Rankings · Counties
Deadliest counties in Iowa
Counties in Iowa ranked by traffic deaths across 2020–2024, and by their average yearly death rate. Counties with more residents and more road miles tend to have more deaths, so the rate is the fairer comparison.
Most traffic deaths, 2020–2024
| # | County | Deaths 2020–2024 | Deaths 2024 | Per 100,000 a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Polk County | 202 | 47 | 8.0 |
| 2 | Scott County | 94 | 23 | 10.8 |
| 3 | Linn County | 85 | 18 | 7.4 |
| 4 | Pottawattamie County | 56 | 9 | 12.0 |
| 5 | Black Hawk County | 53 | 15 | 8.1 |
| 6 | Woodbury County | 43 | 11 | 8.1 |
| 7 | Dallas County | 40 | 2 | 7.4 |
| 8 | Johnson County | 35 | 8 | 4.5 |
| 9 | Dubuque County | 34 | 11 | 6.9 |
| 10 | Clinton County | 30 | 7 | 13.0 |
| 11 | Muscatine County | 30 | 9 | 14.1 |
| 12 | Lee County | 29 | 4 | 17.6 |
| 13 | Plymouth County | 27 | 6 | 21.0 |
| 14 | Marshall County | 26 | 4 | 13.0 |
| 15 | Warren County | 25 | 4 | 9.2 |
| 16 | Marion County | 24 | 4 | 14.3 |
| 17 | Jones County | 23 | 5 | 22.0 |
| 18 | Sioux County | 23 | 3 | 12.7 |
| 19 | Benton County | 22 | 4 | 17.1 |
| 20 | Cerro Gordo County | 22 | 7 | 10.3 |
| 21 | Jasper County | 22 | 4 | 11.6 |
| 22 | Webster County | 22 | 4 | 11.9 |
| 23 | Iowa County | 21 | 6 | 25.4 |
| 24 | Story County | 21 | 4 | 4.2 |
| 25 | Cedar County | 20 | 4 | 21.8 |
| 26 | Fremont County | 20 | 2 | 61.4 |
| 27 | Wapello County | 20 | 4 | 11.3 |
| 28 | Boone County | 19 | 3 | n/a |
| 29 | Clayton County | 17 | 2 | n/a |
| 30 | Madison County | 17 | 3 | n/a |
| 31 | Washington County | 17 | 8 | n/a |
| 32 | Harrison County | 16 | 0 | n/a |
| 33 | Hardin County | 15 | 4 | n/a |
| 34 | Jackson County | 15 | 3 | n/a |
| 35 | Mahaska County | 15 | 2 | n/a |
| 36 | Winneshiek County | 15 | 2 | n/a |
| 37 | Carroll County | 14 | 4 | n/a |
| 38 | Fayette County | 14 | 3 | n/a |
| 39 | Mills County | 14 | 3 | n/a |
| 40 | Adair County | 13 | 0 | n/a |
| 41 | Allamakee County | 13 | 2 | n/a |
| 42 | Cass County | 13 | 1 | n/a |
| 43 | Greene County | 13 | 4 | n/a |
| 44 | Henry County | 13 | 3 | n/a |
| 45 | Louisa County | 13 | 0 | n/a |
| 46 | Poweshiek County | 13 | 4 | n/a |
| 47 | Bremer County | 12 | 0 | n/a |
| 48 | Des Moines County | 12 | 3 | n/a |
| 49 | Hamilton County | 12 | 3 | n/a |
| 50 | Floyd County | 11 | 1 | n/a |
Highest death rates, 2020–2024
Deaths per 100,000 residents a year, averaged over 2020–2024. Only counties with at least 20 deaths in that time are ranked, because rates based on fewer deaths swing too much from year to year to compare. The rate divides deaths by the people who live in a county, so small counties crossed by busy highways can rank high: many of the people who die there are travelling through. How rates are worked out
| # | County | Deaths 2020–2024 | Deaths 2024 | Per 100,000 a year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fremont County | 20 | 2 | 61.4 |
| 2 | Iowa County | 21 | 6 | 25.4 |
| 3 | Jones County | 23 | 5 | 22.0 |
| 4 | Cedar County | 20 | 4 | 21.8 |
| 5 | Plymouth County | 27 | 6 | 21.0 |
| 6 | Lee County | 29 | 4 | 17.6 |
| 7 | Benton County | 22 | 4 | 17.1 |
| 8 | Marion County | 24 | 4 | 14.3 |
| 9 | Muscatine County | 30 | 9 | 14.1 |
| 10 | Clinton County | 30 | 7 | 13.0 |
| 11 | Marshall County | 26 | 4 | 13.0 |
| 12 | Sioux County | 23 | 3 | 12.7 |
| 13 | Pottawattamie County | 56 | 9 | 12.0 |
| 14 | Webster County | 22 | 4 | 11.9 |
| 15 | Jasper County | 22 | 4 | 11.6 |
| 16 | Wapello County | 20 | 4 | 11.3 |
| 17 | Scott County | 94 | 23 | 10.8 |
| 18 | Cerro Gordo County | 22 | 7 | 10.3 |
| 19 | Warren County | 25 | 4 | 9.2 |
| 20 | Black Hawk County | 53 | 15 | 8.1 |
| 21 | Woodbury County | 43 | 11 | 8.1 |
| 22 | Polk County | 202 | 47 | 8.0 |
| 23 | Dallas County | 40 | 2 | 7.4 |
| 24 | Linn County | 85 | 18 | 7.4 |
| 25 | Dubuque County | 34 | 11 | 6.9 |
| 26 | Johnson County | 35 | 8 | 4.5 |
| 27 | Story County | 21 | 4 | 4.2 |