How many traffic fatalities occurred in Kalamazoo County, Michigan?

Kalamazoo County recorded 258 total traffic fatalities across 235 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 44 fatalities. The county averages approximately 28.7 fatalities per year.

What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Kalamazoo County?

Despite a comparatively active crash history (235 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Kalamazoo County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Michigan may provide additional context.

Is the trend of road fatalities in Kalamazoo County increasing or decreasing?

The trend in Kalamazoo 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 Kalamazoo County?

Kalamazoo County has a fatality rate of 16.8 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.

How does Kalamazoo County compare to the rest of Michigan?

Kalamazoo County's per-capita rate of 16.8 per 100,000 residents is above the Michigan county average of 15.1. Visit the Michigan state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.

Where does the road fatality data for Kalamazoo 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.

COUNTY FATALITY DATA

Kalamazoo County, Michigan

Road fatality data for Kalamazoo County (MI). Data period: 2016-2023.

Compiled by PlainRoadSafety · August 9, 2026

258
Total Fatalities (2016-2023): 44
Latest Year Deaths: 16.8
Per 100k Residents: Increasing
Trend

The verdict

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Kalamazoo County ranks #1,090 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #26 of 74 rated counties in MI. Kalamazoo County's fatality rate of 16.8 per 100,000 residents places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure.

#1,090 of 2,328
national by fatality rate: #26 of 74
in MI by rate: 47%
of rated U.S. counties are deadlier per capita: Increasing
fatality trend

NHTSA county milepost

Milepost KALAMAZOO-77 · Kalamazoo 16.8/100k · #1,090 of 2,328

Kalamazoo County · 16.8/100k · increasing · cause n/a

CAUSE 16.8/100k
PHOTO #1,090 of 2,328
VS-ST 258 book
CRASH Increasing
FARS near Jefferson
NHTSA +11.5% vs MI

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 → · Michigan state profile →

Brevard

17
Sussex

17
Kalamazoo

17
Jefferson

17
Buncombe

17

What this shows Kalamazoo County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.

How does Kalamazoo County compare?

2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.

Compare with

Kalamazoo County

16.8 per 100k

Michigan county average

15.1 per 100k

Kalamazoo County is About the same as 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 Michigan, Kalamazoo County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, above the state's own per-capita average of 15.1 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure. The gap between Kalamazoo County's rate and the state average is 1.7 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Calhoun County, at 19.5 per 100,000 (a difference of 2.7). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Mackinac County (55.3), Roscommon County (50.3), Arenac County (39.6), Benzie County (32.5), Wexford County (29.3), Clare County (28.7), Sanilac County (27.2), Lake County (23.6), Manistee County (23.5), Kalkaska County (21.6), Missaukee County (19.6), Newaygo County (19.6), Calhoun County (19.5), Lenawee County (19.5).

Kalamazoo County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county

Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population

17 Around the middle a lower per-capita rate than 47% 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 · 2026-08-09

Kalamazoo County's rate vs. the Michigan state average

← Back to Michigan All States

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) This information is for research and informational purposes only

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Counties with similar FARS profiles

Two cross-state peer sets for Kalamazoo 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 (16.8 here), outside Michigan.

Jefferson County 16.9 /100k · AL Sussex County 16.7 /100k · DE Brevard County 16.6 /100k · FL Buncombe County 17.0 /100k · NC

Similar fatality volume

Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (258 here), excluding the rate-peer set.

Baldwin County 258 deaths · AL Clark County 259 deaths · WA Hays County 257 deaths · TX Orange County 257 deaths · NY

Verify with NHTSA FARS →

Verify with FHWA →

Source and method. PlainRoadSafety is rendered directly from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). PlainRoadSafety aggregates published FARS records and does not invent a fatality count the census does not report. County figures are computed directly from NHTSA FARS census data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our Editorial & Corrections Policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or Report a correction. Data current as of October 2024.