67
gun deaths in Vermont
<12%
Homicides comprised less than 12% of gun deaths
88%
Suicides comprised the majority of gun deaths
93%
of gun death victims were male
10th
lowest gun death rate in the country in 2019

GUN DEATHS BY INTENT, 2019

In 2019, 67 people in Vermont died by gun violence, an average of more than one person every week. Suicides were 85% of the gun deaths.

Number of deaths

Note: The CDC does not report the number of firearm homicides if there are fewer than 10 deaths in a given year. There were fewer than 10 firearm homicides reported in Vermont in 2019, therefore homicide deaths are collapsed into the other category.

TRENDS OVER TIME

After four years of steadily increasing, the overall gun death rate and firearm suicide rate decreased from 2018 to 2019. The overall gun death rate decreased by 27% and the firearm suicide rate decreased by 25%.

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 in Vermont from 2010-2019, therefore these data points are omitted from the graph above.

County Variations

Age-adjusted gun death rate per 100,000

  • 6.44 to 9.24
  • 9.25 to 12.05
  • 12.06 to 14.86
  • 14.87 to 17.48
  • Suppressed /
    Unreliable

Among the counties in Vermont, Caledonia County had the highest gun death rate, followed by Orange County and Windham County.

Conversely, Chittenden County had the lowest gun death rate, followed by Addison County and Lamoille 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

<10
firearm homicides in 2019

Gun Deaths by Intent

11% of gun deaths were homicides from 2015-2019.

Homicide by Method

Nearly 3/5 of homicides were committed with firearms from 2015-2019.

Demographics

In Vermont, White males and females are at highest risk of firearm homicide.

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

FIREARM SUICIDES

59
firearm suicides in 2019
28th
highest firearm suicide rate in the U.S.

Gun Deaths by Intent

The majority of gun deaths were suicides in 2019.

Suicide by Method

More than half of all suicides were by firearm in 2019.

Demographics

In Vermont, White males ages 75+ and 25-34 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