COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Kern County: larger FARS fatality book
Kern County (CA) holds a larger FARS book (1,469, #20 of 3,137) with 176 latest-year deaths.
- 1,469
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 176
- Latest Year Deaths
- Very high count
- 19.3
- Per 100k Residents
- Near average
- Increasing
- Trend
Larger fatality book
Kern County ranks #20 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (1,469 across 2016-2023) - top-third book size.
Kern County in the larger-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, Kern County carries a top-third fatality book (1,469 across 2016-2023, #20 of 3,137) at 19.3/100k.
- #892 of 2,328
- among rated U.S. counties by rate
- #20 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #18 of 54
- in CA by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
NHTSA FARS milepost
Milepost KERN-29 · Kern 19.3/100k · #892 of 2,328
Kern County · 19.3/100k · increasing
- FARS 19.3/100k
- NHTSA #892 of 2,328
- MILE 1,469 book
- POST Increasing
- BAND near Davidson
- VOL +14.1% vs CA
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 → · California state profile →
Kern County rate neighbourhood
Deaths per 100,000 residents vs nearest nationwide rate peers (pop ≥250k).
- Escambia
Escambia County
19 per 100k
- Volusia
Volusia County
19 per 100k
- Polk
Polk County
19 per 100k
- Kern
Kern County
19 per 100k
- Davidson
Davidson County
19 per 100k
What this shows Kern County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.
How does Kern County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Kern 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 California, Kern County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, above the state's own per-capita average of 16.9 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure. The gap between Kern County's rate and the state average is 2.4 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Colusa County, at 22.7 per 100,000 (a difference of 3.4). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Trinity County (51.1), Glenn County (46.2), Siskiyou County (42.0), Inyo County (37.8), Tuolumne County (35.1), Calaveras County (30.1), Lake County (28.0), Amador County (26.3), Kings County (24.9), Mendocino County (24.7), Lassen County (24.3), Sutter County (23.5), Yuba County (23.3), Colusa County (22.7).
Kern County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
19 Around the middle a lower per-capita rate than 38% 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 Kern 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 (19.3 here), outside California.
Similar fatality volume
Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (1,469 here), excluding the rate-peer set.
More road safety data related to Kern County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Kern County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- California statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for CA
- 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 KLetter index including CA counties
- DAVIDSON County, TN fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- POLK County, FL fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- VOLUSIA County, FL fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- ESCAMBIA County, FL fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Kern County, California?
Kern County recorded 1,469 total traffic fatalities across 1,327 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 176 fatalities. The county averages approximately 163.2 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Kern County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (1,327 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Kern County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for California may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Kern County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Kern 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 Kern County?
Kern County has a fatality rate of 19.3 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 Kern County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Kern County ranks #892 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #18 of 54 rated counties in CA, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Kern County compare to the rest of California?
Kern County's per-capita rate of 19.3 per 100,000 residents is above the California county average of 16.9. Visit the California state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Kern 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.