COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Wise County, Virginia
Road fatality data for Wise County (VA). Data period: 2016-2023.
- 38
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 5
- Latest Year Deaths
- Low count
- 14.2
- Per 100k Residents
- Below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Rising fatality trend
Wise County's FARS series is labeled Increasing with 5 deaths in the latest year.
Wise County on a rising FARS trend
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Wise County ranks #1,343 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #56 of 105 rated counties in VA. Wise County's fatality rate of 14.2 per 100,000 residents places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure.
- #1,343 of 2,328
- among rated U.S. counties by rate
- #1,741 of 3,137
- by total FARS fatalities
- #56 of 105
- in VA by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
FARS county milepost
Milepost WISE-195 · Wise 14.2/100k · #1,343 of 2,328
Wise County · 14.2/100k · increasing
- BOOK 14.2/100k
- TREND #1,343 of 2,328
- CAUSE 38 book
- PHOTO Increasing
- VS-ST 36 crash
- CRASH -21.3% vs VA
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 → · Virginia state profile →
How does Wise County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Wise County is 21% 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 Virginia, Wise County ranks 15 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 18.0 per 100,000 -- nationally, this rate places it close to the national middle by that per-capita measure. The gap between Wise County's rate and the state average is 3.8 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Clarke County, at 32.3 per 100,000 (a difference of 18.1). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Sussex County (83.7), Madison County (63.7), Charlotte County (61.8), Halifax County (59.8), Nelson County (54.4), Dinwiddie County (52.9), Buchanan County (47.2), Campbell County (39.8), Wythe County (39.1), Brunswick County (38.1), Accomack County (36.1), Patrick County (34.3), Mecklenburg County (32.6), Clarke County (32.3).
Wise County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
14 Lower than most a lower per-capita rate than 57% 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 Wise County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Wise County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- Virginia statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for VA
- 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 VA counties
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Wise County, Virginia?
Wise County recorded 38 total traffic fatalities across 36 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 5 fatalities. The county averages approximately 4.2 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Wise County?
Cause-code breakdowns are not individually published for Wise County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Virginia may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Wise County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Wise 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 Wise County?
Wise County has a fatality rate of 14.2 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 Wise County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Wise County ranks #1,343 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #56 of 105 rated counties in VA, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Wise County compare to the rest of Virginia?
Wise County's per-capita rate of 14.2 per 100,000 residents is below the Virginia county average of 18.0. Visit the Virginia state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Wise 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.