Analysis: South Dakota ranked #43 for gun sales in 2022

Analysis: South Dakota ranked #43 for gun sales in 2022
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, left, and FBI Director Christopher Wray — South Dakota Governor's Office / FBI.gov
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South Dakota ranked #43 for gun sales in 2022, with an estimated 82,392  guns sold, according to federal data compiled in a new report by SafeHome.org.

Approximately 17.4 million guns were sold in the U.S. in 2022, according to the report, which analyzed data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Criminal Background Check System. 

Alaska, Montana, and Wyoming had the highest estimated gun sales per capita in 2022, and gun sales rose year over year in only three places: Iowa, the District of Columbia, and Oregon, said the report. 

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Which states sold the most guns in 2022?

The following data table lists by ranking of total estimated gun sales: 

State Total Estimated Gun Sales, 2022
Texas 1,452,990
Florida 1,304,362
California 1,063,033
Pennsylvania 902,004
Tennessee 662,695
Virginia 609,548
Ohio 606,144
Michigan 570,352
Missouri 553,220
Indiana 543,006
Washington 539,505
Alabama 516,406
Colorado 501,042
Illinois 481,787
Oregon 462,274
Wisconsin 454,877
Georgia 444,549
Arizona 444,195
New York 399,519
Oklahoma 350,092
Minnesota 336,841
Louisiana 330,218
Kentucky 303,776
South Carolina 279,937
Mississippi 253,137
North Carolina 236,086
Maryland 213,719
Arkansas 204,992
Kansas 186,392
New Jersey 184,460
Idaho 178,454
New Mexico 172,990
West Virginia 169,963
Utah 150,938
Massachusetts 138,236
Montana 134,139
New Hampshire 132,988
Connecticut 132,150
Nevada 130,984
Maine 118,887
Alaska 88,756
Iowa 84,030
South Dakota 82,392
Wyoming 68,725
North Dakota 68,423
Delaware 57,656
Vermont 50,027
Rhode Island 32,253
Nebraska 27,554
District of Columbia 6,426

* Source: SafeHome.org report compiled from the FBI Criminal Background Check System. 



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