Suicide Rates 2004

Chart One: States With the Highest Firearms Suicide Death Rates per 100,000 Population Compared to the District of Columbia, 2004

Rank State Deaths Rate Rank State Deaths Rate
1 Alaska 94 14.29 6 New Mexico 196 10.30
2 Montana 105 11.33 7 Wyoming 48 9.49
3 Idaho 151 10.82 8 Kentucky 377 9.10
4 Nevada 249 10.67 9 Vermont 56 9.01
5 West Virginia 192 10.59 10 Tennessee 526 8.93
51 District of Columbia 5 0.90

Chart Two: States With the Highest Overall Suicide Death Rates per 100,000 Population Compared to the District of Columbia, 2004

Rank State Deaths Rate Rank State Deaths Rate
1 Alaska 155 23.57 6 Colorado 797 17.32
2 Montana 175 18.88 7 Idaho 236 16.92
3 Nevada 440 18.86 8 West Virginia 285 15.72
4 New Mexico 356 18.71 9 Utah 377 15.57
5 Wyoming 88 17.40 10 Oregon 555 15.45
51 District of Columbia 33 5.95


Chart Three: States With the Highest Rates of Household Gun Ownership Compared to the District of Columbia

Jurisdiction Percentage of Households With Firearms Jurisdiction Percentage of Households With Firearms*
Alaska 60.6 New Mexico 39.6
Colorado 34.5 Oregon 39.8
Idaho 56.8 Utah 45.3
Kentucky 48.0 Vermont 45.5
Montana 61.4 West Virginia 57.9
Nevada 31.5 Wyoming 62.8
District of Columbia 5.2

*The households with firearms statistics are from the study, “Prevalence of Household Firearms and Firearm-Storage Practices in the 50 States and the District of Columbia: Findings From the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, 2002,” published in the September 2005 issue of Pediatrics. The study found, “Nationally, 32.6% of adults reported that firearms were kept in or around their home,” according to survey data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). The BRFSS is a “state-based surveillance system operated by state health departments in collaboration with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention….In 2002, all 50 states and the District of Columbia participated and 240,735 persons aged 18 years completed the interview.” Pediatrics Vol. 116 No. 3 September 2005.


Firearms Suicide Deaths and Rates per 100,000 population, 2004, Ranked by Rate

Rank Jurisdiction Deaths Rate
1 Alaska 94 14.29
2 Montana 105 11.33
3 Idaho 151 10.82
4 Nevada 249 10.67
5 West Virginia 192 10.59
6 New Mexico 196 10.30
7 Wyoming 48 9.49
8 Kentucky 377 9.10
9 Vermont 56 9.01
10 Tennessee 526 8.93
11 Arizona 509 8.87
12 Oklahoma 312 8.85
13 Colorado 402 8.74
14 Mississippi 245 8.45
15 Arkansas 232 8.44
16 Oregon 299 8.33
17 Alabama

375

8.29

18

 Louisiana 371 8.23
19 South Dakota 61 7.92
20 South Carolina 328 7.81
21 Utah 183 7.56
22 Kansas 204 7.46
23 Maine 97 7.38
24 North Carolina 608 7.12
25 Florida 1,197 6.89
26 Washington 423 6.81
27 Georgia 605 6.78
28 Missouri 389 6.75
29 Virginia 494 6.60
30 North Dakota 41 6.44
31 Indiana 385 6.18
32 Texas 1,318 5.87
33 Pennsylvania 722 5.83
34 Ohio 657 5.74
35 Wisconsin 308 5.60
36 Delaware 45 5.42
37 Michigan 532 5.27
38 Minnesota 268 5.26
39 Iowa 155 5.25
40 Nebraska 87 4.98
41 Maryland 250 4.50
42 New Hampshire 57 4.39
43 California 1,366 3.81
44 Illinois 387 3.04
45 Connecticut 105 3.00
46 Hawaii 31 2.46
47 New Jersey 185 2.13
48 New York 401 2.08
49 Rhode Island 22 2.04
50 Massachusetts 95 1.48
51 District of Columbia 5 0.90
U.S. Total 16,750 5.70


Suicide Deaths and Rates per 100,000 population, 2004, Ranked by Rate

Rank Jurisdiction Deaths Rate
1 Alaska 155 23.57
2 Montana 175 18.88
3 Nevada 440 18.86
4 New Mexico 356 18.71
5 Wyoming 88 17.40
6 Colorado 797 17.32
7 Idaho 236 16.92
8 West Virginia 285 15.72
9 Utah 377 15.57
10 Oregon 555 15.45
11 Arizona 880 15.33
12 Vermont 93 14.97
13 South Dakota 112 14.53
14 Oklahoma 506 14.36
15 Florida 2,389 13.74
16 Kansas 370 13.53
17 Kentucky 560 13.52
18 Tennessee 792 13.44
19 Washington 830 13.37
20 Arkansas 361 13.13
21 Maine 171 13.00
22 Missouri 715 12.41
23 Mississippi 350 12.07
24 (tie) North Carolina 1,027 12.03
24 (tie) Wisconsin 662 12.03
26 Alabama 541 11.95
27 Louisiana 537 11.92
28 Iowa 343 11.62
29 Ohio 1,319 11.52
30 South Carolina 482 11.48
31 North Dakota 73 11.47
32 Pennsylvania 1,410 11.38
33 Indiana 704 11.31
34 Delaware 93 11.20
35 Virginia 828 11.07
36 Georgia 973 10.91
37 Michigan 1,098 10.87
38 Minnesota 524 10.28
39 (tie) Texas 2,300 10.24
39 (tie) New Hampshire 133 10.24
41 Nebraska 166 9.50
42 California 3,368 9.40
43 Hawaii 116 9.19
44 Maryland 500 8.99
45 Connecticut 294 8.40
46 Illinois 1,028 8.09
47 Rhode Island 85 7.87
48 New Jersey 597 6.87
49 Massachusetts 425 6.63
50 New York 1,187 6.16
51 District of Columbia 33 5.95
U.S. Total 32,439 11.05