COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Rutherford County: larger FARS fatality book
Rutherford County (TN) holds a larger FARS book (297, #195 of 3,137) with 37 latest-year deaths.
- 297
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 37
- Latest Year Deaths
- Very high count
- 10.1
- Per 100k Residents
- Below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Larger fatality book
Rutherford County ranks #195 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (297 across 2016-2023) - top-third book size.
Rutherford County in the larger-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, Rutherford County carries a top-third fatality book (297 across 2016-2023, #195 of 3,137) at 10.1/100k.
- #1,755 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #195 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #75 of 87
- in TN by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
NHTSA county milepost
Milepost RUTHERFORD-1 · Rutherford 10.1/100k · #1,755 of 2,328
Rutherford County · 10.1/100k · increasing
- AVG 10.1/100k
- YOY #1,755 of 2,328
- RATE 297 book
- RANK Increasing
- BOOK near York
- TREND -52.2% vs TN
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 → · Tennessee state profile →
Rutherford County rate neighbourhood
Deaths per 100,000 residents vs nearest nationwide rate peers (pop ≥250k).
- Rutherford
Rutherford County
10 per 100k
- York
York County
10 per 100k
- Bexar
Bexar County
10 per 100k
- New Castle
New Castle County
10 per 100k
- Sedgwick
Sedgwick County
10 per 100k
What this shows Rutherford County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.
How does Rutherford County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Rutherford County is 52% 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 Tennessee, Rutherford County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 21.1 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate leaves it safer than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure. The gap between Rutherford County's rate and the state average is 11.0 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is McNairy County, at 30.6 per 100,000 (a difference of 20.5). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Haywood County (63.5), Crockett County (57.2), Cannon County (46.5), Bledsoe County (46.5), Meigs County (43.8), Jackson County (40.4), Cocke County (40.1), Henderson County (35.6), Campbell County (34.8), Macon County (33.6), Morgan County (32.4), McMinn County (32.3), Hardeman County (31.3), McNairy County (30.6).
Rutherford County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
10 Among the safer counties a lower per-capita rate than 75% 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 Rutherford 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 (10.1 here), outside Tennessee.
Similar fatality volume
Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (297 here), excluding the rate-peer set.
More road safety data related to Rutherford County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Rutherford County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- Tennessee statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for TN
- 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 TN counties
- YORK County, SC fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- BEXAR County, TX fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- NEW CASTLE County, DE fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- SEDGWICK County, KS fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Rutherford County, Tennessee?
Rutherford County recorded 297 total traffic fatalities across 278 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 37 fatalities. The county averages approximately 33.0 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Rutherford County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (278 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Rutherford County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Tennessee may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Rutherford County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Rutherford 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 Rutherford County?
Rutherford County has a fatality rate of 10.1 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 Rutherford County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Rutherford County ranks #1,755 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #75 of 87 rated counties in TN, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Rutherford County compare to the rest of Tennessee?
Rutherford County's per-capita rate of 10.1 per 100,000 residents is below the Tennessee county average of 21.1. Visit the Tennessee state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Rutherford 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.