Digest of Education Statistics
2016 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 231.60. Percentage of public school students in grades 9-12 who reported carrying a weapon at least 1 day during the previous 30 days, by location and state: Selected years, 2005 through 2015
[Standard errors appear in parentheses]
State Anywhere (including on school property)1 On school property2
2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
United States3 18.5 (0.80) 18.0 (0.87) 17.5 (0.73) 16.6 (0.65) 17.9 (0.73) 16.2 (0.91) 6.5 (0.46) 5.9 (0.37) 5.6 (0.32) 5.4 (0.35) 5.2 (0.44) 4.1 (0.29)
Alabama 21.0 (1.72) (†) 22.9 (2.27) 21.5 (1.54) 23.1 (1.55) 22.5 (1.91) 8.4 (1.44) (†) 8.7 (1.42) 8.2 (1.02) 5.5 (0.56) 5.6 (1.15)
Alaska (†) 24.4 (1.61) 20.0 (1.30) 19.0 (1.19) 19.2 (1.31) (†) (†) 8.4 (1.07) 7.8 (0.83) 5.7 (0.72) 6.1 (0.80) 8.2 (0.87)
Arizona 20.6 (0.84) 20.5 (0.91) 19.9 (1.25) 17.5 (1.17) 17.5 (1.17) 18.0 (1.28) 7.4 (0.53) 7.0 (0.75) 6.5 (0.64) 5.7 (0.59) 4.8 (0.86) 4.5 (0.93)
Arkansas 25.9 (1.15) 20.7 (1.36) 22.9 (1.82) 21.1 (1.76) 27.1 (1.76) 21.0 (1.40) 10.5 (1.10) 6.8 (0.85) 8.4 (1.02) 6.5 (0.95) 9.1 (1.10) 5.4 (0.90)
California (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) 8.9 (1.25) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) 2.8 (0.50)
                                                 
Colorado 17.0 (1.57) (†) 16.7 (1.27) 15.5 (1.31) (†) (†) 5.4 (0.81) (†) 5.5 (0.90) 5.5 (0.69) (†) (†)
Connecticut 16.3 (1.30) 17.2 (1.72) 12.4 (0.89) (†) (†) (†) 6.4 (0.83) 5.5 (1.03) 3.9 (0.45) 6.6 (0.67) 6.6 (0.82) 6.2 (0.59)
Delaware 16.6 (1.04) 17.1 (1.00) 18.5 (0.92) 13.5 (0.88) 14.4 (0.80) 13.0 (0.91) 5.7 (0.54) 5.4 (0.55) 5.1 (0.59) 5.2 (0.57) 3.1 (0.34) 4.0 (0.54)
District of Columbia 17.2 (1.11) 21.3 (1.45) (†) 18.9 (1.34) 20.0 (0.47) 18.1 (0.40) 6.7 (0.60) 7.4 (0.76) (†) 5.5 (0.88) (†) (†)
Florida 15.2 (0.68) 18.0 (0.93) 17.3 (0.60) 15.6 (0.76) 15.7 (0.67) 15.4 (0.92) 4.7 (0.41) 5.6 (0.41) 4.7 (0.35) (†) (†) (†)
                                                 
Georgia 22.1 (1.99) 19.5 (0.96) 18.8 (1.11) 22.8 (2.25) 18.5 (1.51) (†) 7.5 (1.50) 5.3 (0.48) 6.0 (0.90) 8.6 (1.80) 4.2 (0.66) (†)
Hawaii 13.3 (1.03) 14.8 (1.56) 15.9 (2.06) 13.9 (0.81) 10.5 (0.87) 10.7 (0.58) 4.9 (0.72) 3.7 (0.92) 4.7 (0.63) 4.2 (0.45) (†) (†)
Idaho 23.9 (1.45) 23.6 (1.35) 21.8 (1.15) 22.8 (1.30) 27.1 (1.31) 28.2 (1.52) (†) 8.9 (0.96) 6.7 (0.59) 6.3 (0.78) 6.5 (0.92) 6.8 (1.02)
Illinois (†) 14.3 (1.01) 16.0 (1.04) 12.6 (0.91) 15.8 (1.22) 15.4 (1.41) (†) 3.7 (0.67) 4.8 (0.59) 3.9 (0.53) 4.7 (0.57) 4.3 (0.51)
Indiana 19.2 (1.25) 20.9 (0.80) 18.1 (1.58) 17.0 (1.46) (†) 19.6 (1.84) 5.8 (0.71) 6.9 (0.64) 5.7 (0.80) 3.7 (0.46) (†) 5.6 (1.13)
                                                 
Iowa 15.7 (1.49) 12.8 (1.13) (†) 15.8 (1.26) (†) (†) 4.3 (0.70) 4.4 (0.61) (†) 4.5 (0.76) (†) (†)
Kansas 16.2 (1.37) 18.4 (1.19) 16.0 (1.26) (†) 16.1 (0.87) (†) 4.9 (0.85) 5.7 (0.75) 5.1 (0.65) 5.2 (0.72) (†) (†)
Kentucky 23.1 (1.49) 24.4 (1.08) 21.7 (1.72) 22.8 (1.72) 20.7 (1.35) 23.1 (1.62) 6.8 (0.72) 8.0 (0.59) 6.5 (0.77) 7.4 (1.25) 6.4 (0.73) 6.5 (1.03)
Louisiana (†) (†) 19.6 (1.73) 22.2 (0.98) 22.8 (2.78) (†) (†) (†) 5.8 (1.12) 4.2 (1.01) 7.0 (1.37) (†)
Maine 18.3 (2.00) 15.0 (1.47) (†) (†) (†) (†) 5.9 (1.03) 4.9 (0.70) (†) 8.0 (0.45) 7.1 (0.46) 5.8 (0.37)
                                                 
Maryland 19.1 (1.59) 19.3 (1.51) 16.6 (1.19) 15.9 (1.10) 15.8 (0.27) 14.9 (0.24) 6.9 (0.88) 5.9 (0.81) 4.6 (0.58) 5.3 (0.55) 4.8 (0.13) 4.3 (0.14)
Massachusetts 15.2 (0.88) 14.9 (0.88) 12.8 (1.00) 12.3 (0.95) 11.6 (0.83) 12.6 (1.20) 5.8 (0.59) 5.0 (0.48) 4.4 (0.58) 3.7 (0.46) 3.1 (0.50) 3.2 (0.38)
Michigan 15.8 (1.49) 17.9 (1.30) 16.6 (0.69) 15.7 (0.94) 15.5 (1.06) 16.6 (1.50) 4.7 (0.54) 5.0 (0.66) 5.4 (0.33) 3.5 (0.37) 3.8 (0.35) 3.6 (0.60)
Minnesota (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†)
Mississippi (†) 17.3 (1.33) 17.2 (1.02) 18.0 (1.39) 19.1 (1.56) 21.0 (1.50) (†) 4.8 (0.60) 4.5 (0.48) 4.2 (0.76) 4.1 (0.66) 5.2 (0.51)
                                                 
Missouri 19.4 (1.79) 18.6 (1.48) 16.0 (1.44) (†) 22.2 (1.93) 22.1 (1.72) 7.3 (0.99) 4.6 (0.83) 5.3 (1.02) (†) (†) 5.9 (0.68)
Montana 21.4 (1.20) 22.1 (0.76) 23.0 (1.07) 23.5 (0.96) 25.7 (0.84) 26.4 (0.94) 10.2 (0.89) 9.7 (0.57) 7.9 (0.67) 9.3 (0.69) 9.9 (0.58) 10.6 (0.80)
Nebraska 17.9 (0.89) (†) (†) 18.6 (0.90) (†) (†) 4.8 (0.48) (†) (†) 3.8 (0.45) (†) 8.1 (0.95)
Nevada 18.4 (1.32) 14.5 (1.08) 19.1 (1.08) (†) 16.0 (1.50) 18.3 (1.53) 6.8 (0.91) 4.7 (0.61) 6.2 (0.62) (†) 3.3 (0.64) 3.7 (0.59)
New Hampshire 16.2 (1.26) 18.1 (1.46) (†) 14.5 (1.04) (†) (†) 6.5 (0.93) 5.8 (0.61) 8.8 (1.00) (†) (†) (†)
                                                 
New Jersey 10.5 (0.95) (†) 9.6 (0.81) 9.6 (1.17) 10.2 (1.08) (†) 3.1 (0.53) (†) 3.1 (0.45) (†) 2.7 (0.34) (†)
New Mexico 24.5 (1.44) 27.5 (1.20) 27.4 (0.90) 22.8 (0.93) 22.2 (0.88) 22.5 (0.82) 8.0 (0.29) 9.3 (0.66) 8.1 (0.59) 6.5 (0.51) 5.4 (0.42) 4.6 (0.33)
New York 14.3 (0.74) 14.2 (0.76) 13.9 (0.98) 12.6 (0.76) 12.8 (0.82) 13.0 (0.96) 5.2 (0.42) 4.7 (0.41) 4.8 (0.64) 4.2 (0.32) 4.0 (0.38) 4.5 (0.51)
North Carolina 21.5 (1.35) 21.2 (1.19) 19.6 (0.95) 20.8 (1.24) 20.6 (1.34) 19.3 (1.33) 6.4 (0.77) 6.8 (0.94) 4.7 (0.57) 6.1 (0.64) 4.5 (0.67) 3.9 (0.54)
North Dakota (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) 6.0 (0.74) 5.0 (0.57) 5.4 (0.64) 5.7 (0.73) 6.4 (0.75) 5.2 (0.49)
                                                 
Ohio4 15.2 (1.27) 16.6 (1.42) (†) 16.4 (1.37) 14.2 (1.61) (†) 4.4 (0.63) 4.1 (0.51) (†) (†) (†) (†)
Oklahoma 18.9 (1.38) 22.3 (1.65) 19.0 (1.44) 19.4 (1.86) 19.9 (1.41) 19.5 (1.66) 7.0 (0.77) 9.0 (1.43) 5.6 (0.79) 6.1 (1.14) 6.0 (0.77) 4.8 (0.80)
Oregon (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†)
Pennsylvania (†) (†) 14.8 (1.28) (†) (†) 17.4 (1.27) (†) (†) 3.3 (0.47) (†) (†) 2.0 (0.44)
Rhode Island 12.4 (0.90) 12.0 (0.74) 10.4 (0.50) 11.2 (0.82) (†) (†) 4.9 (0.41) 4.9 (0.63) 4.0 (0.33) 4.0 (0.39) 5.0 (0.78) 4.8 (0.80)
                                                 
South Carolina 20.5 (1.42) 19.8 (1.69) 20.4 (2.22) 23.4 (1.86) 21.2 (1.25) 20.5 (1.88) 6.7 (0.82) 4.8 (0.79) 4.6 (0.67) 6.3 (0.89) 3.7 (0.48) 2.9 (0.46)
South Dakota4 (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) 8.3 (0.72) 6.3 (0.80) 9.2 (0.76) 5.7 (0.52) 6.8 (0.87) 7.1 (1.29)
Tennessee 24.1 (1.58) 22.6 (1.41) 20.5 (1.64) 21.1 (1.34) 19.2 (1.70) (†) 8.1 (0.92) 5.6 (0.70) 5.1 (0.70) 5.2 (0.80) 5.4 (0.79) (†)
Texas 19.3 (0.93) 18.8 (0.71) 18.2 (0.89) 17.6 (0.73) 18.4 (1.33) (†) 7.9 (0.63) 6.8 (0.55) 6.4 (0.76) 4.9 (0.45) 5.6 (0.68) (†)
Utah 17.7 (1.70) 17.1 (1.38) 16.0 (1.40) 16.8 (1.48) 17.2 (1.19) (†) 7.0 (1.03) 7.5 (1.00) 4.6 (0.63) 5.9 (1.01) 5.0 (0.57) (†)
                                                 
Vermont (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) 9.1 (0.90) 9.6 (1.05) 9.0 (0.61) 9.1 (0.73) 10.4 (1.28) 7.7 (0.19)
Virginia (†) (†) (†) 20.4 (1.26) 15.8 (0.69) 15.0 (0.75) (†) (†) (†) 5.7 (0.64) (†) 2.6 (0.44)
Washington (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†) (†)
West Virginia 22.3 (1.32) 21.3 (1.52) 24.4 (1.05) 20.7 (1.64) 24.3 (2.16) 26.1 (1.57) 8.5 (1.00) 6.9 (0.89) 6.5 (0.72) 5.5 (0.75) 5.5 (0.99) 6.5 (0.87)
Wisconsin 15.8 (1.19) 12.7 (0.76) 10.9 (0.81) 10.4 (0.66) 14.4 (1.32) (†) 3.9 (0.54) 3.6 (0.49) 3.4 (0.50) 3.1 (0.41) 3.2 (0.52) (†)
Wyoming 28.0 (1.17) 26.8 (1.28) 26.0 (1.04) 27.1 (1.19) 28.8 (0.95) 29.6 (1.33) 10.0 (0.71) 11.4 (0.76) 11.5 (0.81) 10.5 (0.71) 9.9 (0.62) 10.7 (0.82)
—Not available.
†Not applicable.
1 The term "anywhere" is not used in the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) questionnaire; students were simply asked how many days they carried a weapon during the past 30 days.
2 In the question asking students about carrying a weapon at school, "on school property" was not defined for survey respondents.
3 Data for the U.S. total include both public and private schools and were collected through a national survey representing the entire country.
4 Data include both public and private schools.
NOTE: Respondents were asked about carrying "a weapon such as a gun, knife, or club." State-level data include public schools only, with the exception of data for Ohio and South Dakota. Data for the U.S. total, Ohio, and South Dakota include both public and private schools. For specific states, a given year’s data may be unavailable (1) because the state did not participate in the survey that year; (2) because the state omitted this particular survey item from the state-level questionnaire; or (3) because the state had an overall response rate of less than 60 percent (the overall response rate is the school response rate multiplied by the student response rate).
SOURCE: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Adolescent and School Health, Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), 2005 through 2015. (This table was prepared July 2016.)

2016 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest