COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Cherokee County, North Carolina
Road fatality data for Cherokee County (NC). Data period: 2016-2023.
- 49
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 5
- Latest Year Deaths
- Low count
- 16.7
- Per 100k Residents
- Below average
- Decreasing
- Trend
Falling fatality trend
Cherokee County's FARS series is labeled Decreasing with 5 deaths in the latest year.
Cherokee County on a falling FARS trend
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Cherokee County ranks #1,093 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #44 of 94 rated counties in NC. Cherokee County's fatality rate of 16.7 per 100,000 residents places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure.
- #1,093 of 2,328
- among rated U.S. counties by rate
- #1,429 of 3,137
- by total FARS fatalities
- #44 of 94
- in NC by rate
- Decreasing
- fatality trend
Highway fatality milepost
Milepost CHEROKEE-39 · Cherokee 16.7/100k · #1,093 of 2,328
Cherokee County · 16.7/100k · decreasing
- RANK 16.7/100k
- BOOK #1,093 of 2,328
- TREND 49 book
- CAUSE Decreasing
- PHOTO 45 crash
- VS-ST -11.0% vs NC
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 → · North Carolina state profile →
How does Cherokee County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Cherokee County is About the same as 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 North Carolina, Cherokee County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 18.8 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure. The gap between Cherokee County's rate and the state average is 2.1 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Edgecombe County, at 28.7 per 100,000 (a difference of 12.0). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Robeson County (55.4), Scotland County (52.4), Montgomery County (49.8), Bertie County (47.3), Halifax County (44.4), Sampson County (41.9), Duplin County (38.4), Warren County (37.2), Alexander County (32.9), Anson County (32.0), Columbus County (31.9), Bladen County (30.5), Gates County (29.0), Edgecombe County (28.7).
Cherokee County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
17 Around the middle a lower per-capita rate than 47% 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 Cherokee County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Cherokee County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- North Carolina statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for NC
- 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 NC counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Cherokee County, North Carolina?
Cherokee County recorded 49 total traffic fatalities across 45 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 5 fatalities. The county averages approximately 5.4 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Cherokee County?
Cause-code breakdowns are not individually published for Cherokee County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for North Carolina may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Cherokee County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Cherokee County is decreasing. This suggests road safety improvements are having a positive effect in the county.
What is the fatality rate per capita in Cherokee County?
Cherokee County has a fatality rate of 16.7 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 Cherokee County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Cherokee County ranks #1,093 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #44 of 94 rated counties in NC, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Cherokee County compare to the rest of North Carolina?
Cherokee County's per-capita rate of 16.7 per 100,000 residents is below the North Carolina county average of 18.8. Visit the North Carolina state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Cherokee 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.