States

Traffic deaths by state

In 2022, California had the most traffic deaths (4,539), followed by Texas (4,408) and Florida (3,548). Adjusted for population, Mississippi had the highest death rate, 23.9 per 100,000 people, and Rhode Island the lowest, 4.7. The national rate was 12.8.

Death rates here are per resident. They do not account for how far people drive, so largely rural states with long trips tend to rank higher.

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Most deaths
California
4,539 deaths
Highest rate
Mississippi
23.9 per 100,000
Lowest rate
Rhode Island
4.7 per 100,000
States
51
50 states and DC, 2022

Rankings

All states, 2022

State
California 4,539 11.6 — 10.4 +0.6%
Texas 4,408 14.6 — 13.7 -2.0%
Florida 3,548 15.8 — 15.6 -5.2%
Georgia 1,796 16.4 — 15.4 -0.7%
North Carolina 1,631 15.2 — 14.7 -3.7%
Arizona 1,320 17.9 — 15.3 +10.7%
Tennessee 1,313 18.6 — 17.5 -1.1%
Ohio 1,274 10.8 — 10.4 -5.9%
Illinois 1,268 10.1 — 9.2 -4.9%
New York 1,182 6.0 — 5.4 +2.2%
Pennsylvania 1,179 9.1 — 9.0 -4.1%
Michigan 1,124 11.2 — 10.6 -1.1%
South Carolina 1,094 20.7 — 20.9 -8.7%
Missouri 1,057 17.1 — 15.8 +4.0%
Virginia 1,006 11.6 — 10.4 +3.4%
Alabama 988 19.5 — 19.2 +0.5%
Indiana 976 14.3 — 13.2 +4.7%
Louisiana 906 19.7 — 18.1 -6.7%
Colorado 764 13.1 — 11.4 +10.6%
Kentucky 744 16.5 — 16.9 -7.7%
Washington 743 9.5 — 8.0 +10.2%
Oklahoma 710 17.6 — 17.2 -6.8%
Mississippi 703 23.9 — 23.8 -8.2%
New Jersey 689 7.4 — 6.8 -0.4%
Arkansas 637 20.9 — 19.9 -7.9%
Wisconsin 604 10.2 — 10.2 -2.6%
Oregon 602 14.2 — 12.8 +0.5%
Maryland 566 9.2 — 9.0 +0.5%
New Mexico 466 22.1 — 20.5 -3.5%
Minnesota 444 7.8 — 7.3 -9.0%
Massachusetts 435 6.2 — 5.4 +5.3%
Nevada 417 13.1 — 11.4 +8.3%
Kansas 410 14.0 — 14.2 -3.1%
Connecticut 366 10.1 — 8.4 +20.8%
Iowa 336 10.5 — 10.6 -5.6%
Utah 319 9.4 — 8.8 -3.9%
West Virginia 266 15.0 — 15.3 -5.7%
Nebraska 244 12.4 — 12.0 +10.4%
Idaho 215 11.1 — 12.6 -21.2%
Montana 215 19.2 — 19.0 -10.0%
Maine 182 13.1 — 11.6 +19.0%
Delaware 162 15.9 — 13.3 +19.1%
New Hampshire 146 10.5 — 9.0 +23.7%
South Dakota 137 15.1 — 14.8 -7.4%
Wyoming 134 23.0 — 21.7 +21.8%
Hawaii 116 8.1 — 7.3 +23.4%
North Dakota 98 12.6 — 13.1 -3.0%
Alaska 82 11.2 — 9.9 +17.1%
Vermont 76 11.7 — 10.3 +2.7%
Rhode Island 52 4.7 — 5.5 -17.5%
District of Columbia 32 4.7 — 4.8 -22.0%

Rates use Census population estimates, available from 2000. The 5-year average divides all deaths in those years by all residents, which steadies small states that swing from year to year. Deaths per 100 million vehicle miles use Federal Highway Administration estimates of miles driven in each state, available from 1980; a state with a lot of through traffic can have a high rate per resident but a lower rate per mile. Download CSV

Charts

Highest rates and most deaths

Highest traffic death rates by state, 2022
Category Deaths per 100,000
Mississippi 23.9
Wyoming 23.0
New Mexico 22.1
Arkansas 20.9
South Carolina 20.7
Louisiana 19.7
Alabama 19.5
Montana 19.2
Tennessee 18.6
Arizona 17.9
Oklahoma 17.6
Missouri 17.1
Kentucky 16.5
Georgia 16.4
Delaware 15.9
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Most traffic deaths by state, 2022
Category Deaths
California 4,539
Texas 4,408
Florida 3,548
Georgia 1,796
North Carolina 1,631
Arizona 1,320
Tennessee 1,313
Ohio 1,274
Illinois 1,268
New York 1,182
Pennsylvania 1,179
Michigan 1,124
South Carolina 1,094
Missouri 1,057
Virginia 1,006
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By topic

States by type of death

Source: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) and Census Bureau population estimates. How rates are calculated