How dependent is California on the gun industry? New study ranks US states
California is not as dependent on the gun industry compared to the rest of the country, a recent study from WalletHub found.
The personal finance website released “2022’s States Most Dependent on the Gun Industry,” comparing the economics of firearm businesses in the 50 states. It used data from agencies including the U.S. Census, National Shooting Sports Foundation, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
To make the list, WalletHub created a weighted ranking based on the firearms industry, such as how many industry-related jobs per 10,000 residents, dealers and importers per capita, and manufacturers per capita.
The organization also looked at gun prevalence — ownership rate, sales per 1,000 residents, gun ads — and gun politics, referring to gun-control and gun-rights contributions to congressional members per capita.
According to the ranking, California is 46th most dependent on the firearm industry — or 5th least dependent. Rhode Island landed at the bottom of the list. Idaho topped it at No. 1.
California is known for being strict on guns with 107 gun-control laws — more than any other state. This includes a ban on large capacity magazines, background checks and state dealer license requirements for guns sales.
Idaho, Wyoming, New Hampshire and Arkansas tied at No. 1 for the states with the most firearms-industry jobs per capita. Montana was also found to have the highest gun ownership, and New Jersey the least.
Current state of guns
The study is released amid debate on the restriction of guns, following a series of mass shootings across the country.
On May 24, 19 children and two teachers were fatally shot at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. Just 10 days before on May 14, a gunmen entered a supermarket in Buffalo and shot 10 Black people in a racially-motivated massacre.
Sacramento also confronted tragic gun violence this year in March when a father shot and killed four people, including his three daughters, then himself. In April six people were killed downtown.
Gun-inflicted harm is happening nearly every day, according to the Gun Violence Archive, a not for profit organization that provides near-real time data about gun-related violence in the U.S.