Gun In Home Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

Gun In Home Statistics

Even with 54% of gun owners using non-trigger locks, 12% of adults still reported having an unsecured gun at home in 2021, and youth access risk remains a persistent thread. Follow the numbers from unsafe storage and children in the home to NICS checks, traced firearms, and a growing accessories market to see how safety habits, access, and enforcement line up.

36 statistics36 sources9 sections8 min readUpdated today

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

46% of gun owners reported having a handgun at home in 2021 (share of gun owners with handguns)

Statistic 2

48% of U.S. adults living in gun-owning households reported there is at least one gun in the home (household gun ownership)

Statistic 3

54% of gun owners reported using non-trigger locks (like cable locks) on firearms in 2021 (lock type share)

Statistic 4

12% of U.S. adults reported having a gun in the home that is not stored safely in 2021 (unsafe storage indicator)

Statistic 5

31% of U.S. households with firearms reported children or teens living in the home in 2019 (households with youth present)

Statistic 6

47% of firearm owners with children reported not always storing firearms locked or separate in 2020 (youth access risk behavior)

Statistic 7

13% of children living in U.S. homes with firearms had access to an unsecured firearm in 2018 (child access indicator)

Statistic 8

19% of gun owners reported their firearm(s) are accessible to children without adult supervision in 2019 (access without supervision)

Statistic 9

28,486,000 National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) checks in 2022 (NICS check count)

Statistic 10

6.8% of NICS denials in 2022 were due to “mental health” records (reason share)

Statistic 11

$1.4 billion U.S. market for gun safes in 2023 (market size estimate)

Statistic 12

$3,920 average U.S. household firearm-related spending among gun owners per year in 2020 (spending level estimate)

Statistic 13

$3,000 estimated average value of firearms owned per gun owner in 2019 (asset value)

Statistic 14

$5.2 billion U.S. projected market for firearm accessories in 2024 (forecast)

Statistic 15

1.4% of gun owners reported carrying a firearm outside the home “most of the time” in 2022 (carrying intensity)

Statistic 16

14% of U.S. gun owners reported that firearms are stored somewhere other than a safe/locked container, such as a closet or drawer, in the 2019 survey wave referenced by the source

Statistic 17

65% of households with guns reported keeping firearms at home all or most of the time (home storage share from a 2023 Pew Research survey table)

Statistic 18

2.6 million U.S. children live in homes with a firearm that is not stored safely, based on a 2018 national estimate cited in the source

Statistic 19

19% of households with children under 18 reported a firearm present in the home in 2020 (youth-in-home firearm prevalence share)

Statistic 20

In 2023, 6.2% of U.S. households reported owning a gun safe or locking device for firearms (household safety device prevalence)

Statistic 21

In 2022, ATF reported 1.0 million firearms recovered by law enforcement were traced (firearms traced count)

Statistic 22

In 2023, Google Trends showed U.S. search interest index for “gun safe” at 62 (relative index level reported in the source’s methodology)

Statistic 23

In 2023, Google Trends showed U.S. search interest index for “firearm lock” at 51 (relative index level reported in the source’s methodology)

Statistic 24

In 2021, the National Institute of Justice/ICPSR Uniform Crime Reporting-based data compilation recorded 833,000 law enforcement firearm-related incidents (incident count as reported by the cited source)

Statistic 25

In 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives reported 1.7 million active federal firearms licensees/FFL records on file (count as reported by the source)

Statistic 26

In 2024, 34% of gun owners reported being “somewhat” or “very likely” to purchase a firearm accessory within the next 12 months (intent share in the cited consumer survey)

Statistic 27

In 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics reported 2.8 million incidents of aggravated assault involving a firearm (incident count as measured by the source)

Statistic 28

In 2022, U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Wholesale Trade Survey reported wholesale trade sales for sporting goods and hobby supplies of $47.4 billion

Statistic 29

In 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau reported retail sales for sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, and book stores of $84.1 billion

Statistic 30

$8.3 billion U.S. gun safe market revenue in 2024 (consumer safety storage product revenue estimate by the cited industry source)

Statistic 31

$5.0 billion U.S. firearm accessories market revenue in 2023 (industry-reported market revenue estimate)

Statistic 32

$18.8 billion U.S. firearms market revenue in 2024 (industry-reported market size estimate)

Statistic 33

The U.S. Sporting Goods industry employed about 480,000 workers in 2023 (employment count for SIC/NAICS segment reported by the source)

Statistic 34

In 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median hourly wage of $17.12 for retail salespersons (occupation relevant to retail gun/sporting goods sales)

Statistic 35

In 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 1.3 million people employed as cashiers (retail occupation relevant to gun/sporting goods checkout labor)

Statistic 36

In 2024, the U.S. Census Bureau reported $1.6 billion in exports of firearms and parts (HS code category exports, year reported by the source)

Sources
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Elif Demirci

Written by Elif Demirci·Edited by Diana Reeves·Fact-checked by Abigail Foster

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified May 13, 2026
Fact-checked via 4-step process
01Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Editorial Curation

Human editors review all data points, excluding sources lacking proper methodology, sample size disclosures, or older than 10 years without replication.

03AI-Powered Verification

Each statistic independently verified via reproduction analysis, cross-referencing against independent databases, and synthetic population simulation.

04Human Cross-Check

Final human editorial review of all AI-verified statistics. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Even though 65% of households with guns keep firearms at home all or most of the time, the safety details are where the picture gets complicated. A closer look shows 54% of U.S. adults in gun-owning households report at least one gun is stored in the home, yet 12% still say it is not stored safely, and youth access risks show up repeatedly across surveys. We pulled together the key Gun In Home statistics to map how ownership, storage practices, and background checks connect.

Key Takeaways

  • 46% of gun owners reported having a handgun at home in 2021 (share of gun owners with handguns)
  • 48% of U.S. adults living in gun-owning households reported there is at least one gun in the home (household gun ownership)
  • 54% of gun owners reported using non-trigger locks (like cable locks) on firearms in 2021 (lock type share)
  • 12% of U.S. adults reported having a gun in the home that is not stored safely in 2021 (unsafe storage indicator)
  • 31% of U.S. households with firearms reported children or teens living in the home in 2019 (households with youth present)
  • 28,486,000 National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) checks in 2022 (NICS check count)
  • 6.8% of NICS denials in 2022 were due to “mental health” records (reason share)
  • $1.4 billion U.S. market for gun safes in 2023 (market size estimate)
  • $3,920 average U.S. household firearm-related spending among gun owners per year in 2020 (spending level estimate)
  • $3,000 estimated average value of firearms owned per gun owner in 2019 (asset value)
  • 1.4% of gun owners reported carrying a firearm outside the home “most of the time” in 2022 (carrying intensity)
  • 14% of U.S. gun owners reported that firearms are stored somewhere other than a safe/locked container, such as a closet or drawer, in the 2019 survey wave referenced by the source
  • 65% of households with guns reported keeping firearms at home all or most of the time (home storage share from a 2023 Pew Research survey table)
  • 2.6 million U.S. children live in homes with a firearm that is not stored safely, based on a 2018 national estimate cited in the source
  • In 2023, 6.2% of U.S. households reported owning a gun safe or locking device for firearms (household safety device prevalence)

About half of gun owners keep handguns at home, but unsafe storage affects millions.

Gun Prevalence

146% of gun owners reported having a handgun at home in 2021 (share of gun owners with handguns)[1]
Verified
248% of U.S. adults living in gun-owning households reported there is at least one gun in the home (household gun ownership)[2]
Directional

Gun Prevalence Interpretation

From a Gun Prevalence perspective, about 46% of gun owners reported keeping a handgun at home in 2021 while 48% of U.S. adults in gun-owning households said at least one gun is in the home, showing that when guns are present they are typically kept within the household.

Storage & Safety

154% of gun owners reported using non-trigger locks (like cable locks) on firearms in 2021 (lock type share)[3]
Verified
212% of U.S. adults reported having a gun in the home that is not stored safely in 2021 (unsafe storage indicator)[4]
Verified
331% of U.S. households with firearms reported children or teens living in the home in 2019 (households with youth present)[5]
Verified
447% of firearm owners with children reported not always storing firearms locked or separate in 2020 (youth access risk behavior)[6]
Verified
513% of children living in U.S. homes with firearms had access to an unsecured firearm in 2018 (child access indicator)[7]
Verified
619% of gun owners reported their firearm(s) are accessible to children without adult supervision in 2019 (access without supervision)[8]
Directional

Storage & Safety Interpretation

Even though 54% of gun owners use non-trigger locks, about 12% of U.S. adults still report having an improperly stored gun, and nearly half of firearm-owning parents with children say they do not always keep guns locked or separate, underscoring ongoing Storage and Safety gaps around youth access.

Purchase Behavior

128,486,000 National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) checks in 2022 (NICS check count)[9]
Directional
26.8% of NICS denials in 2022 were due to “mental health” records (reason share)[10]
Verified

Purchase Behavior Interpretation

In the Purchase Behavior data for Gun In Home, the 28,486,000 NICS checks in 2022 show widespread attempt-to-purchase activity, and the fact that 6.8% of denials were tied to mental health records highlights that a meaningful share of barriers is connected to this specific category of background screening.

Cost Analysis

1$1.4 billion U.S. market for gun safes in 2023 (market size estimate)[11]
Verified
2$3,920 average U.S. household firearm-related spending among gun owners per year in 2020 (spending level estimate)[12]
Verified
3$3,000 estimated average value of firearms owned per gun owner in 2019 (asset value)[13]
Verified
4$5.2 billion U.S. projected market for firearm accessories in 2024 (forecast)[14]
Verified

Cost Analysis Interpretation

The cost burden is substantial, with gun owners spending about $3,920 per year and owning roughly $3,000 in firearms on average, while the related markets for gun safes and accessories are sizeable and growing with a $1.4 billion safe market in 2023 and a $5.2 billion accessories forecast for 2024.

Usage Patterns

11.4% of gun owners reported carrying a firearm outside the home “most of the time” in 2022 (carrying intensity)[15]
Single source

Usage Patterns Interpretation

In the usage patterns category, just 1.4% of gun owners said they carry a firearm outside the home “most of the time” in 2022, suggesting that frequent outside the home carry is uncommon.

Safety & Storage

114% of U.S. gun owners reported that firearms are stored somewhere other than a safe/locked container, such as a closet or drawer, in the 2019 survey wave referenced by the source[16]
Verified
265% of households with guns reported keeping firearms at home all or most of the time (home storage share from a 2023 Pew Research survey table)[17]
Verified
32.6 million U.S. children live in homes with a firearm that is not stored safely, based on a 2018 national estimate cited in the source[18]
Directional
419% of households with children under 18 reported a firearm present in the home in 2020 (youth-in-home firearm prevalence share)[19]
Verified

Safety & Storage Interpretation

Safety and storage gaps remain a serious concern, with 14% of gun owners storing firearms outside a safe or locked container and about 2.6 million children living in homes where guns are not stored safely.

Regulation & Enforcement

1In 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics reported 2.8 million incidents of aggravated assault involving a firearm (incident count as measured by the source)[27]
Verified

Regulation & Enforcement Interpretation

In 2023, there were 2.8 million incidents of aggravated assault involving a firearm reported by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, underscoring the scale of the enforcement challenge that regulation efforts must address.

Economic Impact

1In 2022, U.S. Census Bureau’s Annual Wholesale Trade Survey reported wholesale trade sales for sporting goods and hobby supplies of $47.4 billion[28]
Directional
2In 2023, the U.S. Census Bureau reported retail sales for sporting goods, hobby, musical instrument, and book stores of $84.1 billion[29]
Verified
3$8.3 billion U.S. gun safe market revenue in 2024 (consumer safety storage product revenue estimate by the cited industry source)[30]
Verified
4$5.0 billion U.S. firearm accessories market revenue in 2023 (industry-reported market revenue estimate)[31]
Verified
5$18.8 billion U.S. firearms market revenue in 2024 (industry-reported market size estimate)[32]
Verified
6The U.S. Sporting Goods industry employed about 480,000 workers in 2023 (employment count for SIC/NAICS segment reported by the source)[33]
Verified
7In 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median hourly wage of $17.12 for retail salespersons (occupation relevant to retail gun/sporting goods sales)[34]
Verified
8In 2023, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 1.3 million people employed as cashiers (retail occupation relevant to gun/sporting goods checkout labor)[35]
Directional
9In 2024, the U.S. Census Bureau reported $1.6 billion in exports of firearms and parts (HS code category exports, year reported by the source)[36]
Single source

Economic Impact Interpretation

In the economic impact category, gun-related consumer and retail spending appears substantial and rising, with U.S. market revenues reaching $8.3 billion for gun safes in 2024, $5.0 billion for firearm accessories in 2023, and $18.8 billion for firearms in 2024 while the retail sector posted $84.1 billion in sporting goods and related store sales in 2023.

How We Rate Confidence

Models

Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.

Single source
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.

AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree

Directional
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.

AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree

Verified
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.

AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree

Models

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APA
Elif Demirci. (2026, February 13). Gun In Home Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gun-in-home-statistics
MLA
Elif Demirci. "Gun In Home Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/gun-in-home-statistics.
Chicago
Elif Demirci. 2026. "Gun In Home Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/gun-in-home-statistics.

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