COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Franklin County: larger FARS fatality book
Franklin County (PA) holds a larger FARS book (161, #416 of 3,137) with 31 latest-year deaths.
- 161
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 31
- Latest Year Deaths
- Very high count
- 19.6
- Per 100k Residents
- Near average
- Increasing
- Trend
Larger fatality book
Franklin County ranks #416 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (161 across 2016-2023) - top-third book size.
Franklin County in the larger-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, Franklin County carries a top-third fatality book (161 across 2016-2023, #416 of 3,137) at 19.6/100k.
- #858 of 2,328
- among rated U.S. counties by rate
- #416 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #7 of 63
- in PA by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
Highway fatality milepost
Milepost FRANKLIN-55- · Franklin 19.6/100k · #858 of 2,328
Franklin County · 19.6/100k · increasing
- MILE 19.6/100k
- POST #858 of 2,328
- BAND 161 book
- VOL Increasing
- AVG 143 crash
- YOY +48.5% 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 →
How does Franklin County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Franklin County is 48% 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 Pennsylvania, Franklin County ranks 7 for per-capita risk, above the state's own per-capita average of 13.2 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure. The gap between Franklin County's rate and the state average is 6.4 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Mercer County, at 19.4 per 100,000 (a difference of 0.2). 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), 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), Schuylkill County (16.7).
Franklin County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
20 Around the middle a lower per-capita rate than 37% 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 Franklin County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Franklin 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 FLetter index including PA counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Franklin County, Pennsylvania?
Franklin County recorded 161 total traffic fatalities across 143 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 31 fatalities. The county averages approximately 17.9 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Franklin County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (143 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Franklin County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Pennsylvania may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Franklin County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Franklin 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 Franklin County?
Franklin County has a fatality rate of 19.6 per 100,000 residents, which places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure among the 3,137 U.S. counties in this dataset.
Where does Franklin County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Franklin County ranks #858 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #7 of 63 rated counties in PA, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Franklin County compare to the rest of Pennsylvania?
Franklin County's per-capita rate of 19.6 per 100,000 residents is above 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 Franklin 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.