COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Custer County: higher-rate fatality band
Custer County (NE) is in the higher per-capita third: 37.8/100k (#222 of 2,328). Data period: 2016-2023.
- 18
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 4
- Latest Year Deaths
- Low count
- 37.8
- Per 100k Residents
- Well above average
- Stable
- Trend
Higher per-capita fatality band
Custer County ranks #222 of 2,328 by deaths per 100,000 residents (37.8/100k) - top-third rate among rated U.S. counties.
Custer County in the higher-rate third
According to NHTSA FARS, Custer County sits in the higher-rate third at 37.8 per 100k (#222 of 2,328), #3 of 25 in NE.
- #222 of 2,328
- higher-rate third
- #2,451 of 3,137
- smaller-book third
- #3 of 25
- in NE by rate
- Stable
- fatality trend
NHTSA FARS milepost
Milepost CUSTER-41 · Custer 37.8/100k · #222 of 2,328
Custer County · 37.8/100k · stable
- BAND 37.8/100k
- VOL #222 of 2,328
- AVG 18 book
- YOY Stable
- RATE 18 crash
- RANK +113.8% vs NE
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 → · Nebraska state profile →
How does Custer County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Custer County is 2.1× deadlier 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 Nebraska, Custer County ranks 3 for per-capita risk, above the state's own per-capita average of 17.7 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate puts it among the most dangerous one in ten U.S. counties by that per-capita measure. The gap between Custer County's rate and the state average is 20.1 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Colfax County, at 37.9 per 100,000 (a difference of 0.1). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Box Butte County (65.5), Colfax County (37.9), Cass County (32.8), Saunders County (29.8), Washington County (28.4), Dakota County (28.2), Lincoln County (21.0), Buffalo County (15.8), Hall County (14.5), York County (13.9), Dawson County (12.5), Otoe County (12.2), Madison County (11.2), Holt County (9.9).
Custer County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
38 Higher than most a lower per-capita rate than 9% 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 Custer County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Custer County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- Nebraska statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for NE
- 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 NE counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Custer County, Nebraska?
Custer County recorded 18 total traffic fatalities across 18 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 4 fatalities. The county averages approximately 2.0 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Custer County?
Cause-code breakdowns are not individually published for Custer County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Nebraska may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Custer County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Custer County is stable. Fatality counts have remained relatively consistent over the data period.
What is the fatality rate per capita in Custer County?
Custer County has a fatality rate of 37.8 per 100,000 residents, which puts it among the most dangerous one in ten U.S. counties by that per-capita measure among the 3,137 U.S. counties in this dataset.
Where does Custer County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Custer County ranks #222 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #3 of 25 rated counties in NE, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Custer County compare to the rest of Nebraska?
Custer County's per-capita rate of 37.8 per 100,000 residents is above the Nebraska county average of 17.7. Visit the Nebraska state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Custer 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.