COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Sussex County: larger FARS fatality book
Sussex County (DE) holds a larger FARS book (313, #184 of 3,137) with 44 latest-year deaths.
- 313
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 44
- Latest Year Deaths
- Very high count
- 16.7
- Per 100k Residents
- Below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Larger fatality book
Sussex County ranks #184 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (313 across 2016-2023) - top-third book size.
Sussex County in the larger-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, Sussex County carries a top-third fatality book (313 across 2016-2023, #184 of 3,137) at 16.7/100k.
- #1,099 of 2,328
- among rated U.S. counties by rate
- #184 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #2 of 3
- in DE by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
FARS county milepost
Milepost SUSSEX-5 · Sussex 16.7/100k · #1,099 of 2,328
Sussex County · 16.7/100k · increasing
- NHTSA 16.7/100k
- MILE #1,099 of 2,328
- POST 313 book
- BAND Increasing
- VOL near Brevard
- AVG +14.4% vs DE
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 → · Delaware state profile →
Sussex County rate neighbourhood
Deaths per 100,000 residents vs nearest nationwide rate peers (pop ≥250k).
- Brevard
Brevard County
17 per 100k
- Horry
Horry County
17 per 100k
- Sussex
Sussex County
17 per 100k
- Kalamazoo
Kalamazoo County
17 per 100k
- Jefferson
Jefferson County
17 per 100k
What this shows Sussex County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.
How does Sussex County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Sussex County is About the same as 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 3 rated counties in Delaware, Sussex County ranks 2 for per-capita risk, above the state's own per-capita average of 14.6 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure. The gap between Sussex County's rate and the state average is 2.1 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Kent County, at 16.9 per 100,000 (a difference of 0.2). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Kent County (16.9), New Castle County (10.2).
Sussex County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
17 Around the middle a lower per-capita rate than 47% 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 Sussex 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 (16.7 here), outside Delaware.
Similar fatality volume
Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (313 here), excluding the rate-peer set.
More road safety data related to Sussex County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Sussex County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- Delaware statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for DE
- 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 DE counties
- BREVARD County, FL fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- HORRY County, SC fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- KALAMAZOO County, MI fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- JEFFERSON County, AL fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Sussex County, Delaware?
Sussex County recorded 313 total traffic fatalities across 294 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 44 fatalities. The county averages approximately 34.8 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Sussex County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (294 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Sussex County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Delaware may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Sussex County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Sussex 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 Sussex County?
Sussex County has a fatality rate of 16.7 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 Sussex County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Sussex County ranks #1,099 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #2 of 3 rated counties in DE, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Sussex County compare to the rest of Delaware?
Sussex County's per-capita rate of 16.7 per 100,000 residents is above the Delaware county average of 14.6. Visit the Delaware state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Sussex 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.