COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Shelby County: larger FARS fatality book
Shelby County (TN) holds a larger FARS book (1,571, #16 of 3,137) with 259 latest-year deaths.
- 1,571
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 259
- Latest Year Deaths
- Very high count
- 28.5
- Per 100k Residents
- Above average
- Increasing
- Trend
Larger fatality book
Shelby County ranks #16 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (1,571 across 2016-2023) - top-third book size.
Shelby County in the larger-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, Shelby County carries a top-third fatality book (1,571 across 2016-2023, #16 of 3,137) at 28.5/100k.
- #446 of 2,328
- higher-rate third
- #16 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #18 of 87
- in TN by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
NHTSA FARS milepost
Milepost SHELBY-157 · Shelby 28.5/100k · #446 of 2,328
Shelby County · 28.5/100k · increasing
- VOL 28.5/100k
- AVG #446 of 2,328
- YOY 1,571 book
- RATE Increasing
- RANK near Marion
- BOOK +34.9% 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 →
Shelby County rate neighbourhood
Deaths per 100,000 residents vs nearest nationwide rate peers (pop ≥250k).
- Pulaski
Pulaski County
22 per 100k
- Spartanburg
Spartanburg County
24 per 100k
- Berkeley
Berkeley County
24 per 100k
- Marion
Marion County
25 per 100k
- Shelby
Shelby County
29 per 100k
What this shows Shelby County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.
How does Shelby County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Shelby County is 35% deadlier 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, Shelby County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, above the state's own per-capita average of 21.1 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate leaves it more dangerous than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure. The gap between Shelby County's rate and the state average is 7.4 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is McNairy County, at 30.6 per 100,000 (a difference of 2.1). 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).
Shelby County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
29 Higher than most a lower per-capita rate than 19% 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 Shelby 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 (28.5 here), outside Tennessee.
Similar fatality volume
Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (1,571 here), excluding the rate-peer set.
More road safety data related to Shelby County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Shelby 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 SLetter index including TN counties
- MARION County, FL fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- BERKELEY County, SC fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- SPARTANBURG County, SC fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- PULASKI County, AR fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Shelby County, Tennessee?
Shelby County recorded 1,571 total traffic fatalities across 1,449 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 259 fatalities. The county averages approximately 174.6 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Shelby County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (1,449 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Shelby County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Tennessee may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Shelby County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Shelby 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 Shelby County?
Shelby County has a fatality rate of 28.5 per 100,000 residents, which leaves it more dangerous than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure among the 3,137 U.S. counties in this dataset.
Where does Shelby County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Shelby County ranks #446 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #18 of 87 rated counties in TN, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Shelby County compare to the rest of Tennessee?
Shelby County's per-capita rate of 28.5 per 100,000 residents is above 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 Shelby 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.