Idaho ranked the most-dependent state on the firearm industry. Here’s why it tops the list
A spate of high-profile mass shootings throughout the United States in recent weeks has once again brought gun control issues to the forefront of public debate.
In terms of U.S. firearm sales, purchases are down 12.6% compared to a year ago, according to research consultancy Small Arms Analytics. Firearm unit sales are still above pre-pandemic levels, according to Small Arms Analytics chief economist Jurgen Brauer, but the trend over the past year of decreased sales could undoubtedly impact the firearm economy in several states.
None more so than Idaho.
That’s because the Gem State has been ranked as the most dependent state upon the gun industry, according to recent rankings by personal finance website WalletHub.
WalletHub looked at all 50 states and used 16 metrics to determine which states depended most on the firearm industry for economic stability. Those 16 metrics were grouped into three overarching categories to assign a cumulative score of 100 for each state:
Firearm industry (35 points) - How many firearm-industry jobs per 10,000 residents, gun shows per capita, average wage and benefits in the industry, and other industry-related metrics.
Gun prevalence (35 points) - The gun ownership rate, gun sales per 1,000 residents, gun advertisements for private buying and selling, and Google search interest in gun sales.
Gun politics (30 points) - Gun-control and gun-rights contributions to congressional members per capita.
Idaho topped the charts as the most firearm industry-dependent state, with a score of 85.11 points, leading second-placed Wyoming by 4.02 points. The Gem State also ranked 8th in gun prevalence and 5th in gun politics.
Delving deeper into the 16 metrics, Idaho ranked in a tie for first for firearm industry jobs per capita, total firearms-industry output per capita, and total taxes paid by the firearm industry per capita. The Gem State also ranked fourth for gun ownership.
But despite such a high dependency on the firearm industry, Idaho ranks 41st in the nation for mass shooting events, according to WalletHub. Illinois, which ranked 39th for firearm industry dependency, ranks first for the number of mass shootings.
According to WalletHub, here are the states that Idaho is ranked alongside for dependency on the firearm industry:
Idaho
Wyoming
Kentucky
South Dakota
Montana
Arkansas
Alaska
North Dakota
Missouri
Oklahoma
