State rankings

Gun Laws by State

California ranks 1st on Gun Law Rank (Giffords), followed by New Jersey (2nd) and Connecticut (3rd); rank 1 is the best. Wyoming ranks last (50th).

LawPolitics & Government51 states · 10 metricsUpdated Mar 7, 2026Original page
3 sources
Gun Law Rank (Giffords)Better directionWhether a higher or a lower value is better. A green arrow means higher is better, a red arrow means lower is better, and no arrow means neither.More in the glossary →
50 of 51 states
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Gun Law Rank (Giffords)

Green is better, red is worse (rank 1 is the best). Click a place to highlight it.

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All 50 ranked

Best first; rank 1 is the best and has the longest bar.

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

51 states · # = rank by Gun Law Rank (Giffords)
#
1California1stYes
2New Jersey2ndPartial
3Connecticut3rdPartial
4New York4thYes
5Massachusetts5thYes
6Illinois6thPartial
7Hawaii7thYes
8Maryland8thYes
9Washington9thPartial
10Colorado10thNo
11Oregon11thPartial
12Rhode Island12thNo
13Delaware13thNo
14Virginia14thPartial
15Minnesota15thNo
16Pennsylvania16thPartial
17Michigan17thPartial
18Vermont18thNo
19Nevada19thNo
20New Mexico20thNo
21Maine21stNo
22Wisconsin22ndNo
23Nebraska23rdNo
24Florida24thNo
25North Carolina25thNo
26Indiana26thNo
27Texas27thNo
28Utah28thNo
29South Carolina29thNo
30Ohio30thNo
30Tennessee30thNo
32West Virginia32ndNo
32North Dakota32ndNo
34New Hampshire34thNo
35Iowa35thNo
36Alabama36thNo
36Louisiana36thNo
36Oklahoma36thNo
39Alaska39thNo
40Georgia40thNo
41Arizona41stNo
42Kansas42ndNo
43Mississippi43rdNo
43South Dakota43rdNo
45Montana45thNo
46Missouri46thNo
46Idaho46thNo
48Kentucky48thNo
49Arkansas49thNo
50Wyoming50thNo
—District of Columbia—Yes

What correlates with Gun Law Rank (Giffords)?

Pearson r against 2,116 other state metrics sharing at least 30 states, 1 near-identical series hidden. Ranks are read by standing: a better rank counts as higher, whether rank 1 is the best place on a list or the worst. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that rank better on Gun Law Rank (Giffords) tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

  1. Gun Law Strength (0-100)Polymer80 Legal States
    r = +0.93 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  2. % Who Voted for BidenMost Liberal States
    r = +0.83 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  3. % Who Voted for ClintonMost Liberal States
    r = +0.83 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  4. % Who Voted for HarrisMost Liberal States
    r = +0.82 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  5. Trump Disapproval RatingTrump Approval Rating by State
    r = +0.82 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  6. Democratic Vote Share (President, %)Presidential Election Results by State, 2016–2024
    r = +0.82 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that rank better on Gun Law Rank (Giffords) tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

  1. Favorable Gun Laws RankBest States for Gun OwnersA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = −0.94 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  2. PVIHow Many States Did Trump Win in 2016?
    r = −0.83 · very strong · n = 48
    Plot
  3. Republican Vote Share (President, %)Presidential Election Results by State, 2016–2024
    r = −0.82 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  4. Presidential Margin (Republican minus Democratic, Points)Presidential Election Results by State, 2016–2024
    r = −0.82 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  5. Trump % Vote RecievedTrump Approval Rating by State
    r = −0.82 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot
  6. Trump VotesMost Republican States
    r = −0.82 · very strong · n = 50
    Plot

Quick answers

Which state ranks first on Gun Law Rank (Giffords)?
California ranks first on Gun Law Rank (Giffords), at 1st, followed by New Jersey (2nd) and Connecticut (3rd). Rank 1 is the best state.
Which state ranks last on Gun Law Rank (Giffords)?
Wyoming ranks last of the 50 US states with data, at 50th.
Where does this gun laws by state data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Gun Laws by State - Giffords; Compare State Gun Laws - Everytown Research; Gun Laws - Giffords.

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