Map shows Ohio ranking for gun sales rate the US, state is top 10 for most sold
Ohio is ranked No. 6 for states that sold the most guns total in 2023, according to a recently published analysis from the safety product review site SafeHomes.org. Nearly a third of Americans say that they personally own a gun, and as of 2021, CBS reported that about 40% of adults in the state own a firearm.
More than five million firearms were purchased nationwide in the first four months of 2024, averaging almost 1.4 million each month. SafeHomes analyzed data collected from the FBI's National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to identify which states had the largest ownership of recently purchased firearms. Ohio placed firmly in the top 10.
The top 10 states with the most gun sales in 2023
The list is largely reflected by its population size, with the top three states that sold the most guns in 2023 also being the most populated, according to USA TODAY. These are the top 10 states with the most firearms sales in 2023, per SafeHomes' analysis:
Texas: 1,347,589
Florida: 1,316,471
California: 1,043,421
Pennsylvania: 841,523
Tennessee: 633,015
Ohio: 583,314
Virginia: 581,698
Michigan: 555,650
Missouri: 520,488
Illinois: 504,452
In terms of guns sold per capita, Ohio didn't make the top 10. Neighboring states such as West Virginia, Indiana, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and Michigan sold more guns per 10,000 residents than the Buckeye State:
Ohio sold more than half a million guns in 2023 alone
Data from the analysis found that the state sold 583,314 guns in 2023, ranking Ohio sixth in the country for the highest volume of firearms sales. The estimated total number of gun sales in Ohio from January to April 2024 was 198,721.
There was, however, a slight decline in overall firearm sales within the state, showing a 4% percent decrease in sales from 2022 to 2023. This ties into the nationwide decrease in gun sales in 2023. "After peaking during the pandemic in 2020, gun sales have declined nationwide for three years, correlating with reduced safety concerns," the analysis stated.
Ohio's gun-related crimes and fatalities remain; Cincinnati, Columbus, Akron suffer mass shootings in 2024
From 2017 to 2021, Ohio had one of the highest percentages of crime guns traced to a purchaser, at 83.5%, according to a 2024 report from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In 2022, the CDC/National Center for Health Statistics recorded more than 48,000 gun deaths nationwide, with the number of deaths in Ohio at 1,831 for that year.
Mass shootings have affected areas like Cincinnati, Columbus, and Akron this year.
A mass shooting in the Corryville neighborhood of Cincinnati on July 1 left three people dead. Another mass shooting in the Short North neighborhood of Columbus injured 10 people, including two juveniles, last month, and in Akron, one person was killed, while 24 were injured due to gunfire that broke out in June.
The majority of Ohioans support gun safety measures, and more than 90% want mandatory background checks for gun buyers, per a 2023 poll. Nearly 90% also want mandatory training for concealed carry permits.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Map shows Ohio gun sales rate as state ranks No. 6 for most guns sold