Home Death and Injury by the Numbers

Using the word accidental to describe injuries and death gives the impression that they were completely unforeseen and unavoidable. However, most of them are considered preventable — and, in 2020, according to the National Safety Council, there were 200,955 recorded cases. Of those, only 22% didn’t occur in homes or communities.

It becomes more concerning when we look at where accidental deaths and injuries happen. Only preventable injury-related deaths at work decreased from 2019 to 2020. Motor-vehicle, public and home deaths all increased. The latter sector had the highest jump — home deaths went up by 21.1% in 2020, according to the National Safety Council.

Fatalities in homes and communities happen more frequently than one might think. Home and community deaths have reached 156,300 from 52,700 deaths over 21 years.

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The graph above shows deaths from two sectors — home and public. Home deaths are those that happen within your premises. The latter includes fatalities from recreational facilities, transportation (except motor vehicles) and public buildings.

There were only two instances when numbers decreased. In 2000, the numbers went down by 800 from 1999. Likewise, 2018 had 2000 fewer incidents than 2017. Otherwise, there has generally been an upward trend.

There are two five-digit spikes worth noting. The first was in 2016 when numbers increased by 12,000. The second was in 2020, with 24,900 more incidents compared to 2019.

The trend of home deaths mimics that of total home and community fatalities. As the number of accidental deaths increases, so do those in homes. Home deaths consistently contribute more than half of the total fatalities. It went from a low of 56.26% in 2000 to a high of 72.6% in 2020.

Before 2020, there were three instances wherein home deaths increased by double digits. These were in 2001 (13.70%), 2005 (11.27%) and 2016 (14.08%). However, 2020 marked the first time when the increase exceeded 20%. With 113,500 incidents, that's 21.13% higher than in 2019.

Source: National Safety Council

Statistics on home accidents show that the number of deaths varies among different age groups. People between 25 to 64 contribute to around 60% of all home deaths. Almost a quarter of fatalities involved those 75 and older.

Source: National Safety Council

Three age groups contributed to 83.7% of all home accident deaths. These are:

• Between 25 to 44: 31.28%
• Between 45 and 64%: 29.07%
• 75 and older: 23.35%

However, it's essential to note that the death rate for individuals 75 and older is almost three times as high as the two other age groups with the most home deaths.

Deaths include visitors, your child's playmates, and even trespassers, not just you and your family. It may be wise to have personal liability insurance for this reason.

Most people associate their home with safety. However, the number of deaths caused by home accidents makes you wonder what hazards homes have that we might not be seeing.

Only a quarter of 1.4 million fires in 2020 happened in homes, but it caused 74% of fire deaths and 76% of fire injuries. Swimming pools are usual sources of drowning incidents. Another hazard is having everyday items scattered on the floor, which can lead to falls. As a responsible homeowner, it's best to shop for home insurance. It can shield you against costs should any of these accidents occur.

Source: National Safety Council

Poisoning and falling contribute to around 86.3% of fatalities from home accidents in 2020. Each of the following causes contributed less than 3% of the total count:

• Choking: 2.64%
• Fires, Flames and Smoke: 2.29%
• Mechanical Suffocation: 1.32%
• Drowning: 1.15%

Although these may seem insignificant in comparison, it’s still worth noting. These still translate to thousands of lives. The remaining causes — natural heat, cold temperatures and firearms — account for less than 1% each.

The death rate across the U.S. in 2020 is 61 per 100,000 population. However, it varies between states. When you look at the death rate at a state level, 21 states come out with a lower figure compared to the country's death rate.

Our research found that the top reasons for preventable injury-related deaths across all states are poisoning, falls and choking.

MoneyGeek explores how death rates differ from state to state through the map below. Those in darker shades indicate a higher figure, while lighter colors suggest the opposite.

Without looking at specific causes of fatalities from home accidents, seven states had death rates below 50 per 100,000 population in 2020. These are Texas (44), Utah (45), New York (45.3), Hawaii (46.5), California (46.6), Nebraska (46.6) and Maryland (48.7).

In contrast, eight states had a death rate higher than 80. But West Virginia is worth highlighting, being the only state with a triple-digit death rate of 125.6.

West Virginia had the highest poisoning-related death rate at 73.1. That's a significant difference from the District of Columbia's death rate of 56.7, which came in second. The two states with the lowest death rates were South Dakota and Nebraska, with 10.9 and 10.2, respectively.

Falling, the second-leading reason for preventable injury-related deaths, resulted in a 33.2 death rate in Wisconsin. Alabama had the lowest with 6.1.

North Dakota had the highest death rate related to choking at 3.7, while South Dakota, Wyoming and Vermont had no choking incidents.

We already know that the trend for the total number of deaths from home accidents generally increased over time. However, does the same pattern emerge for the different causes?

The graph below explores this further by looking at the trends of different causes over time.

Source: National Safety Council

Most of the leading causes of home accidents follow the same trend — they generally increase yearly.

Poisoning-related deaths only dipped twice in 34 years — in 1990 and 2018. For all other years, it increased. The most significant spike was from 2019 to 2020, when numbers went from 53,400 to 69,900. That's a 30.9% increase.

The number of deaths from falls has followed an upward trend since 2001. From 2011 to 2019, these increments amounted to less than 10%. However, 2020 saw a 10.63% increase, the highest spike since 2007.

There was no increase in choking incidents between 2017 and 2019, but there were 300 additional choking-related deaths in 2020.

Another angle to consider is how home accidents' leading cause of death varies between age groups. Poisoning and falls still appear as significant contributors, but the graph below shows that none of the three age groups had similar top reasons.

Source: National Safety Council

The leading cause of deaths from home accidents involving children 14 years old and younger is mechanical suffocation, with 1,040 incidents in 2020. That's almost half of all fatalities among children 14 and younger that year. Drowning follows it with 680 deaths.

For the 15 to 64 age bracket, poisoning, which includes drug overdose, contributed to 88.5% of fatalities. That's over 82,000 lives. The following two highest causes are falls (5.3%) and drowning (2.9%).

Falling is the top reason for home deaths for individuals 65 and older. It contributed to over 36,000 fatalities, over three-quarters of all incidents.

The number of fatalities from home accidents can be eye-opening, and you may have some questions about it. MoneyGeek has compiled a few frequently asked questions and their answers for those interested in learning more about home and community fatalities.

Home accidents are common, but they can also be preventable. Here are some online sources to help you determine strategies for keeping you and your loved ones safe.

• Aging in Place: Older adults often need to take greater safety measures than someone in their 30s or 40s. See how you can make your home safer and manage your finances smarter.
• Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Water Damage From The Rain?: No one wishes for accidents to happen. Although they’re unforeseen, you can take steps to lessen the chances.
• Hazard Insurance: Do You Need It for Your Home?: You may have heard about home insurance, but maybe not hazard insurance. Find out what it is, whether you need it and how it connects to your home insurance policy.
• How to Buy Homeowners Insurance: Everything You Need to Know: Purchasing home insurance can be overwhelming because there are many factors to consider. MoneyGeek’s guide walks you through the different steps to ensure nothing falls through the cracks.
• How Much Home Insurance Coverage Do You Need to Protect Your Home?: Part of being a responsible homeowner is ensuring you’re protected against possible expenses. Home insurance is the best way to take preventative action, providing coverage for personal property, your home’s structure and injuries within your home.