COUNTY FATALITY DATA
San Luis Obispo County: larger FARS fatality book
San Luis Obispo County (CA) holds a larger FARS book (244, #251 of 3,137) with 20 latest-year deaths.
- 244
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 20
- Latest Year Deaths
- High count
- 7.1
- Per 100k Residents
- Well below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Larger fatality book
San Luis Obispo County ranks #251 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (244 across 2016-2023) - top-third book size.
San Luis Obispo County in the larger-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, San Luis Obispo County carries a top-third fatality book (244 across 2016-2023, #251 of 3,137) at 7.1/100k.
- #2,036 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #251 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #47 of 54
- in CA by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
Highway fatality milepost
Milepost SAN-LUIS-OBI · San Luis Obispo 7.1/100k · #2,036 of 2,328
San Luis Obispo County · 7.1/100k · increasing
- RATE 7.1/100k
- RANK #2,036 of 2,328
- BOOK 244 book
- TREND Increasing
- CAUSE near Clackamas
- PHOTO -58.0% vs CA
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 → · California state profile →
San Luis Obispo County rate neighbourhood
Deaths per 100,000 residents vs nearest nationwide rate peers (pop ≥250k).
- Chesterfield
Chesterfield County
7 per 100k
- San Luis O…
San Luis Obispo County
7 per 100k
- Clackamas
Clackamas County
7 per 100k
- Clark
Clark County
7 per 100k
- Orange
Orange County
7 per 100k
What this shows San Luis Obispo County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.
How does San Luis Obispo County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
San Luis Obispo County is 58% 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 California, San Luis Obispo County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 16.9 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate leaves it safer than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure. The gap between San Luis Obispo County's rate and the state average is 9.8 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Colusa County, at 22.7 per 100,000 (a difference of 15.6). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Trinity County (51.1), Glenn County (46.2), Siskiyou County (42.0), Inyo County (37.8), Tuolumne County (35.1), Calaveras County (30.1), Lake County (28.0), Amador County (26.3), Kings County (24.9), Mendocino County (24.7), Lassen County (24.3), Sutter County (23.5), Yuba County (23.3), Colusa County (22.7).
San Luis Obispo County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
7 Among the safer counties a lower per-capita rate than 87% 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 San Luis Obispo 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 (7.1 here), outside California.
Similar fatality volume
Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (244 here), excluding the rate-peer set.
More road safety data related to San Luis Obispo County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- San Luis Obispo County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- California statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for CA
- 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 SLetter index including CA counties
- CLACKAMAS County, OR fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- CLARK County, WA fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- ORANGE County, NY fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- CHESTERFIELD County, VA fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in San Luis Obispo County, California?
San Luis Obispo County recorded 244 total traffic fatalities across 229 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 20 fatalities. The county averages approximately 27.1 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in San Luis Obispo County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (229 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for San Luis Obispo County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for California may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in San Luis Obispo County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in San Luis Obispo 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 San Luis Obispo County?
San Luis Obispo County has a fatality rate of 7.1 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 San Luis Obispo County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, San Luis Obispo County ranks #2,036 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #47 of 54 rated counties in CA, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does San Luis Obispo County compare to the rest of California?
San Luis Obispo County's per-capita rate of 7.1 per 100,000 residents is below the California county average of 16.9. Visit the California state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for San Luis Obispo 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.