2024 BRFSS Survey Results: North Carolina

Firearm Safety

Are any of these loaded firearms also unlocked? By unlocked, we mean you do not need a key or
a combination or a hand/fingerprint to get the gun or to fire it. We don't count a safety as a lock.*

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  Total
Respond.^
Yes No
N % C.I.(95%) N % C.I.(95%)
TOTAL 477 229 44.8 39.6-50.1 248 55.2 49.9-60.4
GENDER
Male 277 144 47.0 40.3-53.8 133 53.0 46.2-59.7
Female 200 85 41.6 33.6-50.0 115 58.4 50.0-66.4
RACE/ETHNICITY
Non-Hispanic White 368 186 45.4 39.4-51.5 182 54.6 48.5-60.6
Non-Hispanic Black 73 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Non-Hispanic Other 23 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Hispanic 12 *** *** *** *** *** ***
AGE
18-34 62 *** *** *** *** *** ***
35-44 51 *** *** *** *** *** ***
45-54 80 *** *** *** *** *** ***
55-64 107 *** *** *** *** *** ***
65-74 104 *** *** *** *** *** ***
75+ 71 *** *** *** *** *** ***
EDUCATION
Less Than H.S. 22 *** *** *** *** *** ***
H.S. or G.E.D. 114 39 30.1 21.6-40.4 75 69.9 59.6-78.4
Some Post-H.S. 147 81 55.3 46.2-64.1 66 44.7 35.9-53.8
College Graduate 192 93 44.7 36.9-52.8 99 55.3 47.2-63.1
FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY
Yes 166 88 50.9 41.4-60.3 78 49.1 39.7-58.6
No 304 139 42.6 36.4-49.1 165 57.4 50.9-63.6
VETERAN STATUS
Veteran 95 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Non-Veteran 382 180 44.7 38.9-50.6 202 55.3 49.4-61.1
EMPLOYMENT STATUS
Employed or Self-Employed 247 111 43.0 36.2-50.1 136 57.0 49.9-63.8
Unemployed 20 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Retired 163 86 45.8 36.5-55.4 77 54.2 44.6-63.5
Unable to Work 32 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Other not in Labor Force 12 *** *** *** *** *** ***
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
Less than $15,000 11 *** *** *** *** *** ***
$15,000- 24,999 28 *** *** *** *** *** ***
$25,000- 34,999 27 *** *** *** *** *** ***
$35,000- 49,999 62 *** *** *** *** *** ***
$50,000-74,999 61 *** *** *** *** *** ***
$75,000-100,000 60 *** *** *** *** *** ***
$100,000-150,000 70 *** *** *** *** *** ***
$150,000+ 76 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Don't know/Not sure or Refused 82 *** *** *** *** *** ***
POVERTY LEVEL1
Less than 50% 2 *** *** *** *** *** ***
50% to 100% 21 *** *** *** *** *** ***
101% to 150% 44 *** *** *** *** *** ***
151% to 200% 27 *** *** *** *** *** ***
More than 200% 300 143 45.7 39.3-52.2 157 54.3 47.8-60.7
Don't know/Not sure or Refused 82 *** *** *** *** *** ***
HOUSING
Own 396 194 45.6 40.0-51.4 202 54.4 48.6-60.0
Rent 60 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Other arrangement 19 *** *** *** *** *** ***
RURAL-URBAN RESIDENT2
Urban 80 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Regional City or Suburban County 157 75 43.4 34.9-52.4 82 56.6 47.6-65.1
Rural 240 119 47.3 39.7-55.1 121 52.7 44.9-60.3
NC DEPT OF COMMERCE COUNTY TIER3
Most Distressed Counties (Tier 1) 128 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Less Distressed Counties (Tier 2) 193 95 43.8 35.8-52.1 98 56.2 47.9-64.2
Least Distressed Counties (Tier 3) 156 71 42.9 34.3-52.1 85 57.1 47.9-65.7
CDC SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX4
1st Quartile - Least Vulnerable 136 62 44.3 34.6-54.3 74 55.7 45.7-65.4
2nd Quartile 157 76 43.7 34.9-52.9 81 56.3 47.1-65.1
3rd Quartile 135 70 48.5 38.8-58.4 65 51.5 41.6-61.2
4th Quartile - Most Vulnerable 49 *** *** *** *** *** ***

Back to Firearm Safety.

*This question was asked only of respondents who reported having loaded firearms in or around their home.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to changes in the weighting methodology and other factors, results from 2024 are NOT comparable to 2010
and earlier years.

***The estimate was suppressed because it did not meet statistical reliability standards. See BRFSS 2024 Annual Results Technical Notes for more details.

1Based on 2024 U.S Census Bureau poverty threshold incomes. Please see the BRFSS 2024 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

2Based on U.S Census Bureau population estimates at the county level. Please see the BRFSS 2024 Annual Results Technical Notes for details.

3NC Dept. of Commerce County Tier Classification, based on respondent’s county of residence.
Please see the BRFSS 2024 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 2024 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 18SEP25.

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