COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Pennington County, South Dakota
Road fatality data for Pennington County (SD). Data period: 2016-2023.
- 113
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 10
- Latest Year Deaths
- Near average count
- 8.6
- Per 100k Residents
- Well below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Rising fatality trend
Pennington County's FARS series is labeled Increasing with 10 deaths in the latest year.
Pennington County on a rising FARS trend
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Pennington County ranks #1,905 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #13 of 16 rated counties in SD. Pennington County's fatality rate of 8.6 per 100,000 residents leaves it safer than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure.
- #1,905 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #621 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #13 of 16
- in SD by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
FARS milepost strip
Milepost PENNINGTON-1 · Pennington 8.6/100k · #1,905 of 2,328
Pennington County · 8.6/100k · increasing
- CRASH 8.6/100k
- FARS #1,905 of 2,328
- NHTSA 113 book
- MILE Increasing
- POST 109 crash
- BAND -42.7% 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 Pennington County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Pennington County is 43% 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, Pennington County ranks 13 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 Pennington County's rate and the state average is 6.4 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Minnehaha County, at 8.7 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), Minnehaha County (8.7), Brown County (8.0), Hughes County (5.7).
Pennington 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 82% 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 Pennington County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Pennington 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 PLetter index including SD counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Pennington County, South Dakota?
Pennington County recorded 113 total traffic fatalities across 109 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 10 fatalities. The county averages approximately 12.6 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Pennington County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (109 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Pennington County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for South Dakota may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Pennington County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Pennington 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 Pennington County?
Pennington County has a fatality rate of 8.6 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 Pennington County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Pennington County ranks #1,905 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #13 of 16 rated counties in SD, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Pennington County compare to the rest of South Dakota?
Pennington County's per-capita rate of 8.6 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 Pennington 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.