Montana has the highest percentage of gun owners, with 66.3% of residents reporting firearm ownership. Alaska, Idaho, Montana, West Virginia, and Wyoming have the highest rates of gun ownership in the U.S. Massachusetts and New Jersey have the fewest number of gun owners at only 14.7% of the population.
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 United States leads by a wide margin, with more guns than people, averaging over 120 guns per 100 residents. Other high-ownership nations include Canada, Finland, Norway, and Switzerland, where firearm culture is often tied to hunting and national defense.
The states with the highest percentage of households with firearms are Montana (65%), Wyoming (61%), West Virginia (60%), Idaho (58%), and Alaska (57%). The states with the lowest household firearm ownership are New Jersey (9%), Massachusetts (9%), Hawaii (9%), and Rhode Island (14%).
Texas, Florida, and Arizona, the three states with the most gun manufacturers in 2022, all have business-friendly policies including low or no income taxes and fewer regulations, as well as strong gun cultures.
Which State Has the Most Guns? Texas is estimated to have more guns than any other state: 1,005,555, with just over 29 million residents. Florida trails just behind with 518,725 guns and just over 21 million residents. Rhode Island has the fewest guns: 4,887, and a population of just over 1 million.
U.S. civilians collectively own over 390 million firearms, which is more than the combined stockpiles of all the world's military and law enforcement agencies. This makes American civilians the largest "armed group" in the world.
Highlights from 2025 Gun Law Rankings:
The top five ranked states are California, Massachusetts, Illinois, New York and Connecticut. Idaho ranks 50th in the nation due to the weakness of its gun laws. Mississippi and Arkansas follow at 49th and 48th, respectively.
How Many Guns Does An Average Gun Owner Possess? The average American owns between one and five firearms. Men are more likely than women to own more than one, and those with only one firearm typically have a handgun or pistol.
10 Easiest States to Buy a Gun
Now that you have a little idea of what's involved in gun ownership when moving overseas, here are the 10 countries with the friendliest gun laws:
Percentage of U.S. Households Owning a Firearm
According to surveys published between 2023 and 2025, 42% to 52% of American households own guns. This equates to 53.3 million-66.5 million U.S. households owning guns.
Gun Ownership by Country
The United States has the highest rate of civilian gun ownership at 120.5 firearms for every 100 civilians.
New Hampshire tops the list of gun-friendly states for 2025. It is a Constitutional Carry state. Anyone over 18 years old who can lawfully possess a firearm can open or carry a concealed weapon. New Hampshire recognizes gun permits from all other states.
The data suggested that 60 percent of Canadian households with firearms have one or two; 13 percent own three; 14 percent own five; and 10 percent own seven or more firearms. On average, firearm owners possess approximately 2.7 firearms (Angus Reid, 1991:6).
Federal law does not limit the number of guns a person may buy in any given time period. However, federal law does require federal firearm licensees (“FFLs”) to report multiple sales of handguns to ATF and other specified law enforcement agencies.
Explore the J. M. Davis Collection
As the World's largest privately-held collection of firearms, one can imagine the depth and breath of this collection. Here are a few examples, but the true appreciation only comes when seeing all of the pieces in person.
With ten billion dollars worth of weapon exports, the U.S.A. is the world's largest weapons exporter. Not only that, but American firearms manufacturers and after-market companies continue to push the envelope in technological developments.
The places with the highest gun murder rates in 2023 included the District of Columbia (28.5 per 100,000 people), Mississippi (17.6), Louisiana (17.2), Alabama (13.2) and New Mexico (11.1). Those with the lowest gun murder rates included Hawaii (1.5), Utah (1.8), Nebraska (1.8), Idaho (1.8) and Massachusetts (1.8).
Residency: Open carry is permitted for Georgia residents and non-residents (provided other legal criteria are met). Background Checks: Individuals convicted of felonies or certain misdemeanors, or those under protective orders, are prohibited from carrying firearms.
California named most regulated state from 2019-2022
State RegData datasets ranked California as America's most regulated state each year from 2019 to 2022.
Gun Violence by Country 2026
The following states had the highest rate of gun sales, adjusted for population.
Finland is a country of hunters and gun enthusiasts. There are approximately 460,000 licence holders and slightly under 1.5 million licensed firearms in Finland.