COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Minnehaha County, South Dakota
Road fatality data for Minnehaha County (SD). Data period: 2016-2023.
- 123
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 18
- Latest Year Deaths
- High count
- 8.7
- Per 100k Residents
- Well below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Rising fatality trend
Minnehaha County's FARS series is labeled Increasing with 18 deaths in the latest year.
Minnehaha County on a rising FARS trend
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Minnehaha County ranks #1,898 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #12 of 16 rated counties in SD. Minnehaha County's fatality rate of 8.7 per 100,000 residents leaves it safer than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure.
- #1,898 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #572 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #12 of 16
- in SD by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
FARS milepost strip
Milepost MINNEHAHA-99 · Minnehaha 8.7/100k · #1,898 of 2,328
Minnehaha County · 8.7/100k · increasing
- CAUSE 8.7/100k
- PHOTO #1,898 of 2,328
- VS-ST 123 book
- CRASH Increasing
- FARS 109 crash
- NHTSA -42.1% vs SD
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 → · South Dakota state profile →
How does Minnehaha County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Minnehaha County is 42% 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 South Dakota, Minnehaha County ranks 12 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 15.0 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate leaves it safer than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure. The gap between Minnehaha County's rate and the state average is 6.3 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Pennington County, at 8.6 per 100,000 (a difference of 0.1). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Lawrence County (42.8), Roberts County (29.4), Lake County (27.2), Meade County (16.2), Davison County (15.1), Lincoln County (15.0), Codington County (13.8), Yankton County (12.8), Union County (11.6), Brookings County (11.1), Butte County (9.2), Pennington County (8.6), Brown County (8.0), Hughes County (5.7).
Minnehaha County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
9 Among the safer counties a lower per-capita rate than 81% 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 Minnehaha County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Minnehaha County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- South Dakota statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for SD
- 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 SD counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Minnehaha County, South Dakota?
Minnehaha County recorded 123 total traffic fatalities across 109 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 18 fatalities. The county averages approximately 13.7 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Minnehaha County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (109 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Minnehaha County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for South Dakota may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Minnehaha County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Minnehaha 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 Minnehaha County?
Minnehaha County has a fatality rate of 8.7 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 Minnehaha County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Minnehaha County ranks #1,898 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #12 of 16 rated counties in SD, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Minnehaha County compare to the rest of South Dakota?
Minnehaha County's per-capita rate of 8.7 per 100,000 residents is below the South Dakota county average of 15.0. Visit the South Dakota state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Minnehaha 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.