COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Santa Cruz County: larger FARS fatality book
Santa Cruz County (CA) holds a larger FARS book (179, #361 of 3,137) with 25 latest-year deaths.
- 179
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 25
- Latest Year Deaths
- High count
- 9.6
- Per 100k Residents
- Well below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Larger fatality book
Santa Cruz County ranks #361 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (179 across 2016-2023) - top-third book size.
Santa Cruz County in the larger-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, Santa Cruz County carries a top-third fatality book (179 across 2016-2023, #361 of 3,137) at 9.6/100k.
- #1,804 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #361 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #36 of 54
- in CA by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
NHTSA county milepost
Milepost SANTA-CRUZ-8 · Santa Cruz 9.6/100k · #1,804 of 2,328
Santa Cruz County · 9.6/100k · increasing
- AVG 9.6/100k
- YOY #1,804 of 2,328
- RATE 179 book
- RANK Increasing
- BOOK near Cameron
- TREND -43.2% 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 →
Santa Cruz County rate neighbourhood
Deaths per 100,000 residents vs nearest nationwide rate peers (pop ≥250k).
- Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz County
10 per 100k
- Cameron
Cameron County
10 per 100k
- Washoe
Washoe County
10 per 100k
- Franklin
Franklin County
10 per 100k
- Hamilton
Hamilton County
10 per 100k
What this shows Santa Cruz County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.
How does Santa Cruz County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Santa Cruz County is 43% 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, Santa Cruz 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 Santa Cruz County's rate and the state average is 7.3 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Colusa County, at 22.7 per 100,000 (a difference of 13.1). 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).
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
10 Among the safer counties a lower per-capita rate than 77% 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 Santa Cruz 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 (9.6 here), outside California.
Similar fatality volume
Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (179 here), excluding the rate-peer set.
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
- 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
- CAMERON County, TX fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- WASHOE County, NV fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- FRANKLIN County, OH fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- HAMILTON County, OH fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Santa Cruz County, California?
Santa Cruz County recorded 179 total traffic fatalities across 170 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 25 fatalities. The county averages approximately 19.9 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Santa Cruz County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (170 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Santa Cruz County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for California 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 9.6 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 Santa Cruz County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Santa Cruz County ranks #1,804 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #36 of 54 rated counties in CA, 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 California?
Santa Cruz County's per-capita rate of 9.6 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 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.