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Most Dangerous Metro Areas for Driving (2026)

By the FindMyAccidentLawyer Data Team · Updated October 19, 2026 · 15 sourced statistics · CSV · JSON · Cite this page

The Memphis metro area has the highest traffic death rate of any U.S. metro with 1 million or more people. From 2022 to 2024 it averaged 24.89 deaths per 100,000 residents per year. New York had the lowest, at 4.62. This is FindMyAccidentLawyer analysis of NHTSA data.

The numbers at a glance

  • 24.89The Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro area had the highest traffic death rate from 2022 to 2024 among U.S. metro areas with 1 million or more people (Connecticut excluded): 24.89 deaths per 100,000 residents per year. Source
  • 17.86Fresno, CA ranked No. 2 for traffic deaths from 2022 to 2024 among U.S. metros with 1 million or more people (Connecticut excluded), at 17.86 deaths per 100,000 residents per year. Source
  • 16.89Tucson, AZ ranked No. 3 for traffic deaths from 2022 to 2024 among U.S. metros with 1 million or more people (Connecticut excluded), at 16.89 deaths per 100,000 residents per year. Source
  • 4.62The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro area had the lowest traffic death rate from 2022 to 2024 among U.S. metros with 1 million or more people (Connecticut excluded), at 4.62 deaths per 100,000 residents per year. Source
  • 5.4xFrom 2022 to 2024, the traffic death rate in the Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro was 5.4 times the rate in the New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro, the highest and lowest among U.S. metros with 1 million or more people (Connecticut excluded). Source
  • 977The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area had the most traffic deaths of any U.S. metro area in 2024, with 977 people killed. Source
  • 26.36Shelby County, TN had the highest traffic death rate from 2022 to 2024 among U.S. counties with 500,000 or more people (Connecticut excluded): 26.36 deaths per 100,000 residents per year. Source
  • 5.5Smart Growth America's Dangerous by Design 2026 ranks Memphis, TN-MS-AR as the metro area with the highest pedestrian fatality rate, an average of 5.5 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 residents per year over 2020 to 2024. Source

Which metro areas have the highest traffic death rates?

FindMyAccidentLawyer ranked every U.S. metro with 1 million or more people by deaths per 100,000 residents. Memphis sits far ahead. Two California metros and one in Arizona and one in Alabama fill out the top five. See Tennessee, California, Arizona and Alabama.

Which large metros are safest, and how wide is the gap?

The two lowest rates belong to the biggest Northeastern metros. The gap with the other end of the list is wide.

Which metro area has the most traffic deaths?

A raw count depends on how many people live in the area. Los Angeles leads on deaths in 2024, but it does not appear among the five highest rates above.

Which large counties have the highest death rates?

The county ranking uses the same method but covers every county with 500,000 or more people. Shelby County anchors Memphis and tops the list.

Which metros are most dangerous for people walking?

This section reports work by Smart Growth America, not FindMyAccidentLawyer. Its pedestrian rankings use a different measure and period than our all-crash ranking. For more, read pedestrian accident statistics.

  • 5.5per 100k per year2024

    Smart Growth America's Dangerous by Design 2026 ranks Memphis, TN-MS-AR as the metro area with the highest pedestrian fatality rate, an average of 5.5 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 residents per year over 2020 to 2024.

    Source: Smart Growth America, Dangerous by Design 2026: State and metro rankings

  • 5.5per 100k per year2024

    Smart Growth America's Dangerous by Design 2026 ranks Memphis (5.5 average annual pedestrian deaths per 100,000 residents, 2020 to 2024) as the deadliest metro area for people walking, followed by Albuquerque (5.32), Bakersfield-Delano (5.01), Tucson (4.43), Baton Rouge (4.18), Little Rock (4.17), Fresno (4.06), Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater (3.74), and New Orleans-Metairie and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario (both 3.73).

    Source: Smart Growth America, Dangerous by Design 2026: State and metro rankings

  • 4.42per 100k per year2024

    Smart Growth America's Dangerous by Design 2026 ranks New Mexico as the deadliest state for people walking, at an average of 4.42 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 residents per year over 2020 to 2024, followed by Louisiana (3.53) and Arizona (3.49).

    Source: Smart Growth America, Dangerous by Design 2026: State and metro rankings

Traffic death rates for all 54 large U.S. metro areas

Traffic deaths per 100,000 residents per year, 2022-2024, U.S. metro areas with 1 million or more people
RankMetro areaDeaths per 100k per yearDeaths 2022-2024Deaths 2024Population 2024
1Memphis, TN-MS-AR · lawyers24.891,0013121,339,345
2Fresno, CA · lawyers17.866342021,189,557
3Tucson, AZ · lawyers16.895421821,080,149
4Birmingham, AL · lawyers15.985691901,192,583
5Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA · lawyers15.422,1786394,744,214
6Louisville/Jefferson County, KY-IN · lawyers15.326341931,394,234
7Tulsa, OK · lawyers15.084741471,059,803
8Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ · lawyers14.522,2246875,186,958
9Nashville-Davidson--Murfreesboro--Franklin, TN · lawyers14.499192682,150,553
10Jacksonville, FL · lawyers14.087272281,760,548
11Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL · lawyers14.061,4214443,424,560
12Richmond, VA · lawyers13.025291711,370,165
13St. Louis, MO-IL · lawyers12.981,0933462,811,927
14Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL · lawyers12.611,0832932,940,513
15Oklahoma City, OK · lawyers12.405511751,497,821
16Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL · lawyers12.112,3017366,457,988
17Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX · lawyers11.738772732,550,637
18San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX · lawyers11.679503042,763,006
19Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA · lawyers11.548452342,463,127
20Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Roswell, GA · lawyers11.532,1916366,411,149
21Kansas City, MO-KS · lawyers11.517702492,253,579
22Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV · lawyers11.518142932,398,871
23Charlotte-Concord-Gastonia, NC-SC · lawyers11.399643462,883,370
24Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN · lawyers11.267262162,174,833
25Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands, TX · lawyers10.712,4418177,796,182
26Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX · lawyers10.352,5358418,344,032
27Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO · lawyers9.989052923,052,498
28Raleigh-Cary, NC · lawyers9.874511401,562,009
29Columbus, OH · lawyers9.746421982,225,377
30Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI · lawyers9.623371111,178,826
31Virginia Beach-Chesapeake-Norfolk, VA-NC · lawyers9.264971541,794,278
32Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR-WA · lawyers8.926752122,537,904
33San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA · lawyers8.898773033,298,799
34Omaha, NE-IA · lawyers8.89264931,001,010
35Cincinnati, OH-KY-IN · lawyers8.705961672,302,815
36Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI · lawyers8.701,1423664,400,578
37Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI · lawyers8.654071251,574,452
38Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD · lawyers8.417192442,859,024
39Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD · lawyers8.401,5855036,330,422
40Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA · lawyers8.173,16497712,927,614
41Cleveland, OH · lawyers8.125282052,171,877
42Pittsburgh, PA · lawyers7.955801832,429,917
43Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA · lawyers7.699433184,145,494
44Rochester, NY · lawyers7.67243751,057,218
45Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN · lawyers7.652,1456919,408,576
46Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV · lawyers7.161,3654406,436,489
47Salt Lake City-Murray, UT · lawyers7.05272831,300,762
48Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY · lawyers6.53227731,160,172
49San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA · lawyers6.393781111,995,484
50San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA · lawyers5.948232554,648,486
51Providence-Warwick, RI-MA · lawyers5.74291871,700,901
52Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI · lawyers5.576231993,757,952
53Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH · lawyers4.717032315,025,517
54New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ · lawyers4.622,73988919,940,274

Source: FindMyAccidentLawyer analysis of NHTSA FARS 2022 and 2023 Final Files and 2024 Annual Report File, U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 population estimates, and OMB metro area definitions (July 2023). Rate = total deaths 2022-2024 divided by the sum of annual populations, per 100,000. Connecticut is excluded because Census now reports its planning regions while FARS codes its former counties.

Traffic death rates for the 145 largest U.S. counties

Every county with at least 500,000 residents, ranked by deaths per 100,000 residents per year from 2022 to 2024.

Traffic deaths per 100,000 residents per year, 2022-2024, U.S. counties with 500,000 or more people
RankCountyDeaths per 100k per yearDeaths 2022-2024Population 2024
1Shelby County, TN26.36723910,530
2Kern County, CA21.66597922,529
3Volusia County, FL19.65349602,772
4Pinal County, AZ18.35269513,862
5San Bernardino County, CA18.111,1972,214,281
6Davidson County, TN17.96388729,505
7Fresno County, CA17.155251,024,125
8Jackson County, MO16.91366727,362
9Bernalillo County, NM16.90341671,747
10Pima County, AZ16.895421,080,149
11San Joaquin County, CA16.87408816,108
12DeKalb County, GA16.63383770,307
13Polk County, FL16.33403852,878
14Greenville County, SC16.20272570,745
15Pasco County, FL16.16308659,114
16Jefferson County, KY15.97376793,881
17Stanislaus County, CA15.93265556,972
18Jefferson County, AL15.59311664,744
19Brevard County, FL15.07292658,447
20Duval County, FL14.994671,055,159
21Lee County, FL14.89377860,959
22Knox County, TN14.69221506,748
23Adams County, CO14.25229542,973
24Maricopa County, AZ14.111,9554,673,096
25Marion County, IN13.75403981,628
26Palm Beach County, FL13.706401,582,055
27Hillsborough County, FL13.646361,581,426
28Tulsa County, OK13.45277693,514
29Riverside County, CA13.069812,529,933
30Dallas County, TX12.901,0202,656,028
31Prince George's County, MD12.58362966,629
32Oklahoma County, OK12.54305816,490
33Broward County, FL12.497502,037,472
34Montgomery County, OH12.26197537,443
35Sacramento County, CA12.145821,611,231
36Orange County, FL11.895351,533,646
37Travis County, TX11.894811,363,767
38Pinellas County, FL11.84343965,870
39Guilford County, NC11.69194558,816
40New Castle County, DE11.68204588,093
41Sedgwick County, KS11.68186536,081
42Clark County, NV11.518142,398,871
43Harris County, TX11.401,6785,009,302
44Fulton County, GA11.293671,090,354
45Wayne County, MI11.225941,771,063
46Miami-Dade County, FL10.949112,838,461
47Pierce County, WA10.89305941,170
48Bexar County, TX10.786782,127,737
49Multnomah County, OR10.73256795,897
50El Paso County, CO10.66239752,772
51Milwaukee County, WI10.58293924,740
52Washoe County, NV10.51158507,280
53St. Louis County, MO10.35308992,929
54El Paso County, TX10.35271875,784
55Lake County, IN10.11152502,955
56Denver County, CO9.84213729,019
57Suffolk County, NY9.624421,535,909
58Tarrant County, TX9.596322,230,708
59Lancaster County, PA9.52160563,293
60Arapahoe County, CO9.41187666,918
61Spokane County, WA9.41156555,947
62Mecklenburg County, NC9.343301,206,285
63Kent County, MI9.11182673,002
64Baltimore County, MD9.10232852,425
65Baltimore city, MD8.97153568,271
66Montgomery County, TX8.95192749,613
67San Diego County, CA8.898773,298,799
68Hamilton County, OH8.85221837,359
69Philadelphia County, PA8.794141,573,916
70Jefferson County, CO8.66150578,533
71Franklin County, OH8.533431,356,303
72Los Angeles County, CA8.502,4849,757,179
73Camden County, NJ8.31132533,988
74Cuyahoga County, OH8.283081,240,594
75Hidalgo County, TX8.20222914,820
76Douglas County, NE8.02143601,158
77Anne Arundel County, MD8.00144602,350
78Lake County, IL7.93170718,604
79Summit County, OH7.88127538,370
80Kane County, IL7.85122520,997
81Will County, IL7.82165708,583
82Polk County, IA7.80119516,185
83Wake County, NC7.782811,232,444
84Cobb County, GA7.64179787,538
85Williamson County, TX7.61160727,480
86Ventura County, CA7.47187835,427
87Bucks County, PA7.46145650,131
88Clark County, WA7.40116527,269
89Cook County, IL7.361,1385,182,617
90Plymouth County, MA7.31118542,090
91Monmouth County, NJ7.23140647,520
92Orange County, CA7.176803,170,435
93Middlesex County, NJ7.07186890,119
94Ocean County, NJ7.01139666,434
95Macomb County, MI6.93183886,175
96King County, WA6.824712,340,211
97Contra Costa County, CA6.672331,172,607
98Gwinnett County, GA6.651981,003,869
99Bristol County, MA6.61116588,593
100Worcester County, MA6.57172881,248
101Snohomish County, WA6.53167864,113
102Salt Lake County, UT6.512351,216,274
103Allegheny County, PA6.362351,231,814
104Alameda County, CA6.283091,649,060
105Monroe County, NY6.21140752,202
106Dane County, WI6.15107588,347
107Erie County, NY6.08173950,602
108Essex County, NJ6.04157881,527
109District of Columbia, DC5.95123702,250
110Union County, NJ5.94104594,160
111Santa Clara County, CA5.923381,926,325
112Montgomery County, PA5.92155879,190
113Washington County, OR5.84106611,272
114Collin County, TX5.792101,254,658
115Providence County, RI5.54111675,912
116Honolulu County, HI5.52165998,747
117Passaic County, NJ5.3784526,597
118Norfolk County, MA5.31117740,754
119San Mateo County, CA5.25116742,893
120Oakland County, MI5.222011,296,888
121Ada County, ID5.1281535,799
122DuPage County, IL5.09142937,142
123Nassau County, NY5.092121,392,438
124San Francisco County, CA5.08125827,526
125Ramsey County, MN5.0081542,015
126Chester County, PA4.9983560,745
127Denton County, TX4.971511,045,120
128Delaware County, PA4.8885584,882
129Utah County, UT4.87106747,234
130Fairfax County, VA4.671611,160,925
131Hennepin County, MN4.511711,273,334
132Montgomery County, MD4.451431,082,273
133Fort Bend County, TX4.32120958,434
134Bergen County, NJ4.27124978,641
135Johnson County, KS4.1678632,276
136Morris County, NJ3.9962523,053
137Essex County, MA3.9697823,938
138Westchester County, NY3.941181,006,447
139Bronx County, NY3.641511,384,724
140Suffolk County, MA3.5383793,144
141Middlesex County, MA3.501731,668,956
142Queens County, NY3.132162,316,841
143Hudson County, NJ2.8662736,185
144Kings County, NY2.521972,617,631
145New York County, NY2.231091,660,664

Source: FindMyAccidentLawyer analysis of NHTSA FARS 2022 and 2023 Final Files and 2024 Annual Report File, U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 population estimates, and OMB metro area definitions (July 2023). Rate = total deaths 2022-2024 divided by the sum of annual populations, per 100,000. Connecticut is excluded because Census now reports its planning regions while FARS codes its former counties.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most dangerous metro area for driving in the U.S.?

By our ranking, it is the Memphis, TN-MS-AR metro. From 2022 to 2024 it had 24.89 traffic deaths per 100,000 residents per year. The ranking covers metros with 1 million or more people and leaves out Connecticut.

What are the five deadliest metros by death rate?

Memphis (24.89), Fresno, CA (17.86), Tucson, AZ (16.89), Birmingham, AL (15.98) and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario, CA (15.42). All rates are deaths per 100,000 residents per year from 2022 to 2024.

Which metro has the lowest traffic death rate?

The New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ metro, at 4.62 deaths per 100,000 residents per year from 2022 to 2024. Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH was second-lowest at 4.71.

How big is the gap between the deadliest and safest metros?

The Memphis rate was 5.4 times the New York rate from 2022 to 2024. Those are the highest and lowest of the metros with 1 million or more people.

Which metro area had the most traffic deaths in 2024?

The Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro, with 977 people killed. It has many residents, so its rate sits below the five metros listed above. Rates are the fairer comparison.

Which counties are the most dangerous for driving?

Among counties with 500,000 or more people, Shelby County, TN had the highest rate at 26.36 deaths per 100,000 residents per year from 2022 to 2024. Kern County, CA followed at 21.66 and Volusia County, FL at 19.65.

How did you calculate the metro rankings?

We took deaths in all counties of each metro from NHTSA FARS for 2022 to 2024, using the OMB 2023 metro definitions. We divided by the sum of annual Census population estimates. The result is average deaths per 100,000 residents per year.

Why does the ranking use three years of data?

A single year can swing in a smaller metro, because a handful of crashes changes the rate. Pooling 2022 to 2024 smooths that out. The one exception is the Los Angeles figure, which uses 2024 deaths only.

Why is Connecticut left out?

Connecticut's county-equivalent geography does not match the metro definitions used with the death and population data. We excluded its metros and counties from both rankings.

Is this an official government ranking?

No. The metro and county rankings are FindMyAccidentLawyer analysis of NHTSA FARS data and Census population estimates. NHTSA does not publish them. The pedestrian figures on this page come from Smart Growth America.

Which metro is most dangerous for pedestrians?

Smart Growth America's Dangerous by Design 2026 ranks Memphis first, at an average of 5.5 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 residents per year from 2020 to 2024. Albuquerque was next at 5.32, then Bakersfield-Delano at 5.01.

Which state is the most dangerous for people walking?

New Mexico, according to Smart Growth America. It averaged 4.42 pedestrian deaths per 100,000 residents per year from 2020 to 2024. Louisiana followed at 3.53 and Arizona at 3.49.

Why do the pedestrian and all-crash rankings differ?

They measure different things. Our ranking counts all traffic deaths from 2022 to 2024. Smart Growth America counts only pedestrian deaths from 2020 to 2024. Memphis tops both, but the next places change.

Do large metros with the most people have the most deaths?

Not always. Los Angeles had 977 deaths in 2024, the most of any metro. Memphis has far fewer residents but a much higher rate, which is why rates matter for comparing places.

Can I use these statistics?

Yes. The statistics on this page are free to use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license (CC BY 4.0). Credit FindMyAccidentLawyer and link back to this page. Each figure also names its original publisher.

Cite or link to this page

Free to use under CC BY 4.0. Please credit FindMyAccidentLawyer with a link. Updated October 19, 2026.

FindMyAccidentLawyer. (2026, October 19). Most Dangerous Metro Areas for Driving (2026). https://findmyaccidentlawyer.com/data/car-accident-statistics/most-dangerous-metro-areas

Methodology and sources

The metro and county rankings are original FindMyAccidentLawyer analysis. We summed NHTSA FARS deaths for 2022 to 2024 across every county in each metro (OMB 2023 delineation) and divided by the sum of annual Census population estimates. Metros need 1 million or more residents and counties 500,000 or more, using 2024 population. Connecticut is excluded. The Los Angeles count uses the FARS 2024 Annual Report File. Smart Growth America figures are its own published rankings.

Every number on this page links to the official report it came from. We checked each figure against the source text before publishing, and we recheck the sources every month. The page date changes only when a number changes. Spotted an error? Email profile@findmyaccidentlawyer.com.

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