COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Chester County: larger FARS fatality book
Chester County (PA) holds a larger FARS book (260, #231 of 3,137) with 33 latest-year deaths.
- 260
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 33
- Latest Year Deaths
- Very high count
- 6.0
- Per 100k Residents
- Well below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Larger fatality book
Chester County ranks #231 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (260 across 2016-2023) - top-third book size.
Chester County in the larger-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, Chester County carries a top-third fatality book (260 across 2016-2023, #231 of 3,137) at 6.0/100k.
- #2,134 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #231 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #57 of 63
- in PA by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
Highway fatality milepost
Milepost CHESTER-29 · Chester 6.0/100k · #2,134 of 2,328
Chester County · 6.0/100k · increasing
- RATE 6.0/100k
- RANK #2,134 of 2,328
- BOOK 260 book
- TREND Increasing
- CAUSE near Sonoma
- PHOTO -54.6% vs PA
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 → · Pennsylvania state profile →
Chester County rate neighbourhood
Deaths per 100,000 residents vs nearest nationwide rate peers (pop ≥250k).
- Ada
Ada County
6 per 100k
- Chester
Chester County
6 per 100k
- Sonoma
Sonoma County
6 per 100k
- Washtenaw
Washtenaw County
6 per 100k
- Will
Will County
6 per 100k
What this shows Chester County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.
How does Chester County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Chester County is 55% 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 Pennsylvania, Chester County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 13.2 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate puts it among the safest one in ten U.S. counties by that per-capita measure. The gap between Chester County's rate and the state average is 7.2 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Crawford County, at 17.1 per 100,000 (a difference of 11.1). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Fulton County (62.2), Potter County (31.3), Bedford County (23.2), Bradford County (21.8), Susquehanna County (21.0), Huntingdon County (20.7), Franklin County (19.6), Mercer County (19.4), Carbon County (18.3), McKean County (17.7), Wayne County (17.6), Perry County (17.4), Mifflin County (17.4), Crawford County (17.1).
Chester County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
6 Among the safer counties a lower per-capita rate than 92% 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
Counties with similar FARS profiles
Two cross-state peer sets for Chester County. Same-state rate comparisons stay in the chart above; these neighborhoods are nearest other-state counties with population at least 250,000.
Similar per-capita fatality rate
Nearest counties by deaths per 100,000 residents (6.0 here), outside Pennsylvania.
Similar fatality volume
Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (260 here), excluding the rate-peer set.
More road safety data related to Chester County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Chester County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- Pennsylvania statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for PA
- 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 PA counties
- SONOMA County, CA fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- WASHTENAW County, MI fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- WILL County, IL fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- ADA County, ID fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Chester County, Pennsylvania?
Chester County recorded 260 total traffic fatalities across 246 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 33 fatalities. The county averages approximately 28.9 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Chester County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (246 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Chester County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Pennsylvania may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Chester County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Chester 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 Chester County?
Chester County has a fatality rate of 6.0 per 100,000 residents, which puts it among the safest one in ten U.S. counties by that per-capita measure among the 3,137 U.S. counties in this dataset.
Where does Chester County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Chester County ranks #2,134 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #57 of 63 rated counties in PA, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Chester County compare to the rest of Pennsylvania?
Chester County's per-capita rate of 6.0 per 100,000 residents is below the Pennsylvania county average of 13.2. Visit the Pennsylvania state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Chester 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.