About 2.6 million firearm background checks were initiated in the United States this January, according to data compiled by the FBI, a slight increase from January 2022, when 2.5 million checks were conducted. Background checks are often used as a proxy for measuring gun sales in the United States. However, there are a number of reasons background checks are initiated that are clearly not tied to the sale of a gun, such as pawn shop transactions and rentals. (These are the states with the weakest gun laws.)
After removing these categories of sales, as well as rechecks, there were an estimated 1.6 million background checks tied to the purchase of a gun in January, a 7% increase compared to January 2022. At the state level, all but 10 reported an increase as well, with one state reporting an 80% increase, and another a 133% rise in checks compared to the previous year.
To identify the states where gun sales are increasing fastest, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 20 states with the largest percent increase in adjusted gun firearm background checks. To get closer to an accurate approximation of gun sales, we excluded several categories of checks, including pawn shop transactions, returns, rentals, and rechecks, which are conducted periodically by some states on existing permit holders.
The states that reported the largest increases in background checks in January compared to the same period in 2022 include both states that tend to rank relatively low each month in checks and those that rank among the highest in sales per capita each month. The latter category includes states like New Hampshire, West Virginia, and Oregon, the last of which reported an increase in adjusted background checks from 26,120 in January 2022 to 55,581 in January 2023, equal to 13.1 checks per 1,000 residents, the highest in the country and more than double the rate of 5.0 per 1,000 people across the 50 states. (These are the states where the most people bought guns in January)
Click here to see our detailed methodology.
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20. Tennessee
> Change in background checks, Jan 2022- Jan 2023: +7.3% (+4,476 — 6th largest increase)
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2023: 66,170 — 6th most
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2022: 61,694 — 6th most
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2023: 9.4 — 3rd most
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2022: 8.7 — 2nd most
> Most common type of firearm check, Jan 2023: Handguns
> 2022 Population: 7,051,339 — 15th largest
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19. Washington
> Change in background checks, Jan 2022- Jan 2023: +7.9% (+4,085 — 7th largest increase)
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2023: 55,586 — 8th most
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2022: 51,501 — 9th most
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2023: 7.1 — 10th most
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2022: 6.6 — 13th most
> Most common type of firearm check, Jan 2023: Handguns
> 2022 Population: 7,785,786 — 13th largest
18. Kentucky
> Change in background checks, Jan 2022- Jan 2023: +8.2% (+1,583 — 20th largest increase)
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2023: 20,835 — 24th fewest
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2022: 19,252 — 25th fewest
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2023: 4.6 — 14th fewest
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2022: 4.3 — 14th fewest
> Most common type of firearm check, Jan 2023: Handguns
> 2022 Population: 4,512,310 — 25th smallest
Source: Karl Weatherly / Photodisc via Getty Images
17. Idaho
> Change in background checks, Jan 2022- Jan 2023: +8.4% (+1,303 — 18th smallest increase)
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2023: 16,752 — 20th fewest
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2022: 15,449 — 20th fewest
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2023: 8.6 — 5th most
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2022: 8.0 — 4th most
> Most common type of firearm check, Jan 2023: Handguns
> 2022 Population: 1,939,033 — 13th smallest
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16. Mississippi
> Change in background checks, Jan 2022- Jan 2023: +8.6% (+1,496 — 20th smallest increase)
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2023: 18,947 — 21st fewest
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2022: 17,451 — 23rd fewest
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2023: 6.4 — 16th most
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2022: 5.9 — 18th most
> Most common type of firearm check, Jan 2023: Handguns
> 2022 Population: 2,940,057 — 17th smallest
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15. Pennsylvania
> Change in background checks, Jan 2022- Jan 2023: +9.0% (+8,297 — 4th largest increase)
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2023: 100,769 — 3rd most
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2022: 92,472 — 3rd most
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2023: 7.8 — 7th most
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2022: 7.1 — 7th most
> Most common type of firearm check, Jan 2023: Handguns
> 2022 Population: 12,972,008 — 5th largest
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14. Virginia
> Change in background checks, Jan 2022- Jan 2023: +9.1% (+3,774 — 8th largest increase)
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2023: 45,391 — 15th most
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2022: 41,617 — 14th most
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2023: 5.2 — 22nd fewest
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2022: 4.8 — 19th fewest
> Most common type of firearm check, Jan 2023: Handguns
> 2022 Population: 8,683,619 — 12th largest
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13. New Mexico
> Change in background checks, Jan 2022- Jan 2023: +9.1% (+1,077 — 16th smallest increase)
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2023: 12,849 — 15th fewest
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2022: 11,772 — 14th fewest
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2023: 6.1 — 22nd most
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2022: 5.6 — 24th most
> Most common type of firearm check, Jan 2023: Handguns
> 2022 Population: 2,113,344 — 15th smallest
Source: DOMINICK REUTER / AFP via Getty Images
12. New Hampshire
> Change in background checks, Jan 2022- Jan 2023: +9.3% (+875 — 15th smallest increase)
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2023: 10,254 — 13th fewest
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2022: 9,379 — 12th fewest
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2023: 7.3 — 9th most
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2022: 6.7 — 11th most
> Most common type of firearm check, Jan 2023: Handguns
> 2022 Population: 1,395,231 — 10th smallest
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11. Connecticut
> Change in background checks, Jan 2022- Jan 2023: +9.4% (+1,672 — 19th largest increase)
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2023: 19,526 — 22nd fewest
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2022: 17,854 — 24th fewest
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2023: 5.4 — 24th fewest
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2022: 4.9 — 22nd fewest
> Most common type of firearm check, Jan 2023: Handguns
> 2022 Population: 3,626,205 — 22nd smallest
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10. Maine
> Change in background checks, Jan 2022- Jan 2023: +9.5% (+680 — 14th smallest increase)
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2023: 7,807 — 10th fewest
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2022: 7,127 — 10th fewest
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2023: 5.6 — 25th most
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2022: 5.1 — 24th fewest
> Most common type of firearm check, Jan 2023: Handguns
> 2022 Population: 1,385,340 — 9th smallest
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9. Arizona
> Change in background checks, Jan 2022- Jan 2023: +14.9% (+4,891 — 5th largest increase)
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2023: 37,666 — 20th most
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2022: 32,775 — 19th most
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2023: 5.1 — 20th fewest
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2022: 4.5 — 17th fewest
> Most common type of firearm check, Jan 2023: Handguns
> 2022 Population: 7,359,197 — 14th largest
8. Iowa
> Change in background checks, Jan 2022- Jan 2023: +16.6% (+1,758 — 18th largest increase)
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2023: 12,358 — 14th fewest
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2022: 10,600 — 13th fewest
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2023: 3.9 — 9th fewest
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2022: 3.3 — 9th fewest
> Most common type of firearm check, Jan 2023: Long guns
> 2022 Population: 3,200,517 — 20th smallest
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7. West Virginia
> Change in background checks, Jan 2022- Jan 2023: +18.8% (+2,231 — 15th largest increase)
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2023: 14,092 — 16th fewest
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2022: 11,861 — 15th fewest
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2023: 7.9 — 6th most
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2022: 6.7 — 12th most
> Most common type of firearm check, Jan 2023: Long guns
> 2022 Population: 1,775,156 — 12th smallest
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6. Illinois
> Change in background checks, Jan 2022- Jan 2023: +19.4% (+14,410 — 3rd largest increase)
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2023: 88,501 — 5th most
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2022: 74,091 — 5th most
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2023: 7.0 — 12th most
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2022: 5.9 — 19th most
> Most common type of firearm check, Jan 2023: Handguns
> 2022 Population: 12,582,032 — 6th largest
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5. Massachusetts
> Change in background checks, Jan 2022- Jan 2023: +21.4% (+3,690 — 9th largest increase)
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2023: 20,954 — 25th fewest
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2022: 17,264 — 22nd fewest
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2023: 3.0 — 6th fewest
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2022: 2.5 — 6th fewest
> Most common type of firearm check, Jan 2023: Handguns
> 2022 Population: 6,981,974 — 16th largest
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4. New Jersey
> Change in background checks, Jan 2022- Jan 2023: +28.2% (+3,687 — 10th largest increase)
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2023: 16,745 — 19th fewest
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2022: 13,058 — 16th fewest
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2023: 1.8 — 3rd fewest
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2022: 1.4 — 3rd fewest
> Most common type of firearm check, Jan 2023: Handguns
> 2022 Population: 9,261,699 — 11th largest
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3. Hawaii
> Change in background checks, Jan 2022- Jan 2023: +36.6% (+495 — 10th smallest increase)
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2023: 1,847 — the fewest
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2022: 1,352 — the fewest
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2023: 1.3 — the fewest
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2022: 0.9 — the fewest
> Most common type of firearm check, Jan 2023: N/A
> 2022 Population: 1,440,196 — 11th smallest
Source: ROB KERR / AFP via Getty Images
2. Oregon
> Change in background checks, Jan 2022- Jan 2023: +88.7% (+26,120 — the largest increase)
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2023: 55,581 — 9th most
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2022: 29,461 — 20th most
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2023: 13.1 — the most
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2022: 6.9 — 8th most
> Most common type of firearm check, Jan 2023: Handguns
> 2022 Population: 4,240,137 — 24th smallest
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1. Maryland
> Change in background checks, Jan 2022- Jan 2023: +133.6% (+22,776 — 2nd largest increase)
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2023: 39,819 — 17th most
> Firearm background checks, Jan 2022: 17,043 — 21st fewest
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2023: 6.5 — 15th most
> Firearm background checks per 1,000 residents, Jan 2022: 2.8 — 7th fewest
> Most common type of firearm check, Jan 2023: Handguns
> 2022 Population: 6,164,660 — 19th largest
Methodology
To identify the states where gun sales are increasing fastest, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 20 states with the largest percent increase in adjusted gun firearm background checks. To get closer to an accurate approximation of gun sales, we excluded categories of checks, including pawn shop transactions, returns, rentals, and rechecks, which are conducted periodically by some states on existing permit holders.
Even after removing some types of checks that are clearly unrelated to a new firearm purchase, because every state has different laws in terms of when background checks are required and different accounting practices, background checks still serve only as a rough approximation.
The most glaring example of this is Illinois, which alone accounted for about half of the background checks in the country after excluding the aforementioned categories of checks. Illinois no longer breaks down background checks separately, but did so from July 2016 through July 2021. During the four full years of data, an average of 9.2% of Illinois’s non-private sale or gun-specific permit checks were non-rechecks. We applied that average to the most recent state figures to estimate Illinois’ count. This was done only because Illinois is such a glaring example of inconsistency and because there was historical data to produce an estimate.
There are likely other states for which the background check figures listed are inflated or underestimated proxies for gun sales.
Population data came from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Population and Housing Unit Estimates Program, and are for July of 2022, the most recent data available.
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