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Gun Deaths by State, 2019 to 2024

Mississippi had the highest firearm death rate of any state each year from 2020 to 2024, at 27.6 per 100,000 in 2024.

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What the data shows

  • In 2024, Mississippi ranks #1 with 27.6, ahead of New Mexico (26.6) and Alaska (24.8).
  • Back in 2019, Alaska was #1 with 24.5.
  • The top spot changed hands once: Mississippi in 2020.
  • Biggest climber: New Mexico, from #4 in 2019 to #2 in 2024.

About this chart

Mississippi has had the highest firearm death rate of any state in every year from 2020 to 2024. It peaked at 32.6 deaths per 100,000 residents in 2021 and stood at 27.6 in 2024. Alaska was highest in 2019 at 24.5. Louisiana ranked second from 2021 to 2023 (28.4, 27.6 and 27.6), and New Mexico was second in 2024 at 26.6, up from 22.5 in 2019. Hawaii had the lowest rate in 2024 at 3.9, followed by Massachusetts (4.1) and New Jersey (4.2).

The numbers come from the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control and cover all firearm deaths, including suicides, homicides, unintentional shootings, legal intervention and undetermined cases. Suicides were more than half of U.S. firearm deaths in 2021. Rates are crude, not age-adjusted, and only 2019 to 2024 is available. Small states such as Alaska, Wyoming and Montana vary a lot from year to year. DC is excluded; its rate was 33.1 in 2023.

The data

Source: CDC National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (from NCHS National Vital Statistics System), Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence - State, indicator FA_Deaths (all firearm deaths: suicide, homicide, unintentional, legal intervention, undetermined), calendar-year periods 2019-2024; 12 states selected (highest in any year plus 2024 top).. Retrieved November 4, 2026. Crude rates (deaths per 100,000 residents, not age-adjusted), all firearm deaths including suicides (more than half of U.S. firearm deaths in 2021). Only 2019-2024 is available programmatically from this CDC dataset; longer age-adjusted history needs CDC WONDER (not downloadable without accepting its terms). 2024 crude rates match the NCHS age-adjusted 2024 ranking closely (e.g. Mississippi 28.0 age-adjusted vs 27.6 crude). 50 states only; District of Columbia is excluded (it was 33.1 in 2023, above every state). Small states such as Alaska, Wyoming and Montana vary a lot from year to year.

Gun Deaths by State, Firearm deaths per 100,000 residents, 2019-2024, 2019–2024
DateMississippiLouisianaNew MexicoAlaskaWyomingAlabamaMontanaMissouriArkansasTennesseeSouth CarolinaOklahoma
201923.921.822.524.523.021.919.620.419.218.619.718.6
202027.625.422.623.926.722.721.923.222.321.322.020.8
202132.628.427.324.826.726.025.322.923.022.521.920.9
202228.927.627.022.421.325.224.424.121.921.020.919.8
202328.727.625.124.022.325.321.821.421.922.319.020.1
202427.622.526.624.824.523.721.819.920.820.319.819.6

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Frequently asked questions

Which state has the highest gun death rate?

Mississippi, at 27.6 firearm deaths per 100,000 residents in 2024, according to CDC data. New Mexico (26.6), Alaska (24.8) and Wyoming (24.5) follow among the 12 states charted.

Which state has the lowest gun death rate?

Hawaii had the lowest rate in 2024 at 3.9 per 100,000, followed by Massachusetts (4.1) and New Jersey (4.2). These states are not on the chart, which shows the 12 highest.

What counts as a gun death in this data?

It counts every death from a firearm: suicide, homicide, unintentional, legal intervention and undetermined. Suicides made up more than half of U.S. firearm deaths in 2021, so the rates here are not a measure of gun homicide alone.

Where does this data come from?

CDC National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (from NCHS National Vital Statistics System), Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence - State, indicator FA_Deaths (all firearm deaths: suicide, homicide, unintentional, legal intervention, undetermined), calendar-year periods 2019-2024; 12 states selected (highest in any year plus 2024 top).. Retrieved November 4, 2026. Crude rates (deaths per 100,000 residents, not age-adjusted), all firearm deaths including suicides (more than half of U.S. firearm deaths in 2021). Only 2019-2024 is available programmatically from this CDC dataset; longer age-adjusted history needs CDC WONDER (not downloadable without accepting its terms). 2024 crude rates match the NCHS age-adjusted 2024 ranking closely (e.g. Mississippi 28.0 age-adjusted vs 27.6 crude). 50 states only; District of Columbia is excluded (it was 33.1 in 2023, above every state). Small states such as Alaska, Wyoming and Montana vary a lot from year to year. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.

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