COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Thurston County: larger FARS fatality book
Thurston County (WA) holds a larger FARS book (180, #359 of 3,137) with 35 latest-year deaths.
- 180
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 35
- Latest Year Deaths
- Very high count
- 11.7
- Per 100k Residents
- Below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Larger fatality book
Thurston County ranks #359 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (180 across 2016-2023) - top-third book size.
Thurston County in the larger-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, Thurston County carries a top-third fatality book (180 across 2016-2023, #359 of 3,137) at 11.7/100k.
- #1,579 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #359 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #21 of 35
- in WA by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
FARS milepost strip
Milepost THURSTON-67 · Thurston 11.7/100k · #1,579 of 2,328
Thurston County · 11.7/100k · increasing
- CRASH 11.7/100k
- FARS #1,579 of 2,328
- NHTSA 180 book
- MILE Increasing
- POST near Canyon
- BAND -29.1% vs WA
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 → · Washington state profile →
Thurston County rate neighbourhood
Deaths per 100,000 residents vs nearest nationwide rate peers (pop ≥250k).
- Canyon
Canyon County
12 per 100k
- El Paso
El Paso County
12 per 100k
- Thurston
Thurston County
12 per 100k
- Berks
Berks County
12 per 100k
- Pinellas
Pinellas County
12 per 100k
What this shows Thurston County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.
How does Thurston County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Thurston County is 29% 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 Washington, Thurston County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 16.5 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure. The gap between Thurston County's rate and the state average is 4.8 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Cowlitz County, at 14.2 per 100,000 (a difference of 2.5). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Lincoln County (59.6), Adams County (48.0), Kittitas County (35.2), Mason County (29.2), Jefferson County (23.7), Grant County (23.4), Pend Oreille County (20.9, limited data), Pacific County (20.7), Lewis County (19.7), Stevens County (18.4), Yakima County (18.3), Klickitat County (17.0), Skamania County (15.8, limited data), Cowlitz County (14.2).
Thurston County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
12 Lower than most a lower per-capita rate than 67% 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 Thurston 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 (11.7 here), outside Washington.
Similar fatality volume
Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (180 here), excluding the rate-peer set.
More road safety data related to Thurston County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Thurston County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- Washington statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for WA
- 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 TLetter index including WA counties
- CANYON County, ID fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- EL PASO County, TX fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- BERKS County, PA fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- PINELLAS County, FL fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Thurston County, Washington?
Thurston County recorded 180 total traffic fatalities across 169 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 35 fatalities. The county averages approximately 20.0 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Thurston County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (169 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Thurston County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Washington may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Thurston County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Thurston 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 Thurston County?
Thurston County has a fatality rate of 11.7 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 Thurston County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Thurston County ranks #1,579 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #21 of 35 rated counties in WA, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Thurston County compare to the rest of Washington?
Thurston County's per-capita rate of 11.7 per 100,000 residents is below the Washington county average of 16.5. Visit the Washington state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Thurston 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.