COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Spencer County, Kentucky
Road fatality data for Spencer County (KY). Data period: 2016-2023.
- 19
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 2
- Latest Year Deaths
- Low count
- 9.7
- Per 100k Residents
- Well below average
- Decreasing
- Trend
Falling fatality trend
Spencer County's FARS series is labeled Decreasing with 2 deaths in the latest year.
Spencer County on a falling FARS trend
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Spencer County ranks #1,795 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #83 of 98 rated counties in KY. Limited data: Spencer County's per-capita rate rests on just 2 road deaths in the year measured, so a single death more or fewer would move it by a third or more and its rank is not a like-for-like comparison with counties that have more deaths. Spencer County's fatality rate of 9.7 per 100,000 residents leaves it safer than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure.
- #1,795 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #2,433 of 3,137
- smaller-book third
- #83 of 98
- in KY by rate
- Decreasing
- fatality trend
FARS milepost strip
Milepost SPENCER-215 · Spencer 9.7/100k · #1,795 of 2,328
Spencer County · 9.7/100k · decreasing
- VOL 9.7/100k
- AVG #1,795 of 2,328
- YOY 19 book
- RATE Decreasing
- RANK 18 crash
- BOOK -54.7% vs KY
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 → · Kentucky state profile →
How does Spencer County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Spencer County is 55% 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.
Limited data: Spencer County's per-capita rate rests on just 2 road deaths in the year measured, so a single death more or fewer would move it by a third or more and its rank is not a like-for-like comparison with counties that have more deaths.
Among the 15 rated counties in Kentucky, Spencer County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 21.4 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate leaves it safer than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure. The gap between Spencer County's rate and the state average is 11.7 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Pike County, at 37.5 per 100,000 (a difference of 27.8). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Breathitt County (54.0), Breckinridge County (52.1), Todd County (48.0), Caldwell County (47.8), Webster County (47.1), Floyd County (46.5), Carroll County (45.5), Butler County (40.4), Simpson County (39.6), Logan County (38.9), Powell County (38.5), Jackson County (38.2), Ohio County (38.1), Pike County (37.5).
Spencer 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
More road safety data related to Spencer County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Spencer County vs other counties by rate Per-100k fatality comparison
- Kentucky statewide fatality data All counties in this state
- Deadliest states for driving Context for KY
- State fatality changes Year-over-year state trends
- Browse all U.S. counties Alphabetical county index
- All state profiles 51 state dashboards
- State vs U.S. safety comparison Route-level lookup tool
- National statistics download FARS CSV + findings
- How to read FARS fatality data Methodology primer
- Per-mile vs per-capita road risk Rate denominator explained
- Counties starting with S Letter index including KY counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Spencer County, Kentucky?
Spencer County recorded 19 total traffic fatalities across 18 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 2 fatalities. The county averages approximately 2.1 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Spencer County?
Cause-code breakdowns are not individually published for Spencer County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Kentucky may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Spencer County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Spencer County is decreasing. This suggests road safety improvements are having a positive effect in the county.
What is the fatality rate per capita in Spencer County?
Spencer County has a fatality rate of 9.7 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 Spencer County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Spencer County ranks #1,795 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #83 of 98 rated counties in KY, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. Limited data: Spencer County's per-capita rate rests on just 2 road deaths in the year measured, so a single death more or fewer would move it by a third or more and its rank is not a like-for-like comparison with counties that have more deaths. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Spencer County compare to the rest of Kentucky?
Spencer County's per-capita rate of 9.7 per 100,000 residents is below the Kentucky county average of 21.4. Visit the Kentucky state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Spencer 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.