COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Lehigh County: larger FARS fatality book
Lehigh County (PA) holds a larger FARS book (227, #274 of 3,137) with 26 latest-year deaths.
- 227
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 26
- Latest Year Deaths
- High count
- 6.9
- Per 100k Residents
- Well below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Larger fatality book
Lehigh County ranks #274 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (227 across 2016-2023) - top-third book size.
Lehigh County in the larger-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, Lehigh County carries a top-third fatality book (227 across 2016-2023, #274 of 3,137) at 6.9/100k.
- #2,056 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #274 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #53 of 63
- in PA by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
FARS county milepost
Milepost LEHIGH-77 · Lehigh 6.9/100k · #2,056 of 2,328
Lehigh County · 6.9/100k · increasing
- CAUSE 6.9/100k
- PHOTO #2,056 of 2,328
- VS-ST 227 book
- CRASH Increasing
- FARS near Clay
- NHTSA -47.7% 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 →
Lehigh County rate neighbourhood
Deaths per 100,000 residents vs nearest nationwide rate peers (pop ≥250k).
- Lehigh
Lehigh County
7 per 100k
- Clay
Clay County
7 per 100k
- Chesterfield
Chesterfield County
7 per 100k
- Cobb
Cobb County
7 per 100k
- Orange
Orange County
7 per 100k
What this shows Lehigh County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.
How does Lehigh County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Lehigh County is 48% 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 Pennsylvania, Lehigh County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 13.2 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate leaves it safer than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure. The gap between Lehigh County's rate and the state average is 6.3 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Crawford County, at 17.1 per 100,000 (a difference of 10.2). 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), Franklin County (19.6), 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).
Lehigh County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
7 Among the safer counties a lower per-capita rate than 88% 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 Lehigh 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 (6.9 here), outside Pennsylvania.
Similar fatality volume
Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (227 here), excluding the rate-peer set.
More road safety data related to Lehigh County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Lehigh 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 LLetter index including PA counties
- CLAY County, MO fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- CHESTERFIELD County, VA fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- COBB County, GA fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- ORANGE County, CA fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania?
Lehigh County recorded 227 total traffic fatalities across 205 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 26 fatalities. The county averages approximately 25.2 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Lehigh County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (205 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Lehigh County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Pennsylvania may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Lehigh County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Lehigh 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 Lehigh County?
Lehigh County has a fatality rate of 6.9 per 100,000 residents, which leaves it safer than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure among the 3,137 U.S. counties in this dataset.
Where does Lehigh County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Lehigh County ranks #2,056 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #53 of 63 rated counties in PA, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Lehigh County compare to the rest of Pennsylvania?
Lehigh County's per-capita rate of 6.9 per 100,000 residents is below 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 Lehigh 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.