COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Union County: smaller FARS fatality book
Union County (SD) holds a smaller FARS book (14, #2,646 of 3,137) with 2 latest-year deaths.
- 14
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 2
- Latest Year Deaths
- Low count
- 11.6
- Per 100k Residents
- Below average
- Stable
- Trend
Smaller fatality book
Union County ranks #2,646 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (14 across 2016-2023) - bottom-third book size.
Union County in the smaller-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, Union County carries a bottom-third fatality book (14 across 2016-2023, #2,646 of 3,137) at 11.6/100k.
- #1,587 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #2,646 of 3,137
- smaller-book third
- #9 of 16
- in SD by rate
- Stable
- fatality trend
NHTSA FARS milepost
Milepost UNION-127 · Union 11.6/100k · #1,587 of 2,328
Union County · 11.6/100k · stable
- AVG 11.6/100k
- YOY #1,587 of 2,328
- RATE 14 book
- RANK Stable
- BOOK 14 crash
- TREND -22.8% vs SD
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 → · South Dakota state profile →
How does Union County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Union County is 23% 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: Union 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 South Dakota, Union County ranks 9 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 15.0 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure. The gap between Union County's rate and the state average is 3.4 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Brookings County, at 11.1 per 100,000 (a difference of 0.5). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Lawrence County (42.8), Roberts County (29.4, limited data), Lake County (27.2, limited data), Meade County (16.2), Davison County (15.1, limited data), Lincoln County (15.0), Codington County (13.8), Yankton County (12.8, limited data), Brookings County (11.1), Butte County (9.2, limited data), Minnehaha County (8.7), Pennington County (8.6), Brown County (8.0, limited data), Hughes County (5.7, limited data).
Union 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 68% 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 Union County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Union County vs other counties by rate Per-100k fatality comparison
- South Dakota statewide fatality data All counties in this state
- Deadliest states for driving Context for SD
- 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 U Letter index including SD counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Union County, South Dakota?
Union County recorded 14 total traffic fatalities across 14 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 2 fatalities. The county averages approximately 1.6 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Union County?
With a small recorded crash count (14), FARS does not publish an individual cause-code breakdown for Union County. Statewide data for South Dakota may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Union County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Union County is stable. Fatality counts have remained relatively consistent over the data period.
What is the fatality rate per capita in Union County?
Union County has a fatality rate of 11.6 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 Union County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Union County ranks #1,587 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #9 of 16 rated counties in SD, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. Limited data: Union 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 Union County compare to the rest of South Dakota?
Union County's per-capita rate of 11.6 per 100,000 residents is below the South Dakota county average of 15.0. Visit the South Dakota state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Union 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.