.4Louisiana: 28.3 per 100,000 peopleLouisiana28.3Alabama: 25.6 per 100,000 peopleAlabama25.6New Mexico: 25.3 per 100,000 peopleNew Mexico25.3Alaska: 23.5 per 100,000 peopleAlaska23.5Tennessee: 22 per 100,000 peopleTennessee22Arkansas: 21.9 per 100,000 peopleArkansas21.9Montana: 21.5 per 100,000 peopleMontana21.5Wyoming: 21.5 per 100,000 peopleWyoming21.5Missouri: 21.4 per 100,000 peopleMissouri21.4Oklahoma: 19.9 per 100,000 peopleOklahoma19.9South Carolina: 19.1 per 100,000 peopleSouth Carolina19.1Georgia: 18.6 per 100,000 peopleGeorgia18.6Arizona: 18.5 per 100,000 peopleArizona18.5Kentucky: 18.4 per 100,000 peopleKentucky18.4Nevada: 18.4 per 100,000 peopleNevada18.4Indiana: 18.3 per 100,000 peopleIndiana18.3Idaho: 17.9 per 100,000 peopleIdaho17.9West Virginia: 16.8 per 100,000 peopleWest Virginia16.8Colorado: 16.6 per 100,000 peopleColorado16.6North Carolina: 16.4 per 100,000 peopleNorth Carolina16.4Kansas: 16.3 per 100,000 peopleKansas16.3Ohio: 15 per 100,000 peopleOhio15Texas: 14.9 per 100,000 peopleTexas14.9Utah: 14.8 per 100,000 peopleUtah14.8Oregon: 14.2 per 100,000 peopleOregon14.2Maine: 14 per 100,000 peopleMaine14Michigan: 13.9 per 100,000 peopleMichigan13.9Virginia: 13.8 per 100,000 peopleVirginia13.8Florida: 13.7 per 100,000 peopleFlorida13.7Pennsylvania: 13.6 per 100,000 peoplePennsylvania13.6Illinois: 13.5 per 100,000 peopleIllinois13.5Washington: 13 per 100,000 peopleWashington13North Dakota: 12.8 per 100,000 peopleNorth Dakota12.8Wisconsin: 12.7 per 100,000 peopleWisconsin12.7Maryland: 12.3 per 100,000 peopleMaryland12.3South Dakota: 12.3 per 100,000 peopleSouth Dakota12.3Delaware: 12 per 100,000 peopleDelaware12Vermont: 12 per 100,000 peopleVermont12Nebraska: 10.6 per 100,000 peopleNebraska10.6Iowa: 10.5 per 100,000 peopleIowa10.5New Hampshire: 9.6 per 100,000 peopleNew Hampshire9.6Minnesota: 8.9 per 100,000 peopleMinnesota8.9California: 8 per 100,000 peopleCalifornia8Connecticut: 6.2 per 100,000 peopleConnecticut6.2Hawaii: 4.9 per 100,000 peopleHawaii4.9Rhode Island: 4.8 per 100,000 peopleRhode Island4.8New York: 4.7 per 100,000 peopleNew York4.7New Jersey: 4.6 per 100,000 peopleNew Jersey4.6Massachusetts: 3.7 per 100,000 peopleMassachusetts3.7District of Columbia: 30.6 per 100,000 peopleDistrict of Columbia30.6Mississippi: 29.4 per 100,000 peopleMississippi29.4Louisiana: 28.3 per 100,000 peopleLouisiana28.3Alabama: 25.6 per 100,000 peopleAlabama25.6New Mexico: 25.3 per 100,000 peopleNew Mexico25.3Alaska: 23.5 per 100,000 peopleAlaska23.5Tennessee: 22 per 100,000 peopleTennessee22Arkansas: 21.9 per 100,000 peopleArkansas21.9Montana: 21.5 per 100,000 peopleMontana21.5Wyoming: 21.5 per 100,000 peopleWyoming21.5Missouri: 21.4 per 100,000 peopleMissouri21.4Oklahoma: 19.9 per 100,000 peopleOklahoma19.9South Carolina: 19.1 per 100,000 peopleSouth Carolina19.1Georgia: 18.6 per 100,000 peopleGeorgia18.6Arizona: 18.5 per 100,000 peopleArizona18.5Kentucky: 18.4 per 100,000 peopleKentucky18.4Nevada: 18.4 per 100,000 peopleNevada18.4Indiana: 18.3 per 100,000 peopleIndiana18.3Idaho: 17.9 per 100,000 peopleIdaho17.9West Virginia: 16.8 per 100,000 peopleWest Virginia16.8Colorado: 16.6 per 100,000 peopleColorado16.6North Carolina: 16.4 per 100,000 peopleNorth Carolina16.4Kansas: 16.3 per 100,000 peopleKansas16.3Ohio: 15 per 100,000 peopleOhio15Texas: 14.9 per 100,000 peopleTexas14.9Utah: 14.8 per 100,000 peopleUtah14.8Oregon: 14.2 per 100,000 peopleOregon14.2Maine: 14 per 100,000 peopleMaine14Michigan: 13.9 per 100,000 peopleMichigan13.9Virginia: 13.8 per 100,000 peopleVirginia13.8Florida: 13.7 per 100,000 peopleFlorida13.7Pennsylvania: 13.6 per 100,000 peoplePennsylvania13.6Illinois: 13.5 per 100,000 peopleIllinois13.5Washington: 13 per 100,000 peopleWashington13North Dakota: 12.8 per 100,000 peopleNorth Dakota12.8Wisconsin: 12.7 per 100,000 peopleWisconsin12.7Maryland: 12.3 per 100,000 peopleMaryland12.3South Dakota: 12.3 per 100,000 peopleSouth Dakota12.3Delaware: 12 per 100,000 peopleDelaware12Vermont: 12 per 100,000 peopleVermont12Nebraska: 10.6 per 100,000 peopleNebraska10.6Iowa: 10.5 per 100,000 peopleIowa10.5New Hampshire: 9.6 per 100,000 peopleNew Hampshire9.6Minnesota: 8.9 per 100,000 peopleMinnesota8.9California: 8 per 100,000 peopleCalifornia8Connecticut: 6.2 per 100,000 peopleConnecticut6.2Hawaii: 4.9 per 100,000 peopleHawaii4.9Rhode Island: 4.8 per 100,000 peopleRhode Island4.8New York: 4.7 per 100,000 peopleNew York4.7New Jersey: 4.6 per 100,000 peopleNew Jersey4.6Massachusetts: 3.7 per 100,000 peopleMassachusetts3.7
per 100,000 people. Source: CDC, NCHS Stats of the States: firearm mortality by state, age-adjusted death rate. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2023
per 100,000 people		Change on 2022
1District of Columbia30.6+9.2 pts
2Mississippi29.4-0.2 pts
3Louisiana28.3+0.1 pts
4Alabama25.6+0.1 pts
5New Mexico25.3-2 pts
6Alaska23.5+1.1 pts
7Tennessee22+1.5 pts
8Arkansas21.90 pts
9Montana21.5-2.4 pts
9Wyoming21.5+1.1 pts
11Missouri21.4-2.8 pts
12Oklahoma19.9+0.1 pts
13South Carolina19.1-1.7 pts
14Georgia18.6-1.1 pts
15Arizona18.5-1.6 pts
16Kentucky18.4-0.4 pts
16Nevada18.4-0.5 pts
18Indiana18.3+0.9 pts
19Idaho17.9+0.9 pts
20West Virginia16.8+0.6 pts
21Colorado16.6-0.5 pts
22North Carolina16.4-0.4 pts
23Kansas16.3-0.5 pts
24Ohio15-0.6 pts
25Texas14.9-0.4 pts
26Utah14.8+1.1 pts
27Oregon14.2-0.2 pts
28Maine14+2.3 pts
29Michigan13.9-1.1 pts
30Virginia13.8-1.1 pts
31Florida13.7-0.3 pts
32Pennsylvania13.6-1.1 pts
33Illinois13.5-0.9 pts
34Washington13+0.6 pts
35North Dakota12.8-3.6 pts
36Wisconsin12.7-1.3 pts
37Maryland12.3-1.3 pts
37South Dakota12.3-3.4 pts
39Delaware12+0.1 pts
39Vermont120 pts
41Nebraska10.6-1.6 pts
42Iowa10.5-0.7 pts
43New Hampshire9.6-0.5 pts
44Minnesota8.9-0.7 pts
45California8-0.6 pts
46Connecticut6.2-0.7 pts
47Hawaii4.9+0.4 pts
48Rhode Island4.8+1.7 pts
49New York4.7-0.6 pts
50New Jersey4.6-0.4 pts
51Massachusetts3.70 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Deaths from firearm injuries of any intent (suicide, homicide, unintentional, legal intervention or undetermined) per 100,000 residents, age-adjusted to the 2000 US standard population. Deaths are counted by the state of residence. NCHS National Vital Statistics System final death data.

Available for US states and DC. Age adjustment allows states with older or younger populations to be compared; the rate is not the number of deaths divided by the population.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the states are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). NCHS Stats of the States: firearm mortality by state, age-adjusted death rate. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/state-stats/deaths/firearms.html. Retrieved 2026-10-12. These data are available free from CDC. Use does not imply endorsement by CDC, ATSDR, HHS or the United States Government.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2026). NCHS Stats of the States: firearm mortality by state, age-adjusted death rate (US states by firearm death rate, 2023) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/state-stats/deaths/firearms.html

MLA 9

NCHS Stats of the States: firearm mortality by state, age-adjusted death rate, US states by firearm death rate, 2023. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 18 May 2026, https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/state-stats/deaths/firearms.html. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/firearm-death-rate/us-states?period=2023. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2026. NCHS Stats of the States: firearm mortality by state, age-adjusted death rate. US states by firearm death rate, 2023. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/state-stats/deaths/firearms.html. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/firearm-death-rate/us-states?period=2023.

Harvard

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2026) NCHS Stats of the States: firearm mortality by state, age-adjusted death rate, US states by firearm death rate, 2023 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/state-stats/deaths/firearms.html, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/firearm-death-rate/us-states?period=2023 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{centers_us_states_by_firearm_2023,
  author = {{Centers for Disease Control and Prevention}},
  title = {{NCHS Stats of the States: firearm mortality by state, age-adjusted death rate: US states by firearm death rate, 2023}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/state-stats/deaths/firearms.html},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/firearm-death-rate/us-states?period=2023. Publisher attribution: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). NCHS Stats of the States: firearm mortality by state, age-adjusted death rate. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/state-stats/deaths/firearms.html. Retrieved 2026-10-12. These data are available free from CDC. Use does not imply endorsement by CDC, ATSDR, HHS or the United States Government.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
TI  - NCHS Stats of the States: firearm mortality by state, age-adjusted death rate: US states by firearm death rate, 2023
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/05/18
PB  - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/state-stats/deaths/firearms.html
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/firearm-death-rate/us-states?period=2023
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/firearm-death-rate/us-states?period=2023.
N1  - Publisher attribution: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). NCHS Stats of the States: firearm mortality by state, age-adjusted death rate. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/state-stats/deaths/firearms.html. Retrieved 2026-10-12. These data are available free from CDC. Use does not imply endorsement by CDC, ATSDR, HHS or the United States Government.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest firearm death rate?

District of Columbia, with 30.6 per 100,000 people in 2023, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Which state has the lowest firearm death rate?

Massachusetts, with 3.7 per 100,000 people in 2023.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NCHS Stats of the States: firearm mortality by state, age-adjusted death rate. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

US states: more rankings