States That Pack Heat

Top 10 CCW States: Percentage of the population currently owning concealed carry permits:

7.45% South Dakota...56,247 Licenses
6.79% Indiana...407,400
6.76% Pennsylvania...830,196
5.23% Connecticut...177,820
5.12% Washington...301,773
4.34% Idaho...56,420
4.10% Utah...91,553
3.86% Oregon...131,240
3.79% Florida...606,400
3.45% Tennessee...196,650

The rest

3.15% Alabama
2.71% Kentucky
2.67% Wyoming
2.41% Maine
2.18% Arkansas
2.11% Virginia
1.94% West Virginia
1.76% Arizona
1.75% Oklahoma
1.70% Montana
1.70% Michigan
1.62% Texas
1.39% South Carolina
1.34% North Dakota
1.00% North Carolina
0.86% Mississippi
0.62% Louisiana
0.58% Nevada
0.45% Minnesota
0.36% Missouri
0.33% Ohio
0.20% Colorado
0.17% New Mexico

The above are Shall-Issue states, with Iowa not included because while the State Law reads as Shall, local authorities can deny at whim.

South Dakota has an unusually high percentage of concealed carry permits due to the fact that handgun hunting is preferred over rifle, and with a lot of gear to pack and carry, hunters are allowed to tuck their pistol or revolver under a jacket etc.

Vermont is not on the list because no license or permit is needed to carry a firearm, and Alaska is the same.

Missing is Georgia, as at this point in time I have not yet discovered how many licenses have been issued in Peachville, USA.

Any resident of Pennsylvania may obtain a permit to carry by filling out a simple form, spending between $10-15, and receiving the certification within minutes, hence it's high rate of carry.

Texas is the anomoly, with 1.62% or 337,786 Texans choosing to carry.

With the passing of new laws in Florida, permits might increase, but, as is the case with Texas, a great many of the listed population are not citizens, or would have other reasons to legally deny them a license.