COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Des Moines County: lower-rate fatality band
Des Moines County (IA) is in the lower per-capita third: 2.6/100k (#2,312 of 2,328). Data period: 2016-2023.
- 22
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 1
- Latest Year Deaths
- Low count
- 2.6
- Per 100k Residents
- Well below average
- Stable
- Trend
Lower per-capita fatality band
Des Moines County ranks #2,312 of 2,328 by deaths per 100,000 residents (2.6/100k) - bottom-third rate among rated U.S. counties.
Des Moines County in the lower-rate third
According to NHTSA FARS, Des Moines County sits in the lower-rate third at 2.6 per 100k (#2,312 of 2,328), #67 of 68 in IA.
- #2,312 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #2,284 of 3,137
- smaller-book third
- #67 of 68
- in IA by rate
- Stable
- fatality trend
Highway fatality milepost
Milepost DES-MOINES-5 · Des Moines 2.6/100k · #2,312 of 2,328
Des Moines County · 2.6/100k · stable
- NHTSA 2.6/100k
- MILE #2,312 of 2,328
- POST 22 book
- BAND Stable
- VOL 22 crash
- AVG -83.5% 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 Des Moines County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Des Moines County is 84% 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, Des Moines 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 Des Moines County's rate and the state average is 13.2 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Madison County, at 23.6 per 100,000 (a difference of 21.0). 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).
Des Moines County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
3 Among the safer counties a lower per-capita rate than 99% 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 Des Moines County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Des Moines 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 DLetter index including IA counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Des Moines County, Iowa?
Des Moines County recorded 22 total traffic fatalities across 22 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 1 fatalities. The county averages approximately 2.4 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Des Moines County?
Cause-code breakdowns are not individually published for Des Moines County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Iowa may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Des Moines County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Des Moines County is stable. Fatality counts have remained relatively consistent over the data period.
What is the fatality rate per capita in Des Moines County?
Des Moines County has a fatality rate of 2.6 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 Des Moines County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Des Moines County ranks #2,312 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #67 of 68 rated counties in IA, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Des Moines County compare to the rest of Iowa?
Des Moines County's per-capita rate of 2.6 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 Des Moines 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.