Gun death by county, 2004-2010

The rate of gun deaths varies widely across U.S. counties. For an interactive version of this map, click the link in this post or visit: projects.oregonlive.com/ucc-shooting/gun-deaths

UPDATED 12/9: We have added an interactive map showing licensed gun sellers per capita in each U.S. county.

UPDATED 10/12: See our longer post on the links between gun ownership and gun death rates. We also have created a chart breaking out suicides versus homicides and an infographic comparing gun deaths versus deaths by other means.



U.S. deaths by gunfire -- suicides, homicides and accidents -- numbered 33,636 in 2013, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

What's striking is how widely the death rate varies from one part of the nation to the next.

A map of data from the CDC at the county level shows some dramatic differences. [EDITOR'S NOTE: Specifically, we used smoothed county death rates as calculated by the CDC.]

To some degree the split is urban vs. rural. But it is also northern California vs. southern. Northern Utah versus southern. Border counties in Texas had few gun deaths; other parts of the state had a lot.

New England and the Midwest were relatively low on the scale of gun deaths. Vast, vast sections of the South experience very high rates of death by gun. Rural Oregon and other major swaths of the non-urbanized West were disproportionately hit by firearm fatalities.

Here's what we know at this point. Oregon's rural gun death rate seems somewhat driven by suicides; about 4 in 5 Oregon gun deaths is a suicide, compared to roughly 65-35 suicide and homicide nationally.

The Oregonian/OregonLive is preparing a broader story on gun deaths and the factors that drive the rate higher in some counties, lower in others.

We'll have some stories later in the week drawing from academic research and the ground-level experience of people who live in urban and rural Oregon. In the meantime, let us know what you see in this map by sharing your comments below.

-- Steve Suo

-- Interactive map by Mark Graves

CORRECTION: The ratio of gun suicides to gun homicides nationally is roughly 65-35. An earlier version of this post contained incorrect numbers.