294
gun deaths in Iowa, including
26
children and teens
(ages 0-19)
17%
Homicides comprised nearly 1/5 gun deaths
79%
Suicides comprised 4/5 gun deaths
88%
of gun death victims were male
9th
lowest gun death rate in the country in 2019

GUN DEATHS BY INTENT, 2019

Nearly 300 Iowans died by gun violence in 2019, an average of more than five people every week. Suicides were 79% of the gun deaths and homicides were 17%.

Number of deaths

TRENDS OVER TIME

Age-adjusted rate per 100,000

Total gun death rate
Firearm homicide rate
Firearm suicide rate

County Variations

Age-adjusted gun death rate per 100,000

  • 4.54 to 7.54
  • 7.55 to 10.55
  • 10.56 to 13.56
  • 13.57 to 16.68
  • Suppressed /
    Unreliable

Among the counties in Iowa, Union County had the highest gun death rate, followed by Des Moines County and Jefferson County.

Conversely, Johnson County had the lowest gun death rate, followed by Dubuque County and Story County.

Notes:

  • The CDC suppresses data in which fewer than 10 deaths are reported in a given time frame and considers firearm death rates based on fewer than 20 deaths “statistically unreliable.” Counties that meet this criteria are labeled “Suppressed/Unreliable.”
  • Based on a ten-year average (2010-2019).

FIREARM HOMICIDES

49
firearm homicides in 2019, including
11
children and teens
4th
lowest firearm homicide rate in the U.S.

Gun Deaths by Intent

Nearly 1/5 of gun deaths were homicides in 2019.

Homicide by Method

3/5 of homicides were committed with firearms in 2019.

Demographics

In Iowa, young Black males are disproportionately impacted by firearm homicide. Black males aged 15-34 have a firearm homicide rate nearly 23 times higher than White males of the same age group.

Note: Based on a five-year average (2015-2019).

FIREARM SUICIDES

233
firearm suicides in 2019, including
14
children and teens
14th
lowest firearm suicide rate in the U.S.

Gun Deaths by Intent

Nearly 4/5 of gun deaths were suicides in 2019.

Suicide by Method

Nearly half of all suicides were by firearm in 2019.

Demographics

In Iowa, White males ages 75+ are at highest risk for firearm suicide.

Note: Based on a five-year average (2015-2019).

Resources

Additional Information

Notes

  • All rates listed are age-adjusted in order to allow for accurate comparisons between populations with different age distributions.
  • All data is from 2019, the most recent year of data available, unless otherwise indicated.
  • Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. WONDER Online Database, 1999-2019. Available: http://wonder.cdc.gov/ucd-icd10.html.

Last updated March 2021