COUNTY FATALITY DATA
New Castle County: larger FARS fatality book
New Castle County (DE) holds a larger FARS book (499, #91 of 3,137) with 59 latest-year deaths.
- 499
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 59
- Latest Year Deaths
- Very high count
- 10.2
- Per 100k Residents
- Below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Larger fatality book
New Castle County ranks #91 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (499 across 2016-2023) - top-third book size.
New Castle County in the larger-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, New Castle County carries a top-third fatality book (499 across 2016-2023, #91 of 3,137) at 10.2/100k.
- #1,746 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #91 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #3 of 3
- in DE by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
NHTSA county milepost
Milepost NEW-CASTLE-3 · New Castle 10.2/100k · #1,746 of 2,328
New Castle County · 10.2/100k · increasing
- PHOTO 10.2/100k
- VS-ST #1,746 of 2,328
- CRASH 499 book
- FARS Increasing
- NHTSA near Bexar
- MILE -30.1% vs DE
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 → · Delaware state profile →
New Castle County rate neighbourhood
Deaths per 100,000 residents vs nearest nationwide rate peers (pop ≥250k).
- Rutherford
Rutherford County
10 per 100k
- York
York County
10 per 100k
- New Castle
New Castle County
10 per 100k
- Bexar
Bexar County
10 per 100k
- Sedgwick
Sedgwick County
10 per 100k
What this shows New Castle County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.
How does New Castle County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
New Castle County is 30% 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 3 rated counties in Delaware, New Castle County ranks 3 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 14.6 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate leaves it safer than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure. The gap between New Castle County's rate and the state average is 4.4 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Sussex County, at 16.7 per 100,000 (a difference of 6.5). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Kent County (16.9), Sussex County (16.7).
New Castle County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
10 Among the safer counties a lower per-capita rate than 75% 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 New Castle 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 (10.2 here), outside Delaware.
Similar fatality volume
Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (499 here), excluding the rate-peer set.
More road safety data related to New Castle County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- New Castle County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- Delaware statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for DE
- 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 NLetter index including DE counties
- BEXAR County, TX fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- SEDGWICK County, KS fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- RUTHERFORD County, TN fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- YORK County, SC fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in New Castle County, Delaware?
New Castle County recorded 499 total traffic fatalities across 461 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 59 fatalities. The county averages approximately 55.4 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in New Castle County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (461 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for New Castle County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Delaware may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in New Castle County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in New Castle 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 New Castle County?
New Castle County has a fatality rate of 10.2 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 New Castle County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, New Castle County ranks #1,746 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #3 of 3 rated counties in DE, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does New Castle County compare to the rest of Delaware?
New Castle County's per-capita rate of 10.2 per 100,000 residents is below the Delaware county average of 14.6. Visit the Delaware state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for New Castle 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.