2018’s States Most Dependent on the Gun Industry

Gun sales have been down since Donald Trump won the White House. And while that’s good news to some, it could be a bad sign for state economies relying heavily on the firearms industry. By one estimate, guns contributed more than $51 billion to the U.S. economy and generated over $6.5 billion in federal and state taxes in 2017.

But in recent days since the February 14, 2018 Parkland school shooting, some states have considered putting more restrictions on the gun industry. For example, Oregon closed a loophole that previously allowed convicted domestic abusers or stalkers to purchase firearms. The Florida Senate also voted to raise the minimum age to purchase any gun to 21.

In light of the recent developments in the firearms industry and debates on how, if at all, it should be restricted following the Parkland school shooting, WalletHub compared the economic impact of guns on each of the 50 states to determine which among them leans most heavily on the gun business, both directly for jobs and political contributions and indirectly through ownership. Read on for our findings, methodology and expert commentary from a panel of researchers.

Main Findings

 

State Dependency on the Gun Industry

Overall Rank*	State	Total Score	‘Firearms Industry’ Rank	‘Gun Prevalence’ Rank	‘Gun Politics’ Rank
1	Idaho	81.73	1	10	3
2	Montana	78.69	3	5	9
3	Alaska	75.88	6	3	5
4	South Dakota	74.39	4	23	1
5	Wyoming	71.94	5	17	2
6	Kentucky	69.93	20	1	8
7	Arkansas	68.28	7	11	16
8	Kansas	67.53	8	13	12
9	Oklahoma	66.82	19	7	6
10	North Dakota	66.19	14	20	4
11	Alabama	64.02	17	6	18
12	Missouri	62.77	12	19	14
13	West Virginia	62.71	24	8	15
14	Tennessee	62.69	22	2	26
15	South Carolina	61.84	21	9	21
16	Mississippi	60.96	13	24	17
17	Utah	60.57	10	36	7
18	North Carolina	57.16	27	18	22
19	Arizona	56.62	15	34	19
20	Indiana	56.45	35	4	28
21	Nebraska	55.38	11	41	10
22	Texas	53.62	26	37	13
23	Louisiana	53.41	30	31	20
24	Colorado	52.20	25	12	31
25	Pennsylvania	51.94	29	29	25
26	Wisconsin	50.77	39	21	24
27	Ohio	50.22	31	25	27
28	New Hampshire	49.89	2	22	47
29	Georgia	49.72	32	33	23
30	Maine	48.75	9	38	30
31	Minnesota	48.70	16	15	36
32	New Mexico	48.18	40	14	29
33	Vermont	47.84	28	16	35
34	Nevada	46.88	18	28	34
35	Iowa	45.55	43	40	11
36	Oregon	44.57	23	26	37
37	Virginia	43.43	34	32	32
38	Florida	41.06	37	35	33
39	Washington	39.07	36	27	44
40	Michigan	36.10	33	39	43
41	Illinois	32.24	47	30	39
42	California	24.35	48	45	38
43	Massachusetts	23.94	41	47	41
44	Connecticut	22.04	38	44	48
45	Hawaii	20.19	50	42	40
46	New York	18.16	45	49	42
47	Delaware	17.40	42	43	50
48	Rhode Island	16.27	44	48	46
49	New Jersey	14.89	49	50	45
50	Maryland	14.83	46	46	49

*1 = Most Dependent

 

Ask the Experts

As the gun debate continues, we turned to a panel of experts for their thoughts on the following key questions:

1. Do we need new gun laws or do we just need to enforce the laws already on the books?
2. Are there policies that would successfully reduce gun violence and receive bipartisan support?
3. What actions, if any, do you expect the current administration to take with regard to gun ownership?
4. Are there any new or promising technologies that may reduce gun deaths?
5. More than 90 percent of American households support background checks for all gun purchases. Why do policymakers fail to act?
6. Can state or local gun laws be effective? What works?

Methodology

In order to identify the states that most and least depend on the gun industry for economic stability, WalletHub compared the 50 states and across three key dimensions: 1) Firearms Industry, 2) Gun Prevalence and 3) Gun Politics.

We evaluated those dimensions using 16 relevant metrics, which are listed below with their corresponding weights. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the “most gun-industry-dependent” state.

We then determined each state’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its total score and used the resulting scores to rank-order our sample.

Firearms Industry – Total Points: 35

• Firearms-Industry Jobs per 10,000 Residents: Double Weight (~7.00 Points)
• Firearms and Ammunition Dealers & Importers per Capita: Full Weight (~3.50 Points)
• Firearms and Ammunition Manufacturers per Capita: Full Weight (~3.50 Points)
• Average Wages & Benefits in Firearms Industry: Full Weight (~3.50 Points)
• Total Firearms-Industry Output per Capita: Full Weight (~3.50 Points)
• Total Excise Taxes Paid by Firearms Industry per Capita: Full Weight (~3.50 Points)
• Gun Industry Immunity: Full Weight (~3.50 Points)
  Note: This binary metric considers the presence or absence of a state statute that protects gun manufacturers and dealers from liability lawsuits. It is similar to the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, or PLCAA.
• Strictness of State Gun Laws: Full Weight (~3.50 Points)
  Note: “State Gun Laws” is a composite metric that includes: mental-health records reporting, private-sale background checks, open-carry regulations, concealed carry regulations, prohibition of access to domestic abusers, disarming dangerous people laws, child access prevention, and waiting periods before gun transfers.
• Minimum Age to Purchase & Possess Firearms: Full Weight (~3.50 Points)
  Notes: This is a composite metric that includes:
  • Purchase of a Handgun: Binary metric: 21 years = 1; all other than 21 years = 0
  • Purchase of a Long Gun: Binary metric: 21 years = 1; all other than 21 years = 0
  • Possession of a Handgun: Binary metric: 21 years = 1; all other than 21 years = 0
  • Possession of Long Gun: Binary metric: 21 years = 1; all other than 21 years = 0

Gun Prevalence – Total Points: 35

• Gun Ownership Rate: Full Weight (~8.75 Points)
• Gun Sales per 1,000 Residents: Full Weight (~8.75 Points)
  Note: Approximated using National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) data.
• Gun Ads for Private Buying & Selling: Full Weight (~8.75 Points)
  Note: This composite metric uses data from Third Way to measure private-seller for-sale ads for firearms per capita and want ads seeking to purchase from private sellers per capita.
• Google Search Interest for Gun Sales: Full Weight (~8.75 Points)
  Note: This metric measures Google search interest for the terms “buy gun” and “gun shop.”

Gun Politics – Total Points: 30

• Gun-Control Contributions to Congressional Members per Capita: Full Weight (~10.00 Points)
• Gun-Rights Contributions to Congressional Members per Capita: Full Weight (~10.00 Points)
• Average NRA-PVA Senator Score: Full Weight (~10.00 Points)
  Notes: Derived from NRA Political Victory Fund's Grades based on Senator's Voting Records, Public Statements on Second Amendment issues; 1 = most committed to Second Amendment; 10 = least committed to Second Amendment.

  Average Grade	Corresponding Score
  A+	1
  A	2
  A-	3
  AQ	4
  B+	5
  C+	6
  C	7
  D	8
  D-	9
  F	10

   

  Sources: Data used to create this ranking were collected from the U.S. Census Bureau, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, BMJ Publishing Group, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence, Third Way and the Center for Responsive Politics.