Based on two scientific nationally representative surveys conducted in 2016, 36% to 49% of U.S. households have at least one gun. The 36% figure only includes people who answered "Yes" to the question, while the 49% figure also includes those who refused to answer or said they didn't know. A study conducted by NORC, an independent research institute at the University of Chicago, found that people who refuse to answer or say they don't know "have a profile that indicates they are probably disproportionately gun owners."