COUNTY FATALITY DATA
Worcester County: larger FARS fatality book
Worcester County (MA) holds a larger FARS book (431, #114 of 3,137) with 45 latest-year deaths.
- 431
- Total Fatalities (2016-2023)
- 45
- Latest Year Deaths
- Very high count
- 5.2
- Per 100k Residents
- Well below average
- Increasing
- Trend
Larger fatality book
Worcester County ranks #114 of 3,137 by total FARS fatalities (431 across 2016-2023) - top-third book size.
Worcester County in the larger-book third
According to NHTSA FARS, Worcester County carries a top-third fatality book (431 across 2016-2023, #114 of 3,137) at 5.2/100k.
- #2,200 of 2,328
- lower-rate third
- #114 of 3,137
- larger-book third
- #8 of 13
- in MA by rate
- Increasing
- fatality trend
FARS county milepost
Milepost WORCESTER-27 · Worcester 5.2/100k · #2,200 of 2,328
Worcester County · 5.2/100k · increasing
- AVG 5.2/100k
- YOY #2,200 of 2,328
- RATE 431 book
- RANK Increasing
- BOOK near Anchorage
- TREND -11.1% vs MA
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 → · Massachusetts state profile →
Worcester County rate neighbourhood
Deaths per 100,000 residents vs nearest nationwide rate peers (pop ≥250k).
- Worcester
Worcester County
5 per 100k
- Anchorage
Anchorage County
5 per 100k
- Collin
Collin County
5 per 100k
- Dupage
Dupage County
5 per 100k
- Denton
Denton County
5 per 100k
What this shows Worcester County sits among nearest nationwide per-capita peers.
How does Worcester County compare?
2023 road deaths per 100,000 residents. Choose any comparison from the menu.
Worcester County is About the same as 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 13 rated counties in Massachusetts, Worcester County ranks 7 for per-capita risk, below the state's own per-capita average of 5.8 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 Worcester County's rate and the state average is 0.6 per 100,000. Its closest per-capita peer statewide is Barnstable County, at 5.2 per 100,000 (a difference of 0.0). Its peer counties, highest to lowest per 100,000 residents: Franklin County (9.9), Hampden County (9.1), Bristol County (7.2), Berkshire County (7.1), Plymouth County (6.7), Hampshire County (5.5), Barnstable County (5.2), Norfolk County (5.1), Dukes County (4.8, limited data), Essex County (4.7), Suffolk County (2.9), Middlesex County (2.6).
Worcester County's rate vs. every rated U.S. county
Deaths per 100,000 residents -- counties with 10,000+ people, NHTSA FARS over Census population
5 Among the safer counties a lower per-capita rate than 94% 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 Worcester 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 (5.2 here), outside Massachusetts.
Similar fatality volume
Nearest counties by recorded FARS deaths (431 here), excluding the rate-peer set.
More road safety data related to Worcester County
Contextual links from this profile to rankings, tools, research, and peer geographies on PlainRoadSafety.
- Worcester County vs other counties by ratePer-100k fatality comparison
- Massachusetts statewide fatality dataAll counties in this state
- Deadliest states for drivingContext for MA
- 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 MA counties
- ANCHORAGE County, AK fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- COLLIN County, TX fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- DUPAGE County, IL fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
- DENTON County, TX fatalitiesSimilar nationwide FARS profile
Frequently Asked Questions
How many traffic fatalities occurred in Worcester County, Massachusetts?
Worcester County recorded 431 total traffic fatalities across 404 reported crashes over the data period (2016-2023). The most recent year saw 45 fatalities. The county averages approximately 47.9 fatalities per year.
What is the leading cause of road fatalities in Worcester County?
Despite a comparatively active crash history (404 recorded crashes), individual cause-code breakdowns are not published for Worcester County in the current FARS release. Statewide data for Massachusetts may provide additional context.
Is the trend of road fatalities in Worcester County increasing or decreasing?
The trend in Worcester 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 Worcester County?
Worcester County has a fatality rate of 5.2 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 Worcester County rank for road fatality rate?
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Fatality Analysis Reporting System, Worcester County ranks #2,200 of 2,328 U.S. counties by road-fatality rate per 100,000 residents (highest first) and #8 of 13 rated counties in MA, the same sort used on the deadliest-states and county rate listings. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How does Worcester County compare to the rest of Massachusetts?
Worcester County's per-capita rate of 5.2 per 100,000 residents is below the Massachusetts county average of 5.8. Visit the Massachusetts state page for the full county-by-county breakdown.
Where does the road fatality data for Worcester 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.