COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Philadelphia County: larger FARS fatality book
Philadelphia County (PA) holds a larger FARS book (965, #34 of 3,137) with 135 latest-year deaths.
- 965
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 135
- Latest Year Deaths
- Very high count
- 8.7
- Per 100k Residents
- Well below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Larger fatality book
Philadelphia County ranks #34 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (965 across 2016-2023) - top-third book size.
Philadelphia County in the larger-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, Philadelphia County carries a top-third fatality book (965 across 2016-2023, #34 of 3,137) at 8.7/100k.
- #1,899 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #34 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #45 of 63
- in PA by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
FARS county milepost
Milepost PHILADELPHIA · Philadelphia 8.7/100k · #1,899 of 2,328
Philadelphia County · 8.7/100k · increasing
- BAND 8.7/100k
- VOL #1,899 of 2,328
- AVG 965 book
- YOY Increasing
- RATE near Baldwin
- RANK -34.1% vs PA
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 → · Pennsylvania state profile →
Philadelphia County rate neighbourhood
Deaths per 100,000 residents vs nearest nationwide rate peers (pop ≥250k).
- Boulder
Boulder County
9 per 100k
- Philadelphia
Philadelphia County
9 per 100k
- Baldwin
Baldwin County
9 per 100k
- Dutchess
Dutchess County
9 per 100k
- Henrico
Henrico County
9 per 100k
What this shows Philadelphia County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.
How does Philadelphia County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Philadelphia County is 34% 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 Pennsylvania, Philadelphia County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 13.2 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate leaves it safer than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure. The gap between Philadelphia County's rate and the state average is 4.5 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Crawford County, at 17.1 per 100,000 (a difference of 8.4). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Fulton County (62.2), Potter County (31.3), Bedford County (23.2), Bradford County (21.8), Susquehanna County (21.0), Huntingdon County (20.7), Franklin County (19.6), Mercer County (19.4), Carbon County (18.3), McKean County (17.7), Wayne County (17.6), Perry County (17.4), Mifflin County (17.4), Crawford County (17.1).
Philadelphia 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
Counties with similar FARS profiles
Two cross-state peer sets for Philadelphia 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 (8.7 here), outside Pennsylvania.
Similar fatality volume
Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (965 here), excluding the rate-peer set.
More road safety data related to Philadelphia County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Philadelphia County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- Pennsylvania statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for PA
- 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 PA counties
- BALDWIN County, AL fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- DUTCHESS County, NY fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- HENRICO County, VA fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- BOULDER County, CO fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania?
Philadelphia County recorded 965 total traffic fatalities across 913 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 135 fatalities. The county averages approximately 107.2 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Philadelphia County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (913 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Philadelphia County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Pennsylvania may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Philadelphia County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia County?
Philadelphia 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 Philadelphia County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Philadelphia County ranks #1,899 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #45 of 63 rated counties in PA, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Philadelphia County compare to the rest of Pennsylvania?
Philadelphia County's per-capita rate of 8.7 per 100,000 residents is below the Pennsylvania county average of 13.2. Visit the Pennsylvania state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Philadelphia 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.