A new survey by the Crime Prevention Research Center (CPRC) shows that the percentage of Americans who carry concealed handguns rose from 24.3% in December 2024 to 29.8% in May 2026. That is an increase of 5.5 percentage points in about 18 months.
CPRC hired McLaughlin & Associates to survey 1,000 general election voters on May 19, 2026. The survey asked likely voters whether they carry concealed handguns.
How Often People Carry
The survey found that 13.2% of respondents carry a concealed handgun all or most of the time. Another 16.6% carry sometimes or rarely. Together, these groups add up to the 29.8% total.
Compared to the December 2024 survey, the share of people who carry all or most of the time barely changed. However, the share who carry sometimes or rarely grew from 11.2% to 16.6%, a jump of 5.4 percentage points. This means most of the overall increase came from people who carry occasionally, not constantly.
Constitutional Carry vs. Right-to-Carry States
States differ in their gun laws. In “constitutional carry” states, people can carry a concealed handgun without a permit. There are currently 29 such states. In “right-to-carry” states, a permit is still required. There are 21 of these states.
The survey found that people in constitutional carry states carry more often. In those states, 34.2% of people carry a concealed handgun. In right-to-carry states, the rate is lower, at about 26%. This suggests that easier access leads to more carrying.
Race and Ethnicity
The survey showed some notable patterns by race and ethnicity. Black and Hispanic Americans carry concealed handguns at higher rates than their share of likely voters would suggest. Black Americans make up 11% of likely voters but 15.9% of those who carry all or most of the time. Hispanic Americans make up 11% of likely voters but 18.8% of frequent carriers.
White Americans carry at slightly lower rates than their population share. Whites make up 72% of likely voters but only 62.6% of those who carry frequently. Asian Americans also carry less often, making up 4% of voters but only 2% of frequent carriers.
Political Party
Republicans carry concealed handguns more often than Democrats or Independents. Republicans make up 35% of likely voters, Democrats make up 34%, and Independents and others make up 31%. However, Republicans carry at higher rates relative to their voter share.
Income and Class
The survey also collected income and self-reported class information. About 41% of likely voters identified as middle class, while 28% said they were lower middle class. On the income side, the largest group earned between $20,000 and $40,000 per year (20.7%), followed by those earning between $60,000 and $100,000 (19.8%).
Where People Live
One of the more surprising findings involved where people live. Urban residents carry at much higher rates than expected given their share of voters. Urban dwellers make up 31.3% of likely voters but account for 42.8% of those who carry frequently. They also make up 35.8% of those who carry sometimes or rarely.
Suburban residents carry at about the same rate as their voter share. Rural residents, however, carry at lower rates than expected. Though rural residents make up 23.3% of likely voters, fewer than that carry frequently.
Key Takeaways
- Overall carrying rose from 24.3% to 29.8% between December 2024 and May 2026.
- Most of the increase came from occasional carriers, not frequent ones.
- People in constitutional carry states carry more often than those in permit states.
- Black and Hispanic Americans carry at higher rates than their voter share would suggest.
- Urban residents carry more frequently than expected; rural residents carry less.
- Republicans carry more often than Democrats or Independents.
The survey suggests that concealed carry is becoming more common across many groups in American society, not just among the demographics traditionally associated with gun ownership.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views.
