How Dependent Is New York State on the Gun Industry?

With recent incidents prompting more debates on the gun industry, how dependent is New York State on the gun industry compared to the rest of the country. 

With gun sales declining, and the recent Parkland school shooting, more debates regarding the gun industry are being started. While declining gun sales may sound like good news to many, it may be bad sign for economies relying heavily on the firearms industry.

According to the Firearms Industry Trade Association, guns contributed more than $51 billion to the U.S. economy and generated over $6.5 billion in federal and state taxes in 2017.

To determine which states depend most heavily on the arms and ammunition industry, Wallethub compared the 50 states across 16 key metrics. The data set ranges from firearms industry jobs per capita to gun sales per 1,000 residents to gun ownership rate.

New York is 2018's 5th least dependent state on the gun industry.

New York's Dependence on Gun Industry:

• 48th - Gun Ownership Rate
• 47th - Firearms-Industry Jobs per Capita
• 45th - Total Firearms-Industry Output per Capita
• 50th - Total Taxes Paid by Firearms Industry per Capita
• 48th - NICS Background Checks per Capita
• 39th - Gun-Control Contributions to Congressional Members per Capita
• 43rd - Gun-Rights Contributions to Congressional Members per Capita

Some states have considered putting more restrictions on the gun industry. For example, Oregon closed a loop hole that previously allowed convicted domestic abusers or stalkers to purchase firearms. The Florida Senate also voted to raise the minimum age to 21 to purchase any gun.