COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Wayne County: smaller FARS fatality book
Wayne County (MO) holds a smaller FARS book (21, #2,353 of 3,137) with 2 latest-year deaths.
- 21
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 2
- Latest Year Deaths
- Low count
- 18.5
- Per 100k Residents
- Near average
- Stable
- Trend
Smaller fatality book
Wayne County ranks #2,353 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (21 across 2016-2023) - bottom-third book size.
Wayne County in the smaller-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, Wayne County carries a bottom-third fatality book (21 across 2016-2023, #2,353 of 3,137) at 18.5/100k.
- #957 of 2,328
- among rated U.S. counties by rate
- #2,353 of 3,137
- smaller-book third
- #48 of 84
- in MO by rate
- Stable
- fatality trend
NHTSA FARS milepost
Milepost WAYNE-223 · Wayne 18.5/100k · #957 of 2,328
Wayne County · 18.5/100k · stable
- MILE 18.5/100k
- POST #957 of 2,328
- BAND 21 book
- VOL Stable
- AVG 21 crash
- YOY -15.1% vs MO
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 → · Missouri state profile →
How does Wayne County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Wayne County is 15% 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 Missouri, Wayne County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 21.8 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure. The gap between Wayne County's rate and the state average is 3.3 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Lafayette County, at 30.1 per 100,000 (a difference of 11.6). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Ripley County (74.0), Pemiscot County (54.7), Morgan County (54.6), Barry County (53.9), Lawrence County (51.5), Douglas County (49.1), Ralls County (47.7), Bates County (43.1), New Madrid County (38.9), Bollinger County (37.9), Saline County (34.7), Stone County (33.7), Wright County (30.9), Lafayette County (30.1).
Wayne County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
19 Around the middle a lower per-capita rate than 41% 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 Wayne County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Wayne County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- Missouri statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for MO
- 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 MO counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Wayne County, Missouri?
Wayne County recorded 21 total traffic fatalities across 21 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 2 fatalities. The county averages approximately 2.3 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Wayne County?
Cause-code breakdowns are not individually published for Wayne County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Missouri may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Wayne County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Wayne County is stable. Fatality counts have remained relatively consistent over the data period.
What is the fatality rate per capita in Wayne County?
Wayne County has a fatality rate of 18.5 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 Wayne County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Wayne County ranks #957 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #48 of 84 rated counties in MO, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Wayne County compare to the rest of Missouri?
Wayne County's per-capita rate of 18.5 per 100,000 residents is below the Missouri county average of 21.8. Visit the Missouri state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Wayne 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.