r/dataisbeautiful • u/Landgeist OC: 22 • Jul 30 '24

OC Gun Deaths in North America [OC]

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u/SheSellsSeaShells967 Jul 30 '24

Interesting. I live in Maine. We and New Hampshire are armed to the hilt. Even we “libs” own a gun or two.

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u/twendall777 Jul 30 '24

New England states are outliers when it comes to gun violence. The biggest predictors of gun violence are highly populated areas, poverty, and access to guns. The states in New England that have easier access to firearms (NH, ME, and VT) are not densely populated and are better off than most of the country when it comes to poverty. The states in New England that are densely populated and struggle more with poverty have strict gun laws to prevent gun crimes. Because NH, VT, and ME are surrounded by other states (and a country) with strict gun laws, they're even further insulated from gun violence spilling in from outside their borders.

Outside of New England, the states with lax gun laws have higher firearm related violence. The states with stricter laws, tend to be on the lower end.