COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Lake County: smaller FARS fatality book
Lake County (MI) holds a smaller FARS book (15, #2,585 of 3,137) with 3 latest-year deaths.
- 15
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 3
- Latest Year Deaths
- Low count
- 23.6
- Per 100k Residents
- Above average
- Stable
- Trend
Smaller fatality book
Lake County ranks #2,585 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (15 across 2016-2023) - bottom-third book size.
Lake County in the smaller-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, Lake County carries a bottom-third fatality book (15 across 2016-2023, #2,585 of 3,137) at 23.6/100k.
- #645 of 2,328
- higher-rate third
- #2,585 of 3,137
- smaller-book third
- #8 of 74
- in MI by rate
- Stable
- fatality trend
Highway fatality milepost
Milepost LAKE-85 · Lake 23.6/100k · #645 of 2,328
Lake County · 23.6/100k · stable
- PHOTO 23.6/100k
- VS-ST #645 of 2,328
- CRASH 15 book
- FARS Stable
- NHTSA 14 crash
- MILE +56.6% 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 →
How does Lake County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Lake County is 56% 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 Michigan, Lake County ranks 8 for per-capita risk, above the state's own per-capita average of 15.1 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate leaves it more dangerous than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure. The gap between Lake County's rate and the state average is 8.5 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Manistee County, at 23.5 per 100,000 (a difference of 0.1). 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), Manistee County (23.5), Kalkaska County (21.6), Missaukee County (19.6), Newaygo County (19.6), Calhoun County (19.5), Lenawee County (19.5), Delta County (19.0).
Lake County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
24 Around the middle a lower per-capita rate than 28% 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 Lake County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Lake County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- Michigan statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for MI
- 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 LLetter index including MI counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Lake County, Michigan?
Lake County recorded 15 total traffic fatalities across 14 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 3 fatalities. The county averages approximately 1.7 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Lake County?
With a small recorded crash count (14), FARS does not publish an individual cause-code breakdown for Lake County. Statewide data for Michigan may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Lake County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Lake County is stable. Fatality counts have remained relatively consistent over the data period.
What is the fatality rate per capita in Lake County?
Lake County has a fatality rate of 23.6 per 100,000 residents, which leaves it more dangerous than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure among the 3,137 U.S. counties in this dataset.
Where does Lake County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Lake County ranks #645 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #8 of 74 rated counties in MI, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Lake County compare to the rest of Michigan?
Lake County's per-capita rate of 23.6 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 Lake 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.