367 Gun Deaths in Iowa
Based on most recent available finalized data from CDC (2022).
65
HOMICIDES
288
SUICIDES
14
OTHER
16
CHILDREN & TEENS AGES 1-17
Key Takeaways
The gun death rate increased 39% in 2022 compared to 2013.
Iowa had the 10th lowest gun death rate in the country in 2022.
Firearms were the second leading cause of death among children and teens ages 1-17 from 2018 to 2022.
In 2021, there were at least 32 domestic violence-related homicides in Iowa. 56% percent were by firearm.
28% of all gun homicides in 2022 occurred in Polk County even though the county makes up 16% of the state’s overall population.
An average of one person killed every day.
Gun violence cost Iowans $3.8 billion annually.
Firearm Homicide in Iowa
42%
42% of all gun homicides in 2022 were people between the ages of 15 and 34.
28X
Black people were 28 times as likely to die by gun homicide than their white counterparts.
38%
Young Black males ages 15-34 make up 1% of the total population in Iowa, but 38% of all gun homicide deaths in 2022.
Firearm Suicide in Iowa
11X
Males were 11 times as likely to die by gun suicide than females.
64%
White males over the age of 34 accounted for 24% of the population in Iowa but 64% of all gun suicide deaths in 2022.
45%
45% of all gun suicide deaths in 2022 were people over the age of 54.
Guns are used in the majority of homicides.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics. Underlying Cause of Death. Age-adjusted Gun Deaths and Rates per 100,000. WONDER Online Database, 1999-2022; & WISQARS. National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) and Cost of Injury Modules. 2021-2022
