COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Essex County: larger FARS fatality book
Essex County (NJ) holds a larger FARS book (383, #134 of 3,137) with 53 latest-year deaths.
- 383
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 53
- Latest Year Deaths
- Very high count
- 6.2
- Per 100k Residents
- Well below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Larger fatality book
Essex County ranks #134 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (383 across 2016-2023) - top-third book size.
Essex County in the larger-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, Essex County carries a top-third fatality book (383 across 2016-2023, #134 of 3,137) at 6.2/100k.
- #2,120 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #134 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #14 of 21
- in NJ by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
FARS milepost strip
Milepost ESSEX-13 · Essex 6.2/100k · #2,120 of 2,328
Essex County · 6.2/100k · increasing
- RANK 6.2/100k
- BOOK #2,120 of 2,328
- TREND 383 book
- CAUSE Increasing
- PHOTO near Erie
- VS-ST -20.0% vs NJ
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 → · New Jersey state profile →
Essex County rate neighbourhood
Deaths per 100,000 residents vs nearest nationwide rate peers (pop ≥250k).
- Macomb
Macomb County
6 per 100k
- Essex
Essex County
6 per 100k
- Erie
Erie County
6 per 100k
- Williamson
Williamson County
6 per 100k
- Allegheny
Allegheny County
6 per 100k
What this shows Essex County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.
How does Essex County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Essex County is 21% 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 New Jersey, Essex County ranks 14 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 7.8 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 Essex County's rate and the state average is 1.6 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Sussex County, at 6.2 per 100,000 (a difference of 0.0). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Salem County (18.4), Atlantic County (14.5), Cumberland County (14.4), Gloucester County (11.0), Warren County (9.9), Camden County (7.8), Burlington County (7.7), Mercer County (7.6), Cape May County (7.4), Middlesex County (6.8), Ocean County (6.5), Union County (6.5), Somerset County (6.3), Sussex County (6.2).
Essex 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
Counties with similar FARS profiles
Two cross-state peer sets for Essex 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 (6.2 here), outside New Jersey.
Similar fatality volume
Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (383 here), excluding the rate-peer set.
More road safety data related to Essex County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Essex County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- New Jersey statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for NJ
- 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 ELetter index including NJ counties
- ERIE County, NY fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- WILLIAMSON County, TX fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- ALLEGHENY County, PA fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- MACOMB County, MI fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Essex County, New Jersey?
Essex County recorded 383 total traffic fatalities across 358 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 53 fatalities. The county averages approximately 42.6 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Essex County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (358 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Essex County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for New Jersey may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Essex County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Essex 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 Essex County?
Essex County has a fatality rate of 6.2 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 Essex County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Essex County ranks #2,120 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #14 of 21 rated counties in NJ, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Essex County compare to the rest of New Jersey?
Essex County's per-capita rate of 6.2 per 100,000 residents is below the New Jersey county average of 7.8. Visit the New Jersey state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Essex 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.