Firearm Laws & Mortality in the United States

Program: Data Science, MS | Date: March 2026

This analysis examines the relationship between state-level firearm legislation and firearm mortality rates across all 50 states. Using data from the CDC National Center for Health Statistics and the RAND State Firearm Law Database v6.0, I explore whether stricter gun laws correspond with fewer firearm deaths.

Data sources: CDC NCHS (2024) · RAND State Firearm Law Database v6.0 (2026)

Goal

The goal of this analysis is to determine whether strict firearm control laws correlate with reduced mortality across U.S. states. Using CDC mortality data and the RAND State Firearm Law Database, we examine whether states with more restrictive legislation consistently report fewer firearm deaths per 100,000 residents.