COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Somerset County: lower-rate fatality band
Somerset County (NJ) is in the lower per-capita third: 6.3/100k (#2,116 of 2,328). Data period: 2016-2023.
- 155
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 22
- Latest Year Deaths
- High count
- 6.3
- Per 100k Residents
- Well below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Lower per-capita fatality band
Somerset County ranks #2,116 of 2,328 by deaths per 100,000 residents (6.3/100k) - bottom-third rate among rated U.S. counties.
Somerset County in the lower-rate third
According to NHTSA FARS, Somerset County sits in the lower-rate third at 6.3 per 100k (#2,116 of 2,328), #13 of 21 in NJ.
- #2,116 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #437 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #13 of 21
- in NJ by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
FARS county milepost
Milepost SOMERSET-35 · Somerset 6.3/100k · #2,116 of 2,328
Somerset County · 6.3/100k · increasing
- PHOTO 6.3/100k
- VS-ST #2,116 of 2,328
- CRASH 155 book
- FARS Increasing
- NHTSA near Allegheny
- MILE -18.7% vs NJ
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 → · New Jersey state profile →
Somerset County rate neighbourhood
Deaths per 100,000 residents vs nearest nationwide rate peers (pop ≥250k).
- Erie
Erie County
6 per 100k
- Williamson
Williamson County
6 per 100k
- Somerset
Somerset County
6 per 100k
- Allegheny
Allegheny County
6 per 100k
- Cumberland
Cumberland County
6 per 100k
What this shows Somerset County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.
How does Somerset County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Somerset County is 19% 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 New Jersey, Somerset County ranks 13 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 7.8 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate puts it among the safest one in ten U.S. counties by that per-capita measure. The gap between Somerset County's rate and the state average is 1.5 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Sussex County, at 6.2 per 100,000 (a difference of 0.1). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Salem County (18.4), Atlantic County (14.5), Cumberland County (14.4), Gloucester County (11.0), Warren County (9.9), Camden County (7.8), Burlington County (7.7), Mercer County (7.6), Cape May County (7.4), Middlesex County (6.8), Ocean County (6.5), Union County (6.5), Sussex County (6.2), Essex County (6.2).
Somerset County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
6 Among the safer counties a lower per-capita rate than 91% 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 Somerset 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 (6.3 here), outside New Jersey.
Similar fatality volume
Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (155 here), excluding the rate-peer set.
More road safety data related to Somerset County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Somerset County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- New Jersey statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for NJ
- 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 NJ counties
- ALLEGHENY County, PA fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- ERIE County, NY fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- WILLIAMSON County, TX fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- CUMBERLAND County, ME fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Somerset County, New Jersey?
Somerset County recorded 155 total traffic fatalities across 150 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 22 fatalities. The county averages approximately 17.2 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Somerset County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (150 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Somerset County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for New Jersey may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Somerset County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Somerset 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 Somerset County?
Somerset County has a fatality rate of 6.3 per 100,000 residents, which puts it among the safest one in ten U.S. counties by that per-capita measure among the 3,137 U.S. counties in this dataset.
Where does Somerset County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Somerset County ranks #2,116 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #13 of 21 rated counties in NJ, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Somerset County compare to the rest of New Jersey?
Somerset County's per-capita rate of 6.3 per 100,000 residents is below the New Jersey county average of 7.8. Visit the New Jersey state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Somerset 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.