Data / Rankings / Traffic fatality rate / US states

US states by traffic fatality rate

Mississippi had the highest traffic fatality rate of 51 states in 2020, at 25.3 per 100,000 people. Massachusetts had the lowest, at 4.9 per 100,000 people. The median was 11.7 per 100,000 people and the figure for the United States was 11.8 per 100,000 people. Source: NHTSA and BEA.

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Highest25.3Mississippi
Lowest4.9Massachusetts
Median11.751 states
United States11.8History

Map of states, 2020

Alabama: 18.6 per 100,000 peopleAlaska: 8.7 per 100,000 peopleArizona: 14.7 per 100,000 peopleArkansas: 21.6 per 100,000 peopleCalifornia: 10.1 per 100,000 peopleColorado: 10.7 per 100,000 peopleConnecticut: 8.4 per 100,000 peopleDelaware: 11.7 per 100,000 peopleDistrict of Columbia: 5.4 per 100,000 peopleFlorida: 15.4 per 100,000 peopleGeorgia: 15.4 per 100,000 peopleHawaii: 5.9 per 100,000 peopleIdaho: 11.6 per 100,000 peopleIllinois: 9.3 per 100,000 peopleIndiana: 13.2 per 100,000 peopleIowa: 10.7 per 100,000 peopleKansas: 14.5 per 100,000 peopleKentucky: 17.3 per 100,000 peopleLouisiana: 17.8 per 100,000 peopleMaine: 12 per 100,000 peopleMaryland: 9.3 per 100,000 peopleMassachusetts: 4.9 per 100,000 peopleMichigan: 10.8 per 100,000 peopleMinnesota: 6.9 per 100,000 peopleMississippi: 25.3 per 100,000 peopleMissouri: 16 per 100,000 peopleMontana: 19.6 per 100,000 peopleNebraska: 11.9 per 100,000 peopleNevada: 10.7 per 100,000 peopleNew Hampshire: 7.5 per 100,000 peopleNew Jersey: 6.3 per 100,000 peopleNew Mexico: 18.8 per 100,000 peopleNew York: 5.2 per 100,000 peopleNorth Carolina: 14.7 per 100,000 peopleNorth Dakota: 12.8 per 100,000 peopleOhio: 10.4 per 100,000 peopleOklahoma: 16.5 per 100,000 peopleOregon: 11.9 per 100,000 peoplePennsylvania: 8.7 per 100,000 peopleRhode Island: 6.1 per 100,000 peopleSouth Carolina: 20.8 per 100,000 peopleSouth Dakota: 15.9 per 100,000 peopleTennessee: 17.6 per 100,000 peopleTexas: 13.3 per 100,000 peopleUtah: 8.4 per 100,000 peopleVermont: 9.6 per 100,000 peopleVirginia: 9.8 per 100,000 peopleWashington: 7.4 per 100,000 peopleWest Virginia: 14.9 per 100,000 peopleWisconsin: 10.4 per 100,000 peopleWyoming: 22 per 100,000 people
  • Under 7.8
  • 7.8 to 10
  • 10 to 12
  • 12 to 15
  • 15 to 17
  • 17 and over
per 100,000 people, 2020. Source: Invokely calculation with data from NHTSA, BEA. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2020

Mississippi: 25.3 per 100,000 peopleMississippi25.3Wyoming: 22 per 100,000 peopleWyoming22Arkansas: 21.6 per 100,000 peopleArkansas21.6South Carolina: 20.8 per 100,000 peopleSouth Carolina20.8Montana: 19.6 per 100,000 peopleMontana19.6New Mexico: 18.8 per 100,000 peopleNew Mexico18.8Alabama: 18.6 per 100,000 peopleAlabama18.6Louisiana: 17.8 per 100,000 peopleLouisiana17.8Tennessee: 17.6 per 100,000 peopleTennessee17.6Kentucky: 17.3 per 100,000 peopleKentucky17.3Oklahoma: 16.5 per 100,000 peopleOklahoma16.5Missouri: 16 per 100,000 peopleMissouri16South Dakota: 15.9 per 100,000 peopleSouth Dakota15.9Georgia: 15.4 per 100,000 peopleGeorgia15.4Florida: 15.4 per 100,000 peopleFlorida15.4West Virginia: 14.9 per 100,000 peopleWest Virginia14.9North Carolina: 14.7 per 100,000 peopleNorth Carolina14.7Arizona: 14.7 per 100,000 peopleArizona14.7Kansas: 14.5 per 100,000 peopleKansas14.5Texas: 13.3 per 100,000 peopleTexas13.3Indiana: 13.2 per 100,000 peopleIndiana13.2North Dakota: 12.8 per 100,000 peopleNorth Dakota12.8Maine: 12 per 100,000 peopleMaine12Oregon: 11.9 per 100,000 peopleOregon11.9Nebraska: 11.9 per 100,000 peopleNebraska11.9Delaware: 11.7 per 100,000 peopleDelaware11.7Idaho: 11.6 per 100,000 peopleIdaho11.6Michigan: 10.8 per 100,000 peopleMichigan10.8Iowa: 10.7 per 100,000 peopleIowa10.7Colorado: 10.7 per 100,000 peopleColorado10.7Nevada: 10.7 per 100,000 peopleNevada10.7Ohio: 10.4 per 100,000 peopleOhio10.4Wisconsin: 10.4 per 100,000 peopleWisconsin10.4California: 10.1 per 100,000 peopleCalifornia10.1Virginia: 9.8 per 100,000 peopleVirginia9.8Vermont: 9.6 per 100,000 peopleVermont9.6Illinois: 9.3 per 100,000 peopleIllinois9.3Maryland: 9.3 per 100,000 peopleMaryland9.3Alaska: 8.7 per 100,000 peopleAlaska8.7Pennsylvania: 8.7 per 100,000 peoplePennsylvania8.7Utah: 8.4 per 100,000 peopleUtah8.4Connecticut: 8.4 per 100,000 peopleConnecticut8.4New Hampshire: 7.5 per 100,000 peopleNew Hampshire7.5Washington: 7.4 per 100,000 peopleWashington7.4Minnesota: 6.9 per 100,000 peopleMinnesota6.9New Jersey: 6.3 per 100,000 peopleNew Jersey6.3Rhode Island: 6.1 per 100,000 peopleRhode Island6.1Hawaii: 5.9 per 100,000 peopleHawaii5.9District of Columbia: 5.4 per 100,000 peopleDistrict of Columbia5.4New York: 5.2 per 100,000 peopleNew York5.2Massachusetts: 4.9 per 100,000 peopleMassachusetts4.9Mississippi: 25.3 per 100,000 peopleMississippi25.3Wyoming: 22 per 100,000 peopleWyoming22Arkansas: 21.6 per 100,000 peopleArkansas21.6South Carolina: 20.8 per 100,000 peopleSouth Carolina20.8Montana: 19.6 per 100,000 peopleMontana19.6New Mexico: 18.8 per 100,000 peopleNew Mexico18.8Alabama: 18.6 per 100,000 peopleAlabama18.6Louisiana: 17.8 per 100,000 peopleLouisiana17.8Tennessee: 17.6 per 100,000 peopleTennessee17.6Kentucky: 17.3 per 100,000 peopleKentucky17.3Oklahoma: 16.5 per 100,000 peopleOklahoma16.5Missouri: 16 per 100,000 peopleMissouri16South Dakota: 15.9 per 100,000 peopleSouth Dakota15.9Georgia: 15.4 per 100,000 peopleGeorgia15.4Florida: 15.4 per 100,000 peopleFlorida15.4West Virginia: 14.9 per 100,000 peopleWest Virginia14.9North Carolina: 14.7 per 100,000 peopleNorth Carolina14.7Arizona: 14.7 per 100,000 peopleArizona14.7Kansas: 14.5 per 100,000 peopleKansas14.5Texas: 13.3 per 100,000 peopleTexas13.3Indiana: 13.2 per 100,000 peopleIndiana13.2North Dakota: 12.8 per 100,000 peopleNorth Dakota12.8Maine: 12 per 100,000 peopleMaine12Oregon: 11.9 per 100,000 peopleOregon11.9Nebraska: 11.9 per 100,000 peopleNebraska11.9Delaware: 11.7 per 100,000 peopleDelaware11.7Idaho: 11.6 per 100,000 peopleIdaho11.6Michigan: 10.8 per 100,000 peopleMichigan10.8Iowa: 10.7 per 100,000 peopleIowa10.7Colorado: 10.7 per 100,000 peopleColorado10.7Nevada: 10.7 per 100,000 peopleNevada10.7Ohio: 10.4 per 100,000 peopleOhio10.4Wisconsin: 10.4 per 100,000 peopleWisconsin10.4California: 10.1 per 100,000 peopleCalifornia10.1Virginia: 9.8 per 100,000 peopleVirginia9.8Vermont: 9.6 per 100,000 peopleVermont9.6Illinois: 9.3 per 100,000 peopleIllinois9.3Maryland: 9.3 per 100,000 peopleMaryland9.3Alaska: 8.7 per 100,000 peopleAlaska8.7Pennsylvania: 8.7 per 100,000 peoplePennsylvania8.7Utah: 8.4 per 100,000 peopleUtah8.4Connecticut: 8.4 per 100,000 peopleConnecticut8.4New Hampshire: 7.5 per 100,000 peopleNew Hampshire7.5Washington: 7.4 per 100,000 peopleWashington7.4Minnesota: 6.9 per 100,000 peopleMinnesota6.9New Jersey: 6.3 per 100,000 peopleNew Jersey6.3Rhode Island: 6.1 per 100,000 peopleRhode Island6.1Hawaii: 5.9 per 100,000 peopleHawaii5.9District of Columbia: 5.4 per 100,000 peopleDistrict of Columbia5.4New York: 5.2 per 100,000 peopleNew York5.2Massachusetts: 4.9 per 100,000 peopleMassachusetts4.9
per 100,000 people. Source: Invokely calculation with data from NHTSA, BEA. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2020
per 100,000 people		Change on 2019
1Mississippi25.3+3.7 pts
2Wyoming22-3.6 pts
3Arkansas21.6+4.6 pts
4South Carolina20.8+1 pts
5Montana19.6+2.5 pts
6New Mexico18.8-1.4 pts
7Alabama18.6-0 pts
8Louisiana17.8+2.2 pts
9Tennessee17.6+1 pts
10Kentucky17.3+1 pts
11Oklahoma16.5+0.2 pts
12Missouri16+1.7 pts
13South Dakota15.9+4.3 pts
14Georgia15.4+1.4 pts
15Florida15.4+0.5 pts
16West Virginia14.9+0.5 pts
17North Carolina14.7+0.7 pts
18Arizona14.7+0.8 pts
19Kansas14.5+0.5 pts
20Texas13.3+0.7 pts
21Indiana13.2+1.2 pts
22North Dakota12.8-0.1 pts
23Maine12+0.5 pts
24Oregon11.9+0.3 pts
25Nebraska11.9-0.8 pts
26Delaware11.7-1.8 pts
27Idaho11.6-0.8 pts
28Michigan10.8+1 pts
29Iowa10.7+0.2 pts
30Colorado10.7+0.3 pts
31Nevada10.7+0.8 pts
32Ohio10.4+0.6 pts
33Wisconsin10.4+0.7 pts
34California10.1+0.7 pts
35Virginia9.8+0.2 pts
36Vermont9.6+2.3 pts
37Illinois9.3+1.5 pts
38Maryland9.3+0.6 pts
39Alaska8.7-0.4 pts
40Pennsylvania8.7+0.5 pts
41Utah8.4+0.7 pts
42Connecticut8.4+1.5 pts
43New Hampshire7.5+0.2 pts
44Washington7.4+0.4 pts
45Minnesota6.9+0.5 pts
46New Jersey6.3+0.3 pts
47Rhode Island6.1+0.9 pts
48Hawaii5.9-1.6 pts
49District of Columbia5.4+2 pts
50New York5.2+0.6 pts
51Massachusetts4.9+0.1 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Traffic fatalities (NHTSA FARS) per 100,000 residents in the same year and place.

Deaths are counted where the crash happened and divided by the resident population, so counties with busy highways and few residents can show very high rates. Differs from the WHO road traffic death rate (road_traffic_death_rate).

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the states are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

Invokely calculation from NHTSA FARS traffic fatalities divided by BEA mid-year population (SAINC1 and CAINC1), per 100,000 residents. https://invokely.ai/docs/methodology#traffic_fatality_rate_per_100k. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

Invokely calculated this figure from the publishers' data, so Invokely is the author and the publishers of the inputs are named.

APA 7

Invokely. (n.d.). NHTSA FARS traffic fatalities divided by BEA mid-year population (SAINC1 and CAINC1), per 100,000 residents (US states by traffic fatality rate, 2020) [Data set]. Calculated from data by NHTSA and BEA. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://invokely.ai/docs/methodology#traffic_fatality_rate_per_100k

MLA 9

NHTSA FARS traffic fatalities divided by BEA mid-year population (SAINC1 and CAINC1), per 100,000 residents, US states by traffic fatality rate, 2020. Calculated from data by NHTSA and BEA. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/docs/methodology#traffic_fatality_rate_per_100k. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

Invokely. n.d. NHTSA FARS traffic fatalities divided by BEA mid-year population (SAINC1 and CAINC1), per 100,000 residents. US states by traffic fatality rate, 2020. Dataset. Calculated from data by NHTSA and BEA. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://invokely.ai/docs/methodology#traffic_fatality_rate_per_100k.

Harvard

Invokely (no date) NHTSA FARS traffic fatalities divided by BEA mid-year population (SAINC1 and CAINC1), per 100,000 residents, US states by traffic fatality rate, 2020 [Dataset]. Calculated from data by NHTSA and BEA. Available at: https://invokely.ai/docs/methodology#traffic_fatality_rate_per_100k (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{invokely_us_states_by_traffic_2020,
  author = {{Invokely}},
  title = {{NHTSA FARS traffic fatalities divided by BEA mid-year population (SAINC1 and CAINC1), per 100,000 residents: US states by traffic fatality rate, 2020}},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://invokely.ai/docs/methodology#traffic_fatality_rate_per_100k},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Calculated from data by NHTSA and BEA. Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/traffic-fatality-rate/us-states?period=2020. Publisher attribution: Invokely calculation from NHTSA FARS traffic fatalities divided by BEA mid-year population (SAINC1 and CAINC1), per 100,000 residents. https://invokely.ai/docs/methodology\#traffic\_fatality\_rate\_per\_100k. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - Invokely
TI  - NHTSA FARS traffic fatalities divided by BEA mid-year population (SAINC1 and CAINC1), per 100,000 residents: US states by traffic fatality rate, 2020
PB  - Invokely
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://invokely.ai/docs/methodology#traffic_fatality_rate_per_100k
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/traffic-fatality-rate/us-states?period=2020
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Calculated from data by NHTSA and BEA.
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/traffic-fatality-rate/us-states?period=2020.
N1  - Publisher attribution: Invokely calculation from NHTSA FARS traffic fatalities divided by BEA mid-year population (SAINC1 and CAINC1), per 100,000 residents. https://invokely.ai/docs/methodology#traffic_fatality_rate_per_100k. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest traffic fatality rate?

Mississippi, with 25.3 per 100,000 people in 2020, according to NHTSA and BEA.

Which state has the lowest traffic fatality rate?

Massachusetts, with 4.9 per 100,000 people in 2020.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: Invokely, NHTSA FARS traffic fatalities divided by BEA mid-year population (SAINC1 and CAINC1), per 100,000 residents. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Traffic fatality rate: other rankings

US states: more rankings