COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Clay County: lower-rate fatality band
Clay County (IA) is in the lower per-capita third: 6.1/100k (#2,125 of 2,328). Data period: 2016-2023.
- 14
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 1
- Latest Year Deaths
- Low count
- 6.1
- Per 100k Residents
- Well below average
- Stable
- Trend
Lower per-capita fatality band
Clay County ranks #2,125 of 2,328 by deaths per 100,000 residents (6.1/100k) - bottom-third rate among rated U.S. counties.
Clay County in the lower-rate third
According to NHTSA FARS, Clay County sits in the lower-rate third at 6.1 per 100k (#2,125 of 2,328), #59 of 68 in IA.
- #2,125 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #2,615 of 3,137
- smaller-book third
- #59 of 68
- in IA by rate
- Stable
- fatality trend
FARS milepost strip
Milepost CLAY-41 · Clay 6.1/100k · #2,125 of 2,328
Clay County · 6.1/100k · stable
- VOL 6.1/100k
- AVG #2,125 of 2,328
- YOY 14 book
- RATE Stable
- RANK 12 crash
- BOOK -61.3% vs IA
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 → · Iowa state profile →
How does Clay County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Clay County is 61% 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 Iowa, Clay County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 15.8 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 Clay County's rate and the state average is 9.7 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Madison County, at 23.6 per 100,000 (a difference of 17.5). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Louisa County (66.6), Union County (50.4), Harrison County (47.7), Cass County (38.1), Floyd County (32.6), Grundy County (32.3), Iowa County (30.5), Cedar County (27.3), Poweshiek County (27.1), Page County (26.6), Boone County (26.3), Winneshiek County (25.2), Wright County (23.7), Madison County (23.6).
Clay 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 91% 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 Clay County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Clay County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- Iowa statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for IA
- 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 IA counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Clay County, Iowa?
Clay County recorded 14 total traffic fatalities across 12 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 1 fatalities. The county averages approximately 1.6 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Clay County?
With a small recorded crash count (12), FARS does not publish an individual cause-code breakdown for Clay County. Statewide data for Iowa may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Clay County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Clay County is stable. Fatality counts have remained relatively consistent over the data period.
What is the fatality rate per capita in Clay County?
Clay County has a fatality rate of 6.1 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 Clay County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Clay County ranks #2,125 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #59 of 68 rated counties in IA, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Clay County compare to the rest of Iowa?
Clay County's per-capita rate of 6.1 per 100,000 residents is below the Iowa county average of 15.8. Visit the Iowa state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Clay 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.