SACRAMENTO – (INT) - The prevalence of guns in California compared to the rest of the nation is not as high as you might expect.

In spite of the San Bernardino massacre and gun-related crimes, California ranked 43rd among the states in gun prevalence, according to a study released Monday.

Kentucky, Alaska, Alabama and West Virginia took the top four spots, according to WalletHub.

The gun industry plays an important role in the U.S. economy. By one estimate, firearms and ammunitions contributed a total of nearly $43 billion to the economy in 2014.

That figure accounts for more than 263,000 jobs, according to the report from the National Shooting Sports Foundation. In the same year, federal and state governments collected from the industry more than $5.79 billion in business taxes.

But the losses from gun violence certainly put those gains in perspective. A recent analysis by Mother Jones estimated the cost of fatal and nonfatal gun violence at $229 billion in 2012. According to the authors of the report, that toll “would have been $47 billion more than Apple's 2014 worldwide revenue and $88 billion more than what the US government budgeted for education that year.”

Story Date: February 10, 2016