How many traffic fatalities occurred in Nueces County, Texas?

Nueces County recorded 355 total traffic fatalities across 331 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 45 fatalities. The county averages approximately 39.4 fatalities per year.

What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Nueces County?

Despite a comparatively active crash history (331 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Nueces County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Texas may provide additional context.

Is the trend of road fatalities in Nueces County increasing or decreasing?

The trend in Nueces 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 Nueces County?

Nueces County has a fatality rate of 12.8 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.

How does Nueces County compare to the rest of Texas?

Nueces County's per-capita rate of 12.8 per 100,000 residents is below the Texas county average of 27.3. Visit the Texas state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.

Where does the road fatality data for Nueces 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.

COUNTY FATALITY DATA

Nueces County, Texas

Road fatality data for Nueces County (TX). Data period: 2016-2023.

Compiled by PlainRoadSafety · August 9, 2026

355
Total Fatalities (2016-2023): 45
Latest Year Deaths: 12.8
Per 100k Residents: Increasing
Trend

The verdict

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Nueces County ranks #1,473 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #121 of 160 rated counties in TX. Nueces County's fatality rate of 12.8 per 100,000 residents places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure.

#1,473 of 2,328
national by fatality rate: #121 of 160
in TX by rate: 63%
of rated U.S. counties are deadlier per capita: Increasing
fatality trend

NHTSA county milepost

Milepost NUECES-355 · Nueces 12.8/100k · #1,473 of 2,328

Nueces County · 12.8/100k · increasing · cause n/a

TREND 12.8/100k
CAUSE #1,473 of 2,328
PHOTO 355 book
VS-ST Increasing
CRASH near Chatham
FARS -53.1% vs TX

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 → · Texas state profile →

Nueces

13
Chatham

13
Leon

13
Sarasota

13
St Johns

13

What this shows Nueces County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.

How does Nueces County compare?

2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.

Compare with

Nueces County

12.8 per 100k

Texas county average

27.3 per 100k

Nueces County is 53% 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 Texas, Nueces County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 27.3 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure. The gap between Nueces County's rate and the state average is 14.5 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Nolan County, at 55.9 per 100,000 (a difference of 43.1). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Leon County (96.7), Wilbarger County (79.9), Ward County (73.0), Eastland County (72.1), Milam County (69.4), Karnes County (66.6), Dawson County (66.6), Comanche County (64.1), Falls County (63.6), Freestone County (63.6), Panola County (61.3), Blanco County (61.3), Live Oak County (60.4), Nolan County (55.9).

Nueces County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county

Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population

13 Lower than most a lower per-capita rate than 63% 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 · 2026-08-09

Nueces County's rate vs. the Texas state average

← Back to Texas All States

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) This information is for research and informational purposes only

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Counties with similar FARS profiles

Two cross-state peer sets for Nueces 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 (12.8 here), outside Texas.

Chatham County 12.8 /100k · GA Leon County 12.8 /100k · FL Sarasota County 12.8 /100k · FL St Johns County 12.8 /100k · FL

Similar fatality volume

Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (355 here), excluding the rate-peer set.

Bronx County 355 deaths · NY Berks County 354 deaths · PA Madison County 356 deaths · AL Bristol County 353 deaths · MA

Verify with NHTSA FARS →

Verify with FHWA →

Source and method. PlainRoadSafety is rendered directly from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). PlainRoadSafety aggregates published FARS records and does not invent a fatality count the census does not report. County figures are computed directly from NHTSA FARS census data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our Editorial & Corrections Policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or Report a correction. Data current as of October 2024.