COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Richland County: larger FARS fatality book
Richland County (SC) holds a larger FARS book (477, #98 of 3,137) with 60 latest-year deaths.
- 477
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 60
- Latest Year Deaths
- Very high count
- 14.1
- Per 100k Residents
- Below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Larger fatality book
Richland County ranks #98 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (477 across 2016-2023) - top-third book size.
Richland County in the larger-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, Richland County carries a top-third fatality book (477 across 2016-2023, #98 of 3,137) at 14.1/100k.
- #1,349 of 2,328
- among rated U.S. counties by rate
- #98 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #37 of 44
- in SC by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
FARS county milepost
Milepost RICHLAND-79 · Richland 14.1/100k · #1,349 of 2,328
Richland County · 14.1/100k · increasing
- AVG 14.1/100k
- YOY #1,349 of 2,328
- RATE 477 book
- RANK Increasing
- BOOK near St Lucie
- TREND -49.5% vs SC
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 Carolina state profile →
Richland County rate neighbourhood
Deaths per 100,000 residents vs nearest nationwide rate peers (pop ≥250k).
- Marion
Marion County
14 per 100k
- St Lucie
St Lucie County
14 per 100k
- Richland
Richland County
14 per 100k
- St. Clair
St. Clair County
14 per 100k
- Atlantic
Atlantic County
15 per 100k
What this shows Richland County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.
How does Richland County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Richland County is 49% 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 Carolina, Richland County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 27.9 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure. The gap between Richland County's rate and the state average is 13.8 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Georgetown County, at 31.9 per 100,000 (a difference of 17.8). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Fairfield County (73.5), Jasper County (56.6), Clarendon County (51.6), Calhoun County (49.3), Bamberg County (46.2), Marion County (45.6), Orangeburg County (44.7), Dillon County (43.3), Darlington County (43.3), Colleton County (41.2), Marlboro County (38.9), Laurens County (37.8), Chester County (34.1), Georgetown County (31.9).
Richland County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
14 Lower than most a lower per-capita rate than 58% 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 Richland 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 (14.1 here), outside South Carolina.
Similar fatality volume
Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (477 here), excluding the rate-peer set.
More road safety data related to Richland County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Richland County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- South Carolina statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for SC
- 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 RLetter index including SC counties
- ST LUCIE County, FL fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- ST. CLAIR County, IL fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- MARION County, OR fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- ATLANTIC County, NJ fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Richland County, South Carolina?
Richland County recorded 477 total traffic fatalities across 451 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 60 fatalities. The county averages approximately 53.0 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Richland County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (451 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Richland County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for South Carolina may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Richland County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Richland 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 Richland County?
Richland County has a fatality rate of 14.1 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 Richland County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Richland County ranks #1,349 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #37 of 44 rated counties in SC, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Richland County compare to the rest of South Carolina?
Richland County's per-capita rate of 14.1 per 100,000 residents is below the South Carolina county average of 27.9. Visit the South Carolina state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Richland 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.