COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Santa Cruz County, Arizona
Road fatality data for Santa Cruz County (AZ). Data period: 2016-2023.
- 54
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 9
- Latest Year Deaths
- Near average count
- 18.3
- Per 100k Residents
- Near average
- Increasing
- Trend
Rising fatality trend
Santa Cruz County's FARS series is labeled Increasing with 9 deaths in the latest year.
Santa Cruz County on a rising FARS trend
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Santa Cruz County ranks #979 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #10 of 14 rated counties in AZ. Santa Cruz County's fatality rate of 18.3 per 100,000 residents places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure.
- #979 of 2,328
- among rated U.S. counties by rate
- #1,318 of 3,137
- by total FARS fatalities
- #10 of 14
- in AZ by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
NHTSA county milepost
Milepost SANTA-CRUZ-2 · Santa Cruz 18.3/100k · #979 of 2,328
Santa Cruz County · 18.3/100k · increasing
- CAUSE 18.3/100k
- PHOTO #979 of 2,328
- VS-ST 54 book
- CRASH Increasing
- FARS 47 crash
- NHTSA -43.8% vs AZ
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 → · Arizona state profile →
How does Santa Cruz County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Santa Cruz County is 44% 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 14 rated counties in Arizona, Santa Cruz County ranks 10 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 32.5 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure. The gap between Santa Cruz County's rate and the state average is 14.2 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Yavapai County, at 18.9 per 100,000 (a difference of 0.6). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: La Paz County (131.7), Coconino County (38.8), Navajo County (35.7), Apache County (35.4), Mohave County (34.0), Gila County (29.6), Graham County (27.8), Cochise County (24.1), Yavapai County (18.9), Pima County (17.2), Pinal County (16.3), Maricopa County (14.8), Yuma County (13.1).
Santa Cruz County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
18 Around the middle a lower per-capita rate than 42% 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
More road safety data related to Santa Cruz County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Santa Cruz County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- Arizona statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for AZ
- 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 AZ counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Santa Cruz County, Arizona?
Santa Cruz County recorded 54 total traffic fatalities across 47 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 9 fatalities. The county averages approximately 6.0 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Santa Cruz County?
Cause-code breakdowns are not individually published for Santa Cruz County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Arizona may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Santa Cruz County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz County?
Santa Cruz County has a fatality rate of 18.3 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 Santa Cruz County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Santa Cruz County ranks #979 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #10 of 14 rated counties in AZ, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Santa Cruz County compare to the rest of Arizona?
Santa Cruz County's per-capita rate of 18.3 per 100,000 residents is below the Arizona county average of 32.5. Visit the Arizona state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Santa Cruz 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.