COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Wake County: larger FARS fatality book
Wake County (NC) holds a larger FARS book (625, #62 of 3,137) with 102 latest-year deaths.
- 625
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 102
- Latest Year Deaths
- Very high count
- 8.6
- Per 100k Residents
- Well below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Larger fatality book
Wake County ranks #62 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (625 across 2016-2023) - top-third book size.
Wake County in the larger-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, Wake County carries a top-third fatality book (625 across 2016-2023, #62 of 3,137) at 8.6/100k.
- #1,908 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #62 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #85 of 94
- in NC by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
FARS milepost strip
Milepost WAKE-183 · Wake 8.6/100k · #1,908 of 2,328
Wake County · 8.6/100k · increasing
- VOL 8.6/100k
- AVG #1,908 of 2,328
- YOY 625 book
- RATE Increasing
- RANK near Boulder
- BOOK -54.2% vs NC
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 → · North Carolina state profile →
Wake County rate neighbourhood
Deaths per 100,000 residents vs nearest nationwide rate peers (pop ≥250k).
- Wake
Wake County
9 per 100k
- Boulder
Boulder County
9 per 100k
- Summit
Summit County
9 per 100k
- Ventura
Ventura County
9 per 100k
- Baldwin
Baldwin County
9 per 100k
What this shows Wake County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.
How does Wake County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Wake County is 54% 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 North Carolina, Wake County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 18.8 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate leaves it safer than most U.S. counties by that per-capita measure. The gap between Wake County's rate and the state average is 10.2 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Edgecombe County, at 28.7 per 100,000 (a difference of 20.1). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Robeson County (55.4), Scotland County (52.4), Montgomery County (49.8), Bertie County (47.3), Halifax County (44.4), Sampson County (41.9), Duplin County (38.4), Warren County (37.2), Alexander County (32.9), Anson County (32.0), Columbus County (31.9), Bladen County (30.5), Gates County (29.0, limited data), Edgecombe County (28.7).
Wake County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
9 Among the safer counties a lower per-capita rate than 82% 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 Wake 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 (8.6 here), outside North Carolina.
Similar fatality volume
Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (625 here), excluding the rate-peer set.
More road safety data related to Wake County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Wake County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- North Carolina statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for NC
- 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 WLetter index including NC counties
- BOULDER County, CO fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- SUMMIT County, OH fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- VENTURA County, CA fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- BALDWIN County, AL fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Wake County, North Carolina?
Wake County recorded 625 total traffic fatalities across 580 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 102 fatalities. The county averages approximately 69.4 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Wake County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (580 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Wake County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for North Carolina may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Wake County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Wake 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 Wake County?
Wake County has a fatality rate of 8.6 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 Wake County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Wake County ranks #1,908 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #85 of 94 rated counties in NC, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Wake County compare to the rest of North Carolina?
Wake County's per-capita rate of 8.6 per 100,000 residents is below the North Carolina county average of 18.8. Visit the North Carolina state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Wake 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.