Incidents of deadly gun violence recently hit a historic high in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 48,830 Americans were killed by firearms in 2021, equal to about one death every 11 minutes. Due to an annual 8.3% jump in firearms suicides and 7.6% increase in gun homicides, 2021 now ranks as the deadliest year for gun violence in U.S. history, breaking the previous record set in 2020.
Many experts attribute the rising firearm fatality rate to the proliferation of guns during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to analysis from the nonprofit gun violence tracking group The Trace, Americans bought nearly 60 million firearms between 2020 and 2022 – double the annual gun sale rate of 15 years ago. Additionally, 15 million Americans became gun owners for the first time during the pandemic. (This is how hard it is to buy a handgun in every state.)
While firearm death rates vary across the country, nearly every state reported an increase in gun deaths from 2019 to 2021. Using data from the CDC, 24/7 Wall St. identified the states where firearm fatalities are increasing the fastest. States are ranked by the change in the number of firearm fatalities over the three-year period from 2019, the year before the pandemic, to 2021, the latest year of available data.
New Hampshire and Nebraska were the only states to report a decrease in firearm deaths from 2019 to 2021, and in Massachusetts, the number of gun deaths did not change. Meanwhile, in every other state, the number of people killed by firearms increased by anywhere from 1.7% to nearly 70% over the same period.
Notably, the states with the largest three-year increase in deadly gun violence are not necessarily those with the highest gun death rates. In New York, for example, firearm fatalities surged by 34% from 2019 to 2021. Still, New York’s 2021 firearm death rate of 5.4 fatalities for every 100,000 people is the fourth lowest of the 50 states. (These are the states where the most crime-guns are traced by the federal government.)
Click here to see states where gun deaths are increasing fastest.
50. New Hampshire
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: -21.2% (156 in 2019 to 123 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 8.3 per 100,000 people (7th lowest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 10.7 per 100,000 people (15th lowest of 50 states)
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49. Nebraska
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: -2.4% (205 in 2019 to 200 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 10.3 per 100,000 people (10th lowest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 10.4 per 100,000 people (13th lowest of 50 states)
48. Massachusetts
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: No change (247 in 2019 and 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 3.4 per 100,000 people (the lowest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 3.4 per 100,000 people (the lowest of 50 states)
47. Alaska
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +1.7% (179 in 2019 to 182 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 25.2 per 100,000 people (6th highest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 24.4 per 100,000 people (the highest of 50 states)
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46. West Virginia
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +6.3% (300 in 2019 to 319 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 17.3 per 100,000 people (19th highest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 16.6 per 100,000 people (13th highest of 50 states)
45. Washington
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +6.4% (842 in 2019 to 896 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 11.2 per 100,000 people (12th lowest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 10.7 per 100,000 people (15th lowest of 50 states)
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44. Maine
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +9.2% (163 in 2019 to 178 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 12.6 per 100,000 people (14th lowest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 11.5 per 100,000 people (17th lowest of 50 states)
43. Florida
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +9.4% (2,872 in 2019 to 3,142 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 14.1 per 100,000 people (17th lowest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 12.7 per 100,000 people (25th lowest of 50 states)
42. South Carolina
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +12.3% (1,012 in 2019 to 1,136 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 22.4 per 100,000 people (11th highest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 19.9 per 100,000 people (8th highest of 50 states)
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41. Missouri
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +12.9% (1,252 in 2019 to 1,414 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 23.2 per 100,000 people (9th highest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 20.6 per 100,000 people (7th highest of 50 states)
40. South Dakota
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +13.3% (113 in 2019 to 128 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 14.3 per 100,000 people (19th lowest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 13.1 per 100,000 people (23rd highest of 50 states)
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39. Oklahoma
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +13.4% (737 in 2019 to 836 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 21.2 per 100,000 people (12th highest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 18.6 per 100,000 people (11th highest of 50 states)
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38. Utah
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +14.2% (394 in 2019 to 450 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 13.9 per 100,000 people (16th lowest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 12.8 per 100,000 people (25th highest of 50 states)
37. Hawaii
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +14.5% (62 in 2019 to 71 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 4.8 per 100,000 people (2nd lowest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 4.4 per 100,000 people (4th lowest of 50 states)
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36. Wyoming
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +16.5% (133 in 2019 to 155 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 26.1 per 100,000 people (5th highest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 22.3 per 100,000 people (3rd highest of 50 states)
35. Oregon
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +18.4% (566 in 2019 to 670 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 14.9 per 100,000 people (21st lowest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 12.6 per 100,000 people (23rd lowest of 50 states)
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34. Arizona
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +20.2% (1,136 in 2019 to 1,365 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 18.3 per 100,000 people (17th highest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 15.1 per 100,000 people (16th highest of 50 states)
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33. Arkansas
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +20.3% (580 in 2019 to 698 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 23.3 per 100,000 people (8th highest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 19.3 per 100,000 people (9th highest of 50 states)
32. Maryland
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +20.9% (757 in 2019 to 915 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 15.2 per 100,000 people (22nd lowest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 12.6 per 100,000 people (23rd lowest of 50 states)
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31. Ohio
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +21.1% (1,578 in 2019 to 1,911 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 16.5 per 100,000 people (24th highest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 13.3 per 100,000 people (22nd highest of 50 states)
30. Idaho
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +21.2% (255 in 2019 to 309 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 16.3 per 100,000 people (25th highest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 14.2 per 100,000 people (18th highest of 50 states)
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29. California
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +21.4% (2,945 in 2019 to 3,576 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 9.0 per 100,000 people (8th lowest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 7.2 per 100,000 people (7th lowest of 50 states)
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28. Virginia
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +21.8% (1,025 in 2019 to 1,248 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 14.3 per 100,000 people (19th lowest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 11.7 per 100,000 people (19th lowest of 50 states)
27. Alabama
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +22.2% (1,076 in 2019 to 1,315 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 26.4 per 100,000 people (4th highest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 22.2 per 100,000 people (5th highest of 50 states)
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26. New Mexico
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +22.7% (471 in 2019 to 578 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 27.8 per 100,000 people (3rd highest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 22.3 per 100,000 people (3rd highest of 50 states)
25. Minnesota
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +23.2% (465 in 2019 to 573 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 10.0 per 100,000 people (9th lowest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 8.1 per 100,000 people (8th lowest of 50 states)
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24. Tennessee
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +23.5% (1,270 in 2019 to 1,569 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 22.8 per 100,000 people (10th highest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 18.4 per 100,000 people (12th highest of 50 states)
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23. Pennsylvania
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +23.6% (1,541 in 2019 to 1,905 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 14.8 per 100,000 people (20th lowest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 11.7 per 100,000 people (19th lowest of 50 states)
22. Iowa
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +23.8% (294 in 2019 to 364 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 11.2 per 100,000 people (12th lowest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 9.1 per 100,000 people (9th lowest of 50 states)
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21. Vermont
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +23.9% (67 in 2019 to 83 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 11.9 per 100,000 people (13th lowest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 9.3 per 100,000 people (10th lowest of 50 states)
20. Kansas
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +24.8% (403 in 2019 to 503 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 17.3 per 100,000 people (19th highest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 13.7 per 100,000 people (21st highest of 50 states)
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19. Texas
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +25.3% (3,683 in 2019 to 4,613 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 15.6 per 100,000 people (24th lowest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 12.7 per 100,000 people (25th lowest of 50 states)
18. Colorado
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +25.8% (846 in 2019 to 1,064 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 17.8 per 100,000 people (18th highest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 14.2 per 100,000 people (18th highest of 50 states)
17. Michigan
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +26.6% (1,220 in 2019 to 1,544 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 15.4 per 100,000 people (23rd lowest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 12.1 per 100,000 people (20th lowest of 50 states)
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16. New Jersey
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +29.1% (368 in 2019 to 475 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 5.2 per 100,000 people (3rd lowest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 4.1 per 100,000 people (3rd lowest of 50 states)
15. Nevada
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +29.2% (490 in 2019 to 633 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 19.8 per 100,000 people (15th highest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 15.3 per 100,000 people (15th highest of 50 states)
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14. Louisiana
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +29.7% (1,013 in 2019 to 1,314 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 29.1 per 100,000 people (2nd highest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 22.1 per 100,000 people (6th highest of 50 states)
13. Georgia
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +29.8% (1,695 in 2019 to 2,200 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 20.3 per 100,000 people (14th highest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 15.8 per 100,000 people (14th highest of 50 states)
12. Connecticut
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +30.5% (190 in 2019 to 248 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 6.7 per 100,000 people (6th lowest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 5.3 per 100,000 people (6th lowest of 50 states)
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11. Indiana
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +30.6% (958 in 2019 to 1,251 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 18.4 per 100,000 people (16th highest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 14.1 per 100,000 people (20th highest of 50 states)
10. Wisconsin
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +31.3% (604 in 2019 to 793 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 13.5 per 100,000 people (15th lowest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 10.0 per 100,000 people (12th lowest of 50 states)
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9. North Carolina
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +31.6% (1,397 in 2019 to 1,839 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 17.3 per 100,000 people (19th highest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 13.1 per 100,000 people (23rd highest of 50 states)
8. Rhode Island
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +33.3% (48 in 2019 to 64 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 5.6 per 100,000 people (5th lowest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 4.6 per 100,000 people (5th lowest of 50 states)
7. Montana
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +34.0% (209 in 2019 to 280 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 25.1 per 100,000 people (7th highest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 19.0 per 100,000 people (10th highest of 50 states)
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6. New York
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +34.1% (804 in 2019 to 1,078 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 5.4 per 100,000 people (4th lowest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 3.9 per 100,000 people (2nd lowest of 50 states)
5. Mississippi
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +35.5% (710 in 2019 to 962 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 33.9 per 100,000 people (the highest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 24.2 per 100,000 people (2nd highest of 50 states)
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4. North Dakota
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +37.6% (93 in 2019 to 128 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 16.8 per 100,000 people (22nd highest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 12.4 per 100,000 people (21st lowest of 50 states)
3. Kentucky
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +38.9% (682 in 2019 to 947 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 21.1 per 100,000 people (13th highest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 14.9 per 100,000 people (17th highest of 50 states)
2. Illinois
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +45.9% (1,367 in 2019 to 1,995 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 16.1 per 100,000 people (25th lowest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 10.8 per 100,000 people (16th lowest of 50 states)
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1. Delaware
> 3-yr. change in firearm deaths: +69.9% (93 in 2019 to 158 in 2021)
> 2021 firearm mortality rate: 16.6 per 100,000 people (23rd highest of 50 states)
> 2019 firearm mortality rate: 9.9 per 100,000 people (11th lowest of 50 states)
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