COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Mercer County, West Virginia
Road fatality data for Mercer County (WV). Data period: 2016-2023.
- 88
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 9
- Latest Year Deaths
- Near average count
- 15.5
- Per 100k Residents
- Below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Rising fatality trend
Mercer County's FARS series is labeled Increasing with 9 deaths in the latest year.
Mercer County on a rising FARS trend
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Mercer County ranks #1,213 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #22 of 40 rated counties in WV. Mercer County's fatality rate of 15.5 per 100,000 residents places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure.
- #1,213 of 2,328
- among rated U.S. counties by rate
- #824 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #22 of 40
- in WV by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
FARS county milepost
Milepost MERCER-55 · Mercer 15.5/100k · #1,213 of 2,328
Mercer County · 15.5/100k · increasing
- RANK 15.5/100k
- BOOK #1,213 of 2,328
- TREND 88 book
- CAUSE Increasing
- PHOTO 77 crash
- VS-ST -15.5% vs WV
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 → · West Virginia state profile →
How does Mercer County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Mercer County is 16% 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 West Virginia, Mercer County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 18.4 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure. The gap between Mercer County's rate and the state average is 2.9 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Wyoming County, at 19.7 per 100,000 (a difference of 4.2). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Hampshire County (50.7), Taylor County (36.6), Hardy County (35.1), Summers County (34.5), Boone County (34.0), Monroe County (32.3), Nicholas County (29.0), Grant County (27.5), Logan County (26.0), Mason County (24.2), Wayne County (23.9), Mineral County (22.3), Greenbrier County (21.8), Wyoming County (19.7).
Mercer County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
16 Lower than most a lower per-capita rate than 52% 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 Mercer County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Mercer County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- West Virginia statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for WV
- 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 MLetter index including WV counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Mercer County, West Virginia?
Mercer County recorded 88 total traffic fatalities across 77 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 9 fatalities. The county averages approximately 9.8 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Mercer County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (77 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Mercer County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for West Virginia may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Mercer County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Mercer 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 Mercer County?
Mercer County has a fatality rate of 15.5 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 Mercer County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Mercer County ranks #1,213 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #22 of 40 rated counties in WV, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Mercer County compare to the rest of West Virginia?
Mercer County's per-capita rate of 15.5 per 100,000 residents is below the West Virginia county average of 18.4. Visit the West Virginia state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Mercer 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.