Where does New Jersey rank in gun sales and ownership compared to rest of

The gun violence epidemic, as some would call it including New Jersey leaders, continues to ravage the country. Data from the CDC shows that gun violence claimed 46,728 lives in 2023, and while a decrease from 2022, was still the third-highest amount of gun related deaths in a year in the United States. Amid the national fears, New Jersey had one of the fewest rates of gun sales in the country last year.

Gun culture has deep roots in the United States, but firearms were less common last year in NJ compared to other states.

The safety product review site, SafeHomes.org, used data from the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to analyze the sales of firearms nationwide.

According to their research, approximately 16.7 million guns were sold in the United States in 2023, which is a 4% decline from 2022.

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NJ gun sales

In New Jersey, about 175,711 estimated guns were sold to buyers last year. The rate of guns sold per 10,000 residents was 253, the third lowest in the country with only New York (226) and Nebraska (191) having lower rates. This amount of guns sold was a 5% decline from the previous year.

The estimated gun sales in New Jersey from January through April of 2024 was about 63,122, on pace for more sales than the previous year, according to the article that was published in August.

States with the lowest and highest rates of gun sales

New Jersey had one of the lowest rates of gun sales, but what states came close to the Garden State? Here is the data presented by SafeHomes of the lowest rates of gun sales last year per 10,000 people.

Nebraska- 191
New York- 226
New Jersey- 253
Massachusetts- 255
Rhode Island- 341
California- 360
Connecticut- 438
Maryland- 465
Nevada- 501

Conversely, here is what the data says are the states with the most amount of firearms sold in 2023 per 10,000 residents.

Montana- 1,586
Wyoming- 1,523
Alaska- 1,514
Oregon- 1,372
Alabama- 1,302
New Hampshire 1,252
Tennessee- 1,207
West Virginia- 1,205
North Dakota -1,194
Idaho- 1,146

Gun ownership in New Jersey

Not only did New Jersey residents buy guns at one of the lowest rates in the country last year, but the Garden State also has a lower rate of firearm ownership compared to other states.

About 20% of New Jersey’s population owns guns, according to an article done by Rutgers University’s gun violence and research center in 2022. The figure of 20% may be a higher estimate compared to other reports, as said in the university story.

Other reports, such as those in the database known as Datapandas, analyzed gun ownership and found about 14.7% of residents in New Jersey own firearms, tied with the lowest rate with Massachusetts. This research was cited in story done by Newsweek in August 2024.

More in U.S.

Comparatively, about 30% to 40% of Americans have guns, according to the article published by Rutgers University.

Gun control laws in New Jersey

Many New Jersey officials take pride in the fact that the state has some of the strictest gun control laws in the country.

“In New Jersey we understand what it takes to actually stop the vicious cycle of mass shootings and everyday gun violence in New Jersey. We do it by passing common sense gun safety laws that work,” said Lt. Gov. Sheila Oliver in 2022.

New Jersey ranks as seventh in the country for gun law strength according Everytown for gun safety, a non-profit organization that advocates for the end of gun violence.

New Jersey requires a rigorous firearm application procedure. In order to purchase a handgun in the state, you must apply for a permit that would grant access to the firearm. When obtaining a permit, a criminal history records check must be conducted on the applicant.

Not every state requires a background check when purchasing a gun. New Jersey is one of 20 states that require a background check every time a gun is purchased while the other 30 states may only require checks at licensed dealers according to The Trace, an independent and non-profit newsroom dedicated to reporting the issues of gun violence.

In New Jersey, all firearms transactions must be completed at a “state licensed retail firearms dealer with the exemption of transactions between members of an immediate family, law enforcement officers, collectors in possession of a valid Collector of Curios and Relics License issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.”

New Jersey also has one of the harshest penalties for unlawful possession of a gun, which can contain a charge of a second-degree crime and five to 10 years in prison.

Past attempts at more gun control in NJ

Lawmakers including Gov. Phil Murphy have made it their mission to enforce stricter gun laws in the Garden State. Efforts to pass concealed carry gun restriction legislature have recently gone back and forth in court. Murphy signed the bill, that would create an official list of where guns wouldn’t be allowed including but not limited to government buildings, polling places, schools, casinos, beaches and bars, in December 2022.

Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs filed a lawsuit in federal court weeks after the law passed two years ago. A federal judge blocked the enforcement of the gun ban, but the state countered with requesting a stay so the law could be enforced, which was granted by a United States circuit judge.

Earlier this year, New Jersey lawmakers attempted to ban the gun known as an AR-15, but a U.S. federal court judge ruled the restriction as unconstitutional.

The New Jersey Commission of Investigation sent out a report in September asking New Jersey lawmakers to outlaw the possession of 3D printing plans used to make so-called “ghost guns,” which have no serial number and are therefore untraceable.

Death rates from gun violence in NJ.

The Garden State has made some progress with gun violence in recent years.

New Jersey recorded a record low number of shootings in 2023, according to the state police. That year, 924 people were shot which is 13% down from 2022.

This is the first time since 2009, the year New Jersey started tracking data, where shooting victims fell below 1,000 people. Of those that were shot, 191 were killed, 8% down from the previous year.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ gun sales and ownership: Examining the data and ranks

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