COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Union County: larger FARS fatality book
Union County (NJ) holds a larger FARS book (235, #260 of 3,137) with 37 latest-year deaths.
- 235
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 37
- Latest Year Deaths
- Very high count
- 6.5
- Per 100k Residents
- Well below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Larger fatality book
Union County ranks #260 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (235 across 2016-2023) - top-third book size.
Union County in the larger-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, Union County carries a top-third fatality book (235 across 2016-2023, #260 of 3,137) at 6.5/100k.
- #2,101 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #260 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #12 of 21
- in NJ by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
NHTSA county milepost
Milepost UNION-39 · Union 6.5/100k · #2,101 of 2,328
Union County · 6.5/100k · increasing
- AVG 6.5/100k
- YOY #2,101 of 2,328
- RATE 235 book
- RANK Increasing
- BOOK near District Of Columbia
- TREND -16.2% 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 →
Union County rate neighbourhood
Deaths per 100,000 residents vs nearest nationwide rate peers (pop ≥250k).
- Union
Union County
7 per 100k
- District O…
District Of Columbia County
7 per 100k
- Hamilton
Hamilton County
7 per 100k
- Santa Clara
Santa Clara County
7 per 100k
- Washington
Washington County
7 per 100k
What this shows Union County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.
How does Union County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Union County is 17% 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, Union County ranks 11 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 Union County's rate and the state average is 1.3 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Ocean County, at 6.5 per 100,000 (a difference of 0.0). 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), Somerset County (6.3), Sussex County (6.2), Essex County (6.2).
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
7 Among the safer counties a lower per-capita rate than 90% 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 Union 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 (6.5 here), outside New Jersey.
Similar fatality volume
Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (235 here), excluding the rate-peer set.
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 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 ULetter index including NJ counties
- DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA County, DC fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- HAMILTON County, IN fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- SANTA CLARA County, CA fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- WASHINGTON County, MN fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Union County, New Jersey?
Union County recorded 235 total traffic fatalities across 228 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 37 fatalities. The county averages approximately 26.1 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Union County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (228 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Union County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for New Jersey may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Union County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Union 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 Union County?
Union County has a fatality rate of 6.5 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 Union County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Union County ranks #2,101 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #12 of 21 rated counties in NJ, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Union County compare to the rest of New Jersey?
Union County's per-capita rate of 6.5 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 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.