“More Guns, Less Crime” by John Lott.

Thanks to a statistical analysis by the Chicago Sun-Times, we know today that McHenry County has more people, on a proportional basis, applying for concealed carry permits than any other Chicago-area county. (Graphic here. Map here.)

With 822 people applying so far, our rate per 10,000 residents is 26.6.  Another outlying Chicagoarea county, Will, is just behind McHenry County in its proportion of people wanting to be able to protect themselves.

In smaller Downstate counties, rates are as high as 51 per 10,000 residents.

Of the largest counties in Illinois, only Madison and Sangamon counties have a higher application rate than McHenry.