Share of suicides by firearm
The percentage of suicides that were by gun, 2018-2023. Where more households own guns, more suicides are by gun. So researchers use this as the standard stand-in for gun ownership, which nobody counts directly.
Reported for2,220areas, in 51 states — none in PR
Link to density0.40not mostly about how urban a place is
Nearby places alike0.51Moran’s I: strongly, neighbouring places tend to be similar
Typerate%
How it has moved
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Every state, every year
One row per state and one column per year, sorted by the latest value. It shows states, not counties: nobody can scan 3,222 rows, and the pattern only shows when it all fits on one screen.
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Where it comes from
CDC WONDER mortality; RAND firearm ownership database · CDC WONDER underlying cause of death, suicide by intent, firearm by mechanism, 2018-2023
Firearm suicides divided by all suicides, with 2018-2023 taken together.
Combining areas: an average weighted by population (firearm measures).
What it goes with
The strongest links that have a page of their own. Unadjusted is the link before adjusting for anything, from −1 (opposite) to +1 (in step). Adjusted compares places with the same population density, income and education levels, so those differences can’t explain the link. This list leaves out the 6 pairs built from the same numbers or the same model as this measure, since they are bound to match.
| Measure | Unadjusted | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Share of suicides by firearm and Median property tax billWhere Share of suicides by firearm is higher, Median property tax bill tends to be lower: a moderate link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Median property tax bill by US county | -0.61 | -0.42 |
| Share of suicides by firearm and Returns reporting unemployment compensationWhere Share of suicides by firearm is higher, Returns reporting unemployment compensation tends to be lower: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared. Returns reporting unemployment compensation by US county | -0.34 | -0.39 |
| Share of suicides by firearm and Effective property tax rateWhere Share of suicides by firearm is higher, Effective property tax rate tends to be lower: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Effective property tax rate by US county | -0.42 | -0.35 |
| Share of suicides by firearm and Share American Indian or Alaska Native, not HispanicWhere Share of suicides by firearm is higher, Share American Indian or Alaska Native, not Hispanic tends to be lower: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared. Share American Indian or Alaska Native, not Hispanic by US county | -0.06 | -0.34 |
| Share of suicides by firearm and Republican share of the two-party vote, 2008Where Share of suicides by firearm is higher, Republican share of the two-party vote, 2008 tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Republican share of the two-party vote, 2008 by US county | +0.45 | +0.33 |
| Share of suicides by firearm and Republican share of the two-party vote, 2012Where Share of suicides by firearm is higher, Republican share of the two-party vote, 2012 tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Republican share of the two-party vote, 2012 by US county | +0.46 | +0.33 |
| Share of suicides by firearm and Catholic adherentsWhere Share of suicides by firearm is higher, Catholic adherents tends to be lower: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Catholic adherents by US county | -0.43 | -0.33 |
| Share of suicides by firearm and Republican share of the two-party vote, 2000Where Share of suicides by firearm is higher, Republican share of the two-party vote, 2000 tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Republican share of the two-party vote, 2000 by US county | +0.38 | +0.33 |
| Share of suicides by firearm and Evangelical Protestant adherentsWhere Share of suicides by firearm is higher, Evangelical Protestant adherents tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Evangelical Protestant adherents by US county | +0.40 | +0.33 |
| Share of suicides by firearm and High blood pressureWhere Share of suicides by firearm is higher, High blood pressure tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. High blood pressure by US county | +0.41 | +0.32 |
Population makeup
How this measure varies with the racial and ethnic makeup of counties. Every group is shown, whatever its rank. These are links across counties: they describe places, not people. They say nothing about any person’s risk or behaviour based on their race. Counties with a larger share of one group also differ in much else, such as income, segregation, region and history. The adjusted figure only accounts for density, income and education.
| Share of residents | Unadjusted | Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Share of suicides by firearm and Share White, not HispanicCould easily be chance once only places with similar density, income and education are compared. Share White, not Hispanic by US county | +0.18 | +0.11 |
| Share of suicides by firearm and Share Black, not HispanicWhere Share of suicides by firearm is higher, Share Black, not Hispanic tends to be higher: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared. Share Black, not Hispanic by US county | +0.23 | +0.28 |
| Share of suicides by firearm and Share Hispanic or Latino, any raceWhere Share of suicides by firearm is higher, Share Hispanic or Latino, any race tends to be lower: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Share Hispanic or Latino, any race by US county | -0.22 | -0.20 |
| Share of suicides by firearm and Share Asian, not HispanicWhere Share of suicides by firearm is higher, Share Asian, not Hispanic tends to be lower: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared, and inside states as well. Share Asian, not Hispanic by US county | -0.47 | -0.25 |
| Share of suicides by firearm and Share American Indian or Alaska Native, not HispanicWhere Share of suicides by firearm is higher, Share American Indian or Alaska Native, not Hispanic tends to be lower: a weak link that holds when only places with similar density, income and education are compared. Share American Indian or Alaska Native, not Hispanic by US county | -0.06 | -0.34 |
Highest and lowest
Of 2,220 counties reporting it. These are the two ends of a national ranking. For most measures, that ranking mostly sorts places by income and how urban they are. That is why the place pages compare each place with similar places instead.
Highest
- Hale County, AL — 100%
- Conecuh County, AL — 100%
- Ritchie County, WV — 100%
- Pendleton County, WV — 100%
- Gates County, NC — 100%
Lowest
- New York County, NY — 6.48%
- Queens County, NY — 10.5%
- Kings County, NY — 12.2%
- Bronx County, NY — 12.7%
- Hudson County, NJ — 14.7%
The middle area reports 62%. The middle half of counties falls between 54% and 69.4% (the 25th to 75th percentile).
All measures · Explore its pairs · How the US county data works