What does this firearm deaths ranking show?

It orders states by Firearm deaths per 100,000 residents. It is a comparison of this one published measure, not an overall ranking of where to live.

Where do these figures come from?

County Health Rankings & Roadmaps; NCHS mortality files supplies this measure. States without a comparable published value are shown as not ranked rather than estimated.

How should I use this ranking?

Use it to narrow a search, then open a state or county profile for the underlying figures, source dates and caveats. A statewide number may not describe every neighbourhood.

Lowest firearm deaths by state

Firearm deaths per 100,000 residents.

Deaths involving a firearm per 100,000 residents, using County Health Rankings’ multi-year rate from NCHS death certificates. This includes suicide, homicide, unintentional injury, legal intervention and undetermined intent; it is not a gun-crime rate, a count of shootings, or a measure of incidents occurring inside the county. Deaths are assigned to the resident’s home county. Counties with small source counts are suppressed and shown as unavailable, never as zero. Updated annually.

How to read this ranking

Massachusetts has the lowest published firearm deaths in this comparison, at 4. The next states shown are Hawaii (5) and New Jersey (5).

The table orders 51 states by firearm deaths per 100,000 residents. It describes one published measure, not an overall judgment about where to live.

Use the result as a starting point, then compare the underlying source, dates, and local county figures before making a decision. Deaths involving a firearm per 100,000 residents, using County Health Rankings’ multi-year rate from NCHS death certificates. This includes suicide, homicide, unintentional injury, legal intervention and undetermined intent; it is not a gun-crime rate, a count of shootings, or a measure of incidents occurring inside the county. Deaths are assigned to the resident’s home county. Counties with small source counts are suppressed and shown as unavailable, never as zero. Updated annually.

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Frequently asked questions

What does this ranking show?: It orders states by Firearm deaths per 100,000 residents. It is one measure, not an overall verdict on where to live.
Where do the figures come from?: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps; NCHS mortality files. States without a comparable published figure are listed as not ranked rather than estimated.
How should I use it?: Use it to narrow your search, then open a state or county profile for the source date, caveats and local context.

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Source: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps; NCHS mortality files. · How this is built

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