Like It Or Not Gun Industry Is A Large Part Of The North Carolina Economy

Author Melanie Day

October 25th, 2022 11:55 AM

TINLEY PARK, ILLINOIS - APRIL 08: Fred Lutger (R), the owner of Freddie Bear Sports, and Matt Collins look over a shipment of guns that arrived at the sporting goods store on April 08, 2021 in Tinley Park, Illinois. President Joe Biden today announced gun control measures which included stricter controls on the purchase of homemade firearms, commonly referred to as Ghost Guns and he made a push for national Red Flag legislation and other measures.

Guns are one of the most controversial topics in the United States these days. And with mass shootings and gun violence on the rise people’s opinions differ on how to solve this issue. I don’t pretend to know what the solution is and my opinion on this subject is irrelevant. What I can tell you is that the gun industry makes up a large part of the North Carolina economy. The information I’m reporting on comes from the 2022 Firearm and Ammunition Industry Economic Impact Report. The report is compiled yearly by the National Shooting Sports Foundation, which is the trade association for the firearm, ammunition, hunting, and recreational shooting sports industry. The NSSF was formed in 1961, with the mission to “promote, protect and, preserve hunting and shooting
sports.” Approximately 10,000 manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations, and publishers make up the NSSF’s membership.

The Economic Impact of The Firearm Industry

The yearly report details the undeniable economic impact the firearm and ammunition industry has on both individual states and the national economy. This growth has been evident with an estimated 5.4 million new gun owners in
2021. So exactly what is the impact of the gun industry on the North Carolina economy? In 2021, the industry employed 13,017 people across the state. Additionally, the industry is responsible for generating $2,513,647,00 for the North Carolina economy. That’s a lot of money which also translates to a lot of tax dollars. $160,325,900 in Federal Business Taxes to be exact.

Whatever your stance on guns and the 2nd Amendment is, you can’t deny the monetary value of the industry. For the entire United States, you are looking at 375,819 jobs and a $7.5 billion dollar output. That’s generating $4.5+ million in tax venue for the United States yearly. The upcoming election will likely impact this in one way or another. If you feel strongly pro or against this issue make sure to make your vote heard. Read the full report here.

Two North Carolina Cities Among Those With Largest Homicide Increases

Unfortunately, homicide rates are rapidly rising increasing rapidly across the U.S. Political parties are split on what to do to prevent this violence, but the problem is not solving itself. To make matters worse homicide rates have risen by an average of nearly 10% in 50 of the most populated U.S. cities. These numbers are the change between Q3 2021 and Q3 2022. WalletHub recently released a report, and two North Carolina cities were in the top 15, detailing the cities with the largest homicide increases. This list is compiled based on several different metrics (detailed below). While it may not come as a surprise, it’s still not something you want to see. And Charlotte was 5th when simply looking at the increase from Q3 2021 to 2022.

In order to determine which cities have the biggest homicide problems, WalletHub compared 50 of the largest U.S. cities based on per capita homicides in Q3 2022, as well as per capita homicides in Q3 2022 vs. Q3 2021 and Q3 2020. And the two largest North Carolina cites were among the top 15 for homicide increases. Ouch. Keep reading to see where they ranked as well as the other North Carolina city that made the list. It came in at number 26.

You can read the full WalletHub study and analysis here.

1. Kansas City, MO

Total Score: 87.49

Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022): 14.86

Change In Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2021): 4.89

Changes in Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2020): 2.04
2. Detroit, MI

Total Score: 69.46

Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022): 13.24

Change In Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2021): 1.34

Changes in Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2020): 1.19
3. St. Louis, MO

Total Score: 58.88

Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022): 19.69

Change In Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2021): -.66

Changes in Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2020): -15.42
4. New Orleans, LA

Total Score: 57.36

Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022): 10.99

Change In Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2021): 0.51

Changes in Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2020): 0.26
5. Milwaukee, WI

Total Score: 56.03

Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022): 10.46

Change In Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2021): 0.17

Changes in Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2020): 0.51
6. Albuquerque, NM

Total Score: 56.02

Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022): 6.60

Change In Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2021): 1.78

Changes in Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2020): 1.78
7. Philadelphia, PA

Total Score: 52.58

Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022): 9.36

Change In Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2021): 0.51

Changes in Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2020): 0.13
8. Norfolk, VA

Total Score: 49.70

Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022): 7.78

Change In Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2021): -1.23

Changes in Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2020): 1.64
9. Nashville, TN

Total Score: 47.09

Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022): 7.78

Change In Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2021): -1.23

Changes in Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2020): 1.64
10. Oakland, CA

Total Score: 47.01

Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022): 7.34

Change In Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2021): 0.24

Changes in Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2020): 0.24
11. Colorado Springs, CO

Total Score: 46.38

Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022): 2.54

Change In Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2021): 1.91

Changes in Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2020): 1.91
12. Baltimore, MD

Total Score: 44.00

Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022): 12.45

Change In Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2021): -2.66

Changes in Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2020): -1.66
13. Las Vegas, NV

Total Score: 43.53

Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022): 5.90

Change In Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2021): -1.55

Changes in Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2020): 1.55
14. Raleigh, NC

Total Score: 43.00

Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022): 3.19

Change In Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2021): 1.06

Changes in Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2020): 1.28
15. Charlotte, NC

Total Score: 41.40

Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022): 3.78

Change In Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2021): 1.49

Changes in Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2020): 0.23
16. Anchorage, AK

Total Score: 41.21

Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022): 2.40

Change In Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2021): 1.03

Changes in Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2020): 1.37
17. Tulsa, OK

Total Score: 38.71

Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022): 4.97

Change In Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2021): 1.24

Changes in Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2020): -0.99
18. Omaha, NE

Total Score: 37.26

Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022): 2.71

Change In Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2021): 1.04

Changes in Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2020): 0.21
19. Lincoln, NE

Total Score: 36.37

Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022): 1.75

Change In Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2021): 1.40

Changes in Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2020): 0.35
20. Austin, TX

Total Score: 36.17

Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022): 2.07

Change In Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2021): 0.21

Changes in Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2020): 0.93
26. Durham, NC

Total Score: 32.07

Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022): 3.26

Change In Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2021): -1.45

Changes in Homicide Cases Per Capita (Q3 2022 vs Q3 2020): 0.36