159
gun deaths in Maine
<10%
Homicide comprised less than 10% of gun deaths
92%
Suicides comprised the majority of gun deaths
89%
of gun death victims were male
12th
lowest gun death rate in the country in 2018

GUN DEATHS BY INTENT, 2018

More than 150 Mainers died by gun violence in 2018, an average of three people every week. Suicides were 92% of the gun deaths.

Number of deaths

Note: The CDC suppresses data in which fewer than 10 deaths are reported in a given year. In 2018, there were fewer than 10 firearm homicide deaths reported in Maine, therefore these deaths are collapsed into the “other” category.

TRENDS OVER TIME

Over the last 10 years (2009-2018), the overall gun death rate in Maine increased 21%. Increases in the suicide rate contributed to the overall change over the course of the decade; in that time period, the firearm suicide rate increased 27%.

Age-adjusted rate per 100,000

Total gun death rate
Firearm homicide rate
Firearm suicide rate

Note: The CDC considers firearm homicide rates based on fewer than 20 deaths “statistically unreliable.” There were fewer than 20 firearm homicides reported from 2009-2018, therefore these data points are omitted from the graph above.

County Variations

Age-adjusted gun death rate per 100,000

  • 6.33 to 8.83
  • 8.84 to 11.34
  • 11.35 to 13.85
  • 13.86 to 16.28
  • Suppressed /
    Unreliable

Among the counties in Maine, Washington County had the highest gun death rate, followed by Piscataquis County and Somerset County.

Conversely, Cumberland County had the lowest gun death rate, followed by Androscoggin County and Hancock 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 (2009-2018).

FIREARM HOMICIDES

<10
firearm homicides in 2018

Gun Deaths by Intent

Less than 10% of gun deaths were homicides from 2016 to 2018.

Homicide by Method

Nearly half of homicides were committed with firearms between 2016 and 2018.
Note: Fewer than 10 firearm homicides were reported in Maine in 2018, therefore data spanning the most recent three years (2016-2018) are used in order to display the above graphs.

Demographics

In Maine, 61% of firearm homicide victims are male and White (non Latino) males are at highest risk.

Note: Based on a five-year average (2014-2018).

FIREARM SUICIDES

147
firearm suicides in 2018
23rd
highest firearm suicide rate in the U.S.

Gun Deaths by Intent

The majority of gun deaths were suicides in 2018.

Suicide by Method

More than half of all suicides were by firearm in 2018.

Demographics

White (non Latino) males ages 75+ are at highest risk for firearm suicide.

Note: Based on a five-year average (2014-2018).

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 2018, 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, 1999-2018. Available: http://wonder.cdc.gov/ucd-icd10.html.

Last updated September 2020