COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Middlesex County: lower-rate fatality band
Middlesex County (MA) is in the lower per-capita third: 2.6/100k (#2,313 of 2,328). Data period: 2016-2023.
- 410
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 43
- Latest Year Deaths
- Very high count
- 2.6
- Per 100k Residents
- Well below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Lower per-capita fatality band
Middlesex County ranks #2,313 of 2,328 by deaths per 100,000 residents (2.6/100k) - bottom-third rate among rated U.S. counties.
Middlesex County in the lower-rate third
According to NHTSA FARS, Middlesex County sits in the lower-rate third at 2.6 per 100k (#2,313 of 2,328), #13 of 13 in MA.
- #2,313 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #122 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #13 of 13
- in MA by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
FARS county milepost
Milepost MIDDLESEX-17 · Middlesex 2.6/100k · #2,313 of 2,328
Middlesex County · 2.6/100k · increasing
- CAUSE 2.6/100k
- PHOTO #2,313 of 2,328
- VS-ST 410 book
- CRASH Increasing
- FARS near Davis
- NHTSA -55.5% vs MA
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 → · Massachusetts state profile →
Middlesex County rate neighbourhood
Deaths per 100,000 residents vs nearest nationwide rate peers (pop ≥250k).
- New York
New York County
2 per 100k
- Richmond
Richmond County
2 per 100k
- Kings
Kings County
3 per 100k
- Middlesex
Middlesex County
3 per 100k
- Davis
Davis County
3 per 100k
What this shows Middlesex County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.
How does Middlesex County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Middlesex County is 55% 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 13 rated counties in Massachusetts, Middlesex County ranks 13 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 5.8 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate puts it among the safest one in ten U.S. counties by that per-capita measure. The gap between Middlesex County's rate and the state average is 3.2 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Suffolk County, at 2.9 per 100,000 (a difference of 0.3). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Franklin County (9.9), Hampden County (9.1), Bristol County (7.2), Berkshire County (7.1), Plymouth County (6.7), Hampshire County (5.5), Barnstable County (5.2), Worcester County (5.2), Norfolk County (5.1), Dukes County (4.8, limited data), Essex County (4.7), Suffolk County (2.9).
Middlesex County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
3 Among the safer counties a lower per-capita rate than 99% 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 Middlesex 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 (2.6 here), outside Massachusetts.
Similar fatality volume
Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (410 here), excluding the rate-peer set.
More road safety data related to Middlesex County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Middlesex County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- Massachusetts statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for MA
- 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 MA counties
- DAVIS County, UT fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- KINGS County, NY fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- RICHMOND County, NY fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- NEW YORK County, NY fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Middlesex County, Massachusetts?
Middlesex County recorded 410 total traffic fatalities across 399 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 43 fatalities. The county averages approximately 45.6 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Middlesex County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (399 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Middlesex County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Massachusetts may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Middlesex County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Middlesex 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 Middlesex County?
Middlesex County has a fatality rate of 2.6 per 100,000 residents, which puts it among the safest one in ten U.S. counties by that per-capita measure among the 3,137 U.S. counties in this dataset.
Where does Middlesex County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Middlesex County ranks #2,313 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #13 of 13 rated counties in MA, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Middlesex County compare to the rest of Massachusetts?
Middlesex County's per-capita rate of 2.6 per 100,000 residents is below the Massachusetts county average of 5.8. Visit the Massachusetts state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Middlesex 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.