COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Delaware County: lower-rate fatality band
Delaware County (PA) is in the lower per-capita third: 4.5/100k (#2,236 of 2,328). Data period: 2016-2023.
- 211
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 26
- Latest Year Deaths
- High count
- 4.5
- Per 100k Residents
- Well below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Lower per-capita fatality band
Delaware County ranks #2,236 of 2,328 by deaths per 100,000 residents (4.5/100k) - bottom-third rate among rated U.S. counties.
Delaware County in the lower-rate third
According to NHTSA FARS, Delaware County sits in the lower-rate third at 4.5 per 100k (#2,236 of 2,328), #62 of 63 in PA.
- #2,236 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #297 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #62 of 63
- in PA by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
NHTSA county milepost
Milepost DELAWARE-45 · Delaware 4.5/100k · #2,236 of 2,328
Delaware County · 4.5/100k · increasing
- POST 4.5/100k
- BAND #2,236 of 2,328
- VOL 211 book
- AVG Increasing
- YOY near Brown
- RATE -65.9% 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 →
Delaware County rate neighbourhood
Deaths per 100,000 residents vs nearest nationwide rate peers (pop ≥250k).
- Montgomery
Montgomery County
4 per 100k
- Brown
Brown County
4 per 100k
- Hennepin
Hennepin County
4 per 100k
- Delaware
Delaware County
5 per 100k
- Essex
Essex County
5 per 100k
What this shows Delaware County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.
How does Delaware County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Delaware County is 66% 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, Delaware 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 Delaware County's rate and the state average is 8.7 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Crawford County, at 17.1 per 100,000 (a difference of 12.6). 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).
Delaware County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
5 Among the safer counties a lower per-capita rate than 96% 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 Delaware 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 (4.5 here), outside Pennsylvania.
Similar fatality volume
Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (211 here), excluding the rate-peer set.
More road safety data related to Delaware County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Delaware 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 DLetter index including PA counties
- BROWN County, WI fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- HENNEPIN County, MN fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- ESSEX County, MA fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- MONTGOMERY County, MD fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Delaware County, Pennsylvania?
Delaware County recorded 211 total traffic fatalities across 201 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 26 fatalities. The county averages approximately 23.4 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Delaware County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (201 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Delaware County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Pennsylvania may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Delaware County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Delaware 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 Delaware County?
Delaware County has a fatality rate of 4.5 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 Delaware County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Delaware County ranks #2,236 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #62 of 63 rated counties in PA, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Delaware County compare to the rest of Pennsylvania?
Delaware County's per-capita rate of 4.5 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 Delaware 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.