COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Polk County: larger FARS fatality book
Polk County (IA) holds a larger FARS book (270, #224 of 3,137) with 39 latest-year deaths.
- 270
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 39
- Latest Year Deaths
- Very high count
- 7.7
- Per 100k Residents
- Well below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Larger fatality book
Polk County ranks #224 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (270 across 2016-2023) - top-third book size.
Polk County in the larger-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, Polk County carries a top-third fatality book (270 across 2016-2023, #224 of 3,137) at 7.7/100k.
- #1,986 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #224 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #53 of 68
- in IA by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
Highway fatality milepost
Milepost POLK-153 · Polk 7.7/100k · #1,986 of 2,328
Polk County · 7.7/100k · increasing
- MILE 7.7/100k
- POST #1,986 of 2,328
- BAND 270 book
- VOL Increasing
- AVG near Burlington
- YOY -51.2% vs IA
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 → · Iowa state profile →
Polk County rate neighbourhood
Deaths per 100,000 residents vs nearest nationwide rate peers (pop ≥250k).
- Bucks
Bucks County
8 per 100k
- Jefferson
Jefferson County
8 per 100k
- Polk
Polk County
8 per 100k
- Burlington
Burlington County
8 per 100k
- Camden
Camden County
8 per 100k
What this shows Polk County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.
How does Polk County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Polk County is 51% 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 Iowa, Polk County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 15.8 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate leaves it safer than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure. The gap between Polk County's rate and the state average is 8.1 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Madison County, at 23.6 per 100,000 (a difference of 15.9). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Louisa County (66.6), Union County (50.4), Harrison County (47.7), Cass County (38.1), Floyd County (32.6), Grundy County (32.3), Iowa County (30.5), Cedar County (27.3), Poweshiek County (27.1), Page County (26.6), Boone County (26.3), Winneshiek County (25.2), Wright County (23.7, limited data), Madison County (23.6).
Polk County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
8 Among the safer counties a lower per-capita rate than 85% 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 Polk 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 (7.7 here), outside Iowa.
Similar fatality volume
Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (270 here), excluding the rate-peer set.
More road safety data related to Polk County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Polk County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- Iowa statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for IA
- 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 IA counties
- BURLINGTON County, NJ fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- CAMDEN County, NJ fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- BUCKS County, PA fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- JEFFERSON County, LA fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Polk County, Iowa?
Polk County recorded 270 total traffic fatalities across 250 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 39 fatalities. The county averages approximately 30.0 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Polk County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (250 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Polk County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Iowa may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Polk County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Polk 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 Polk County?
Polk County has a fatality rate of 7.7 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 Polk County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Polk County ranks #1,986 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #53 of 68 rated counties in IA, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Polk County compare to the rest of Iowa?
Polk County's per-capita rate of 7.7 per 100,000 residents is below the Iowa county average of 15.8. Visit the Iowa state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Polk 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.