COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Chaves County, New Mexico
Road fatality data for Chaves County (NM). Data period: 2016-2023.
- 87
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 8
- Latest Year Deaths
- Near average count
- 12.6
- Per 100k Residents
- Below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Rising fatality trend
Chaves County's FARS series is labeled Increasing with 8 deaths in the latest year.
Chaves County on a rising FARS trend
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Chaves County ranks #1,493 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #20 of 24 rated counties in NM. Chaves County's fatality rate of 12.6 per 100,000 residents places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure.
- #1,493 of 2,328
- among rated U.S. counties by rate
- #830 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #20 of 24
- in NM by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
Highway fatality milepost
Milepost CHAVES-5 · Chaves 12.6/100k · #1,493 of 2,328
Chaves County · 12.6/100k · increasing
- VS-ST 12.6/100k
- CRASH #1,493 of 2,328
- FARS 87 book
- NHTSA Increasing
- MILE 79 crash
- POST -59.8% vs NM
Stamps derive from this county's NHTSA FARS row (per-100k or book, corpus rank, trend, nationwide peer NAME, vs-state gap), not a trip-risk forecast. PlainRoadSafety is informational only. See our disclaimer. Verify with NHTSA FARS → · Read with methodology → · Understanding road fatality data → · New Mexico state profile →
How does Chaves County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Chaves County is 60% safer than the comparison
2023 road deaths from the NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System over population from the U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates Program (Vintage 2023). Rates shown for counties with 10,000+ residents and a 2023 FARS record.
Among the 15 rated counties in New Mexico, Chaves County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 31.4 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure. The gap between Chaves County's rate and the state average is 18.8 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Otero County, at 18.9 per 100,000 (a difference of 6.3). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Torrance County (102.3), Socorro County (75.2), Cibola County (56.0), Lincoln County (49.9), Sierra County (43.5), McKinley County (42.2), Colfax County (40.8), Luna County (39.5), Rio Arriba County (37.6), San Miguel County (33.7), Eddy County (29.9), Grant County (25.5), Lea County (25.0), Otero County (18.9).
Chaves County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
13 Lower than most a lower per-capita rate than 64% of 2,328 rated counties
rated U.S. counties, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more rated counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source NHTSA FARS over U.S. Census Bureau population estimates · 2026-09-03
More road safety data related to Chaves County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Chaves County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- New Mexico statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for NM
- State fatality changesYear-over-year state trends
- Browse all U.S. countiesAlphabetical county index
- All state profiles51 state dashboards
- State vs U.S. safety comparisonRoute-level lookup tool
- National statistics downloadFARS CSV + findings
- How to read FARS fatality dataMethodology primer
- Per-mile vs per-capita road riskRate denominator explained
- Counties starting with CLetter index including NM counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Chaves County, New Mexico?
Chaves County recorded 87 total traffic fatalities across 79 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 8 fatalities. The county averages approximately 9.7 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Chaves County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (79 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Chaves County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for New Mexico may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Chaves County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Chaves County is increasing. This indicates that traffic fatalities have risen over the data period, warranting attention to road safety initiatives.
What is the fatality rate per capita in Chaves County?
Chaves County has a fatality rate of 12.6 per 100,000 residents, which places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure among the 3,137 U.S. counties in this dataset.
Where does Chaves County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Chaves County ranks #1,493 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #20 of 24 rated counties in NM, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Chaves County compare to the rest of New Mexico?
Chaves County's per-capita rate of 12.6 per 100,000 residents is below the New Mexico county average of 31.4. Visit the New Mexico state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Chaves County come from?
All road fatality data comes from the NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), a census of fatal motor vehicle crashes on public roads in the United States. FARS data covers the period 2016-2023 and includes all crashes resulting in at least one fatality within 30 days.