2024 BRFSS Survey Results: Western 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 3,105 1,958 60.2 58.1-62.3 670 22.6 20.8-24.4 248 9.5 8.2-10.9 229 7.7 6.7- 8.9
Western 578 311 48.1 42.8-53.4 159 28.7 24.1-33.7 52 12.1 8.6-16.7 56 11.2 8.2-14.9
GENDER
Male 245 110 42.0 34.7-49.6 70 27.8 21.7-34.9 31 14.9 10.0-21.7 34 15.3 10.5-21.8
Female 333 201 53.2 45.7-60.5 89 29.4 23.0-36.7 21 9.7 5.5-16.7 22 7.7 4.7-12.4
RACE
Non-Hispanic White 478 233 43.7 38.0-49.5 146 31.9 26.8-37.6 45 12.0 8.4-17.0 54 12.4 9.1-16.6
Non-Hispanic Black 31 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Other 64 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
AGE
18-34 72 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
35-44 61 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
45-54 93 *** *** *** *** *** *** 12 15.8 8.6-27.3 *** *** ***
55-64 94 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
65-74 119 *** *** *** 38 31.8 22.9-42.4 *** *** *** 17 16.1 9.6-25.8
75+ 131 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
EDUCATION
Less Than H.S. 64 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
H.S. or G.E.D. 116 *** *** *** *** *** *** 15 15.0 8.4-25.3 *** *** ***
Some Post-H.S. 165 77 41.8 33.0-51.2 50 31.3 23.2-40.7 19 13.3 7.7-21.9 19 13.6 8.5-21.1
College Graduate 232 126 52.6 45.1-60.1 71 34.1 27.3-41.6 *** *** *** 21 7.9 4.8-12.8
FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY
Yes 235 125 47.2 39.1-55.5 61 29.0 22.0-37.2 25 10.9 6.7-17.0 24 12.9 8.3-19.7
No 336 182 49.1 42.2-56.0 97 28.6 22.9-35.1 26 12.5 7.8-19.2 31 9.9 6.4-14.8
VETERAN STATUS
Veteran 48 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Non-Veteran 529 295 49.6 44.1-55.2 143 28.4 23.7-33.7 44 11.5 7.9-16.3 47 10.5 7.5-14.5
EMPLOYMENT STATUS
Employed or Self-Employed 247 123 44.3 37.0-51.9 73 29.2 22.7-36.7 28 15.4 10.0-23.0 23 11.0 6.9-17.1
Unemployed 22 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Retired 231 128 49.4 40.8-58.0 59 27.4 20.4-35.7 *** *** *** 27 14.8 9.6-22.1
Unable to Work 49 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Other not in Labor Force 24 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
Less than $15,000 20 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
$15,000- 24,999 44 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
$25,000- 34,999 58 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
$35,000- 49,999 85 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
$50,000- 74,999 65 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
$75,000+ 162 71 43.0 33.9-52.6 60 34.4 26.5-43.3 *** *** *** 17 12.2 6.9-20.5
Don't know/Not sure or Refused 144 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** 17 13.6 7.7-22.8
POVERTY LEVEL2
Less than 50% 10 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
50% to 100% 35 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
101% to 150% 78 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
151% to 200% 33 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
More than 200% 277 131 43.2 36.0-50.6 89 32.5 26.0-39.6 29 12.9 8.1-19.9 28 11.5 7.4-17.4
Don't know/Not sure or Refused 144 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** 17 13.6 7.7-22.8
HOUSING
Own 423 189 41.5 35.7-47.5 139 30.7 25.7-36.2 42 13.4 9.3-18.9 53 14.4 10.6-19.3
Rent 125 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Other arrangement 25 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
RURAL-URBAN RESIDENT1
Regional City or Suburban County 179 126 64.6 55.2-73.0 29 18.3 12.2-26.5 *** *** *** 15 9.5 5.3-16.4
Rural 399 185 41.4 35.3-47.8 130 32.9 27.2-39.2 43 13.9 9.6-19.7 41 11.8 8.3-16.6
NC DEPT OF COMMERCE COUNTY TIER3
Most Distressed Counties (Tier 1) 76 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
Less Distressed Counties (Tier 2) 323 156 43.0 36.1-50.2 102 31.1 24.9-38.0 34 14.9 9.9-21.8 31 11.0 7.3-16.3
Least Distressed Counties (Tier 3) 179 126 64.6 55.2-73.0 29 18.3 12.2-26.5 *** *** *** 15 9.5 5.3-16.4
CDC SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX4
1st Quartile - Least Vulnerable 333 195 54.0 47.1-60.8 87 26.1 20.8-32.2 25 10.7 6.7-16.7 26 9.2 5.8-14.3
2nd Quartile 99 *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** ***
3rd Quartile 146 66 41.1 31.2-51.7 47 33.3 24.2-43.8 *** *** *** 18 12.0 7.1-19.8

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

2Based on 2024 U.S Census Bureau poverty threshold incomes. 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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