COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Pierce County: larger FARS fatality book
Pierce County (WA) holds a larger FARS book (627, #61 of 3,137) with 117 latest-year deaths.
- 627
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 117
- Latest Year Deaths
- Very high count
- 12.6
- Per 100k Residents
- Below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Larger fatality book
Pierce County ranks #61 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (627 across 2016-2023) - top-third book size.
Pierce County in the larger-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, Pierce County carries a top-third fatality book (627 across 2016-2023, #61 of 3,137) at 12.6/100k.
- #1,501 of 2,328
- among rated U.S. counties by rate
- #61 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #20 of 35
- in WA by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
NHTSA FARS milepost
Milepost PIERCE-53 · Pierce 12.6/100k · #1,501 of 2,328
Pierce County · 12.6/100k · increasing
- TREND 12.6/100k
- CAUSE #1,501 of 2,328
- PHOTO 627 book
- VS-ST Increasing
- CRASH near Palm Beach
- FARS -23.7% vs WA
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 → · Washington state profile →
Pierce County rate neighbourhood
Deaths per 100,000 residents vs nearest nationwide rate peers (pop ≥250k).
- Clayton
Clayton County
12 per 100k
- Madison
Madison County
12 per 100k
- Pierce
Pierce County
13 per 100k
- Palm Beach
Palm Beach County
13 per 100k
- McLennan
McLennan County
13 per 100k
What this shows Pierce County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.
How does Pierce County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Pierce County is 24% 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 Washington, Pierce County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 16.5 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure. The gap between Pierce County's rate and the state average is 3.9 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Cowlitz County, at 14.2 per 100,000 (a difference of 1.6). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Lincoln County (59.6), Adams County (48.0), Kittitas County (35.2), Mason County (29.2), Jefferson County (23.7), Grant County (23.4), Pend Oreille County (20.9), Pacific County (20.7), Lewis County (19.7), Stevens County (18.4), Yakima County (18.3), Klickitat County (17.0), Skamania County (15.8), Cowlitz County (14.2).
Pierce 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 64% 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 Pierce 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 (12.6 here), outside Washington.
Similar fatality volume
Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (627 here), excluding the rate-peer set.
More road safety data related to Pierce County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Pierce County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- Washington statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for WA
- 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 WA counties
- PALM BEACH County, FL fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- MCLENNAN County, TX fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- CLAYTON County, GA fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- MADISON County, AL fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Pierce County, Washington?
Pierce County recorded 627 total traffic fatalities across 577 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 117 fatalities. The county averages approximately 69.7 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Pierce County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (577 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Pierce County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Washington may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Pierce County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Pierce 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 Pierce County?
Pierce County has a fatality rate of 12.6 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.
Where does Pierce County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Pierce County ranks #1,501 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #20 of 35 rated counties in WA, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Pierce County compare to the rest of Washington?
Pierce County's per-capita rate of 12.6 per 100,000 residents is below the Washington county average of 16.5. Visit the Washington state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Pierce 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.