First-of-its-Kind Tool Maps Economic and Human Toll Across All 95 Counties
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A landmark partnership between Voices for a Safer Tennessee (Safer TN) and the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (Boyd Center), has produced a new interactive dashboard revealing the staggering toll of firearm injuries and deaths in the state.
The data, recorded by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee Department of Health, shows these tragedies cost the state’s economy an estimated $3.6 billion in 2023 alone, up from $2.74 billion in 2017 (the last year in which comparable data is available).The economic impact is driven primarily by the value of lost life, which includes lost wages, but also associated medical costs and law enforcement response to firearm tragedies.
The dashboard provides policymakers and the public with a localized look at firearm-related deaths and injuries across every one of Tennessee’s 95 counties.
Matt Harris, Ph.D., the Boyd Distinguished Professor of Health Economics at the Boyd Center and co-creator of the dashboard, said that Tennessee is worse than the national average and near the bottom 10 in firearm death rates.
“Tennessee is a terrific state. We are growing in so many areas, but this is an outcome where our state has struggled,” Harris said. The dashboard highlights a sobering trend: firearm deaths in Tennessee increased by approximately 60% over the ten-year study period. In addition, the average rate of firearm deaths in the state’s urban and rural areas was comparable.
- There were 19.1 deaths per 100,000 residents in the state’s rural counties.
- 20 deaths per 100,000 in the state’s 17 urban counties.
“Safer TN partnered with the Boyd Center on this initiative because Tennesseans need a way to clearly examine verified data on the impact of firearms in our communities,” said Claudia Huskey, executive director of Safer TN. “We hope the dashboard helps community leaders as they have meaningful conversations about firearm safety because preventable tragedies happen everywhere.”
Key Findings from the Dashboard:
- Total Economic Impact: $3.6 billion in costs related to firearm injuries and deaths in 2023 alone. These costs, which average $510 total per capita for Tennesseans, include value of lost life, hospitalizations, emergency services, and lost productivity.
- A Growing Gap: Tennessee’s firearm death rates (both homicide and suicide) are trending significantly above the national average, with the disparity widening annually.
- Rural vs. Urban Dynamics: While firearm homicides are more concentrated in large metropolitan areas like Memphis and Nashville, firearm suicides are more prevalent in Tennessee’s rural counties.
- Data Integration: Developed by the Boyd Center, the tool utilizes only verified data from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Tennessee Department of Health.
Explore the Data
The interactive dashboard allows users to explore heat maps, analyze time trends, and perform side-by-side county comparisons.
To explore the data dashboard, visit tiny.utk.edu/firearms.
About Voices for a Safer Tennessee: Safer TN is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization with nearly 35,000 supporters in all 95 counties, committed to firearm safety efforts that protect our communities and respect the Second Amendment.
About the Boyd Center for Business and Economic Research: Located within the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, the Boyd Center conducts independent economic research to inform public policy and business decisions in Tennessee and beyond.
