2024 BRFSS Survey Results: Western 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%)
North Carolina 477 229 44.8 39.6-50.1 248 55.2 49.9-60.4
Western 108 *** *** *** *** *** ***
GENDER
Male 65 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Female 43 *** *** *** *** *** ***
RACE
Non-Hispanic White 99 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Non-Hispanic Black 5 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Other 4 *** *** *** *** *** ***
AGE
18-34 9 *** *** *** *** *** ***
35-44 9 *** *** *** *** *** ***
45-54 19 *** *** *** *** *** ***
55-64 21 *** *** *** *** *** ***
65-74 27 *** *** *** *** *** ***
75+ 22 *** *** *** *** *** ***
EDUCATION
Less Than H.S. 12 *** *** *** *** *** ***
H.S. or G.E.D. 23 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Some Post-H.S. 38 *** *** *** *** *** ***
College Graduate 35 *** *** *** *** *** ***
FUNCTIONAL DISABILITY
Yes 49 *** *** *** *** *** ***
No 57 *** *** *** *** *** ***
VETERAN STATUS
Veteran 17 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Non-Veteran 91 *** *** *** *** *** ***
EMPLOYMENT STATUS
Employed or Self-Employed 51 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Unemployed 2 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Retired 44 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Unable to Work 9 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Other not in Labor Force 1 *** *** *** *** *** ***
HOUSEHOLD INCOME
Less than $15,000 4 *** *** *** *** *** ***
$15,000- 24,999 7 *** *** *** *** *** ***
$25,000- 34,999 8 *** *** *** *** *** ***
$35,000- 49,999 17 *** *** *** *** *** ***
$50,000- 74,999 16 *** *** *** *** *** ***
$75,000+ 31 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Don't know/Not sure or Refused 25 *** *** *** *** *** ***
POVERTY LEVEL2
Less than 50% 1 *** *** *** *** *** ***
50% to 100% 7 *** *** *** *** *** ***
101% to 150% 10 *** *** *** *** *** ***
151% to 200% 8 *** *** *** *** *** ***
More than 200% 57 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Don't know/Not sure or Refused 25 *** *** *** *** *** ***
HOUSING
Own 95 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Rent 11 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Other arrangement 1 *** *** *** *** *** ***
RURAL-URBAN RESIDENT1
Regional City or Suburban County 24 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Rural 84 *** *** *** *** *** ***
NC DEPT OF COMMERCE COUNTY TIER3
Most Distressed Counties (Tier 1) 19 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Less Distressed Counties (Tier 2) 65 *** *** *** *** *** ***
Least Distressed Counties (Tier 3) 24 *** *** *** *** *** ***
CDC SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX4
1st Quartile - Least Vulnerable 51 *** *** *** *** *** ***
2nd Quartile 24 *** *** *** *** *** ***
3rd Quartile 33 *** *** *** *** *** ***

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 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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