2021 BRFSS Survey Results: North Carolina

Firearm Safety

Gun Ownership*

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  Total
Respond.^		 No Gun(s) in home Gun(s) not loaded Gun(s) loaded but locked Gun(s) Loaded and unlocked
N % C.I.(95%) N % C.I.(95%) N % C.I.(95%) N % C.I.(95%)
North Carolina 3,697 2,224 58.8 56.8-60.8 812 22.6 21.0-24.3 294 8.8 7.7-10.0 367 9.9 8.7-11.2
-Non-Hispanic Black 734 506 68.3 63.9-72.3 127 17.4 14.2-21.2 44 6.5 4.6- 9.2 57 7.7 5.8-10.4
GENDER
Male 282 162 57.3 50.0-64.4 64 22.1 16.7-28.6 24 9.7 6.1-15.0 32 10.9 7.4-15.9
Female 452 344 76.1 70.8-80.6 63 14.1 10.5-18.7 20 4.3 2.5- 7.2 25 5.5 3.5- 8.6
AGE
18-34 117 89 74.1 63.7-82.3 13 13.3 7.4-22.9 *** *** *** *** *** ***
35-44 122 80 67.6 57.3-76.4 23 17.8 11.4-26.9 *** *** *** *** *** ***
45-54 131 92 65.4 55.1-74.5 20 17.2 10.7-26.4 *** *** *** 14 10.0 5.6-17.1
55-64 151 113 70.9 61.1-79.1 21 18.1 11.5-27.4 *** *** *** *** *** ***
65-74 128 *** *** *** 30 21.4 13.9-31.4 *** *** *** *** *** ***
75+ 78 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
EDUCATION
Less Than H.S. 64 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
H.S. or G.E.D. 206 157 71.9 63.3-79.2 28 15.6 10.0-23.6 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Some Post-H.S. 219 144 64.4 56.2-71.8 43 19.7 14.1-26.8 *** *** *** 20 9.5 5.7-15.2
College Graduate 243 155 61.8 54.2-68.9 47 20.7 15.1-27.8 16 5.6 3.2- 9.7 25 11.8 7.5-18.0
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
Less than $15,000 77 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
$15,000- 24,999 100 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
$25,000- 34,999 103 *** *** *** 15 11.1 6.1-19.3 *** *** *** *** *** ***
$35,000- 49,999 84 *** *** *** 15 12.4 6.8-21.5 *** *** *** *** *** ***
$50,000- 74,999 90 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
$75,000+ 132 73 55.2 45.3-64.6 29 22.2 15.1-31.3 14 10.9 6.0-18.8 16 11.8 6.9-19.5
FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY
Yes 281 199 68.4 60.9-75.1 47 18.1 12.6-25.1 17 6.8 3.9-11.8 18 6.7 3.9-11.2
No 450 305 68.2 62.8-73.2 79 17.0 13.2-21.5 27 6.5 4.1- 9.9 39 8.3 5.8-11.8
VETERAN STATUS
Veteran 104 *** *** *** 27 25.5 17.1-36.1 *** *** *** 15 16.2 9.3-26.7
Non-Veteran 630 454 71.3 66.6-75.5 100 16.3 13.0-20.4 34 5.8 3.8- 8.6 42 6.6 4.7- 9.3
RURAL-URBAN CATEGORY1
Urban 243 172 69.4 62.1-75.8 34 15.4 10.6-21.7 18 7.8 4.7-12.8 19 7.5 4.6-11.8
Regional City or Suburban County 194 140 71.4 62.7-78.8 34 16.0 10.6-23.4 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Rural 297 194 64.5 57.2-71.2 59 20.9 15.5-27.7 18 6.1 3.4-10.7 26 8.5 5.4-13.3
EMPLOYMENT STATUS
Employed or Self-Employed 364 246 66.2 60.2-71.8 58 16.4 12.3-21.4 29 9.1 6.0-13.5 31 8.3 5.6-12.1
Unemployed 62 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Retired 194 112 54.8 45.7-63.5 51 28.3 20.6-37.6 *** *** *** 20 11.2 6.8-18.0
Unable to Work 87 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Other not in Labor Force 25 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
POVERTY LEVEL2
Less than 50% 34 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
50% to 100% 89 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
101% to 150% 91 69 79.3 67.4-87.6 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
151% to 200% 68 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
More than 200% 303 178 57.8 51.0-64.4 66 21.6 16.5-27.8 24 8.0 5.0-12.5 35 12.6 8.8-17.7
HOUSING
Own 406 231 57.6 51.6-63.4 101 23.2 18.7-28.5 30 8.4 5.5-12.5 44 10.8 7.8-14.9
Rent 266 222 83.2 76.5-88.3 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Other arrangement 60 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
NC DEPT OF COMMERCE COUNTY TIER3
Most Distressed Counties (Tier 1) 296 190 64.2 56.9-70.9 64 20.2 15.1-26.6 18 6.2 3.4-11.0 24 9.4 5.9-14.7
Less Distressed Counties (Tier 2) 246 175 70.4 62.9-76.9 35 14.9 10.2-21.3 19 9.2 5.6-15.0 17 5.5 3.2- 9.2
Least Distressed Counties (Tier 3) 192 141 70.0 61.7-77.2 28 17.4 11.7-25.1 *** *** *** 16 8.6 5.0-14.3
CDC SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX4
1st Quartile - Least Vulnerable 111 89 80.9 71.5-87.7 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
2nd Quartile 165 111 65.6 56.8-73.4 28 19.6 13.3-27.9 12 8.2 4.6-14.1 14 6.7 3.7-11.8
3rd Quartile 275 194 69.4 62.2-75.6 44 15.8 11.4-21.5 20 8.7 5.2-14.1 17 6.2 3.6-10.6
4th Quartile - Most Vulnerable 183 112 60.2 50.5-69.1 43 22.8 15.8-31.7 *** *** *** 18 12.2 7.1-20.4

Back to Firearm Safety.

Data in this table were derived from the Firearm Safety questions.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to changes in the weighting methodology and other factors, results from 2021 are NOT comparable to 2010
and earlier years.

***The estimate was suppressed because it did not meet statistical reliability standards. See BRFSS 2021 Annual Results Technical Notes for more details.

1Based on U.S Census Bureau population estimates at the county level. Please see the BRFSS 2021 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

2Based on 2021 U.S Census Bureau poverty threshold incomes. Please see the BRFSS 2021 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

3NC Dept. of Commerce County Tier Classification, based on respondent’s county of residence.
Please see the BRFSS 2021 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

4Quartile of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Social Vulnerability Index
(https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/placeandhealth/svi/index.html) for respondent’s county of residence.
Please see the BRFSS 2021 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

^Use caution in interpreting cell sizes less than 50, % = Percentage, C.I.(95%) = Confidence Interval (at 95 percent probability level).
Percentages are weighted to population characteristics and therefore cannot be calculated exactly from the numbers in this table.

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This page was generated on 19AUG22.

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