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Wilmington, NC has a F safety grade (0/100) with a violent crime rate of 483 per 100,000 — 584% above the national average.
FBI UCR 2024 Per-capita rates FBI UCR + NIBRS
Wilmington, NC Crime Rate & Safety
Violent and property crime rates per 100,000 residents, drawn directly from FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data. Compare against state and national averages.
Crime data sourced from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting program, covering violent crime, property crime, and individual offense categories. Safety grades reflect a composite analysis of violent and property crime rates benchmarked against national averages. For context on how crime statistics are collected and what they mean for community safety, read our guide to understanding FBI crime data.
Is Wilmington, NC safe? Wilmington has a violent crime rate of 482.8 per 100,000 residents in 2024, according to FBI Uniform Crime Report (UCR) data — 584% higher than the national average and 4026% above the North Carolina average. The city receives a safety grade of F (High Risk). Property crime rate: 3514.8/100K. Population: 125,101.
FBI UCR Data Snapshot: Wilmington, NC
Wilmington, NC — reporting population 125,101 in 2024 — recorded 604 violent crimes and 4,397 property crimes in the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program's Table 8 city-level submissions. The city's violent crime rate works out to 482.8 per 100,000 residents, while the property crime rate reaches 3514.8 per 100,000. Combining those two rates against national benchmarks yields a composite safety grade of F (High Risk), scoring 0 out of 100.
Within the violent crime count, aggravated assault accounted for 449 incidents, robbery 91, murder 7, and rape 57 in 2024. Property crime splits into larceny-theft (3,555), burglary (452), motor vehicle theft (390), and arson (8). Larceny-theft and other property offenses typically dominate city crime counts, and larceny-theft leads Wilmington's mix at 71.1% of all Part I offenses.
Against the national violent crime average, Wilmington runs 584% above the US benchmark, and 4026% above the North Carolina statewide rate. Translated to per-capita risk, the 2024 figures imply roughly a 1 in 25 statistical chance of being named in a crime report that year, narrowing to 1 in 207 for a violent offense. UCR figures reflect offenses reported to and submitted by local law enforcement and may undercount unreported crime.
Is Wilmington, NC Safe? Safety Assessment
Based on 2024 FBI crime data, Wilmington, NC receives a safety grade of F (High Risk) with a composite safety score of 0/100. Violent crime is 584% above the national average, indicating substantially higher risk than most US cities.
Your statistical chance of being a crime victim in Wilmington is approximately 1 in 25 , with a 1 in 207 chance of being a violent crime victim. The most common crime type is larceny-theft, accounting for 71% of all reported offenses.
Safety assessments are based on FBI UCR reported crime statistics. Actual safety varies by neighborhood, time of day, and individual circumstances. Crime reporting rates differ across jurisdictions.
Safety Overview
Safety Grade
F
High Risk
Score: 0/100
Violent Crime Rate
482.8/100K
violent crimes per 100K residents
+584% vs US
Property Crime Rate
3514.8/100K
property crimes per 100K residents
+924% vs US
Total Crimes
5,001
reported in 2024
Population
125,101
2024 Census-based estimate
Crime Breakdown (2024)
| Category | Count | Rate /100K |
|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime | 604 | 482.8 |
| Murder | 7 | 5.6 |
| Rape | 57 | 45.6 |
| Robbery | 91 | 72.7 |
| Aggravated Assault | 449 | 358.9 |
| Property Crime | 4,397 | 3514.8 |
| Burglary | 452 | 361.3 |
| Larceny-Theft | 3,555 | 2841.7 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 390 | 311.7 |
| Arson | 8 | 6.4 |
Per-Capita Risk Assessment
Overall Crime Risk
1 in 25
Statistical chance of being a crime victim based on 2024 data
Violent Crime Risk
1 in 207
Statistical chance of being a violent crime victim
These are statistical averages based on reported crimes. Actual risk varies significantly by neighborhood, time of day, and individual circumstances.
Crime Type Distribution (2024)
Larceny-Theft 3,555 (71.1%)
Burglary 452 (9.0%)
Aggravated Assault 449 (9.0%)
Motor Vehicle Theft 390 (7.8%)
Robbery 91 (1.8%)
Rape 57 (1.1%)
Arson 8 (0.2%)
Murder 7 (0.1%)
Wilmington vs North Carolina vs National Average
Wilmington
Violent482.8/100K
Property3514.8/100K
GradeF
North Carolina
Violent11.7/100K
Property62/100K
National Average
Violent70.6/100K
Property343.3/100K
Nearby Cities in North Carolina
Compare Wilmington against neighboring cities in the same state, or use our side-by-side compare tool to benchmark two cities directly.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg
F Pop: 1,003,130
Violent: 733.2/100K
Property: 3705.3/100K
Raleigh
F Pop: 488,085
Violent: 488.8/100K
Property: 2819.2/100K
Greensboro
F Pop: 304,306
Violent: 923.7/100K
Property: 3383.1/100K
Durham
F Pop: 300,208
Violent: 619.2/100K
Property: 3799.7/100K
Winston-Salem
F Pop: 254,041
Violent: 809.7/100K
Property: 2921.2/100K
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the crime rate in Wilmington, NC? ▼
Wilmington has a violent crime rate of 482.8 per 100,000 residents and a property crime rate of 3514.8 per 100,000, based on 2024 FBI UCR data.
Is Wilmington, NC safe? ▼
Wilmington receives a safety grade of F (High Risk), with a safety score of 0/100. The violent crime rate is 584% above the national average and 4026% above the North Carolina average.
What is the population of Wilmington, NC? ▼
The reporting population for Wilmington is 125,101 as of 2024.
How many crimes were reported in Wilmington? ▼
In 2024, Wilmington reported 604 violent crimes and 4,397 property crimes, for a total of 5,001 reported offenses.
What are the odds of being a crime victim in Wilmington? ▼
Based on 2024 data, the statistical chance of being a crime victim in Wilmington is approximately 1 in 25, with a 1 in 207 chance of being a violent crime victim. These are statistical averages and actual risk varies by neighborhood and circumstance.
What is the most common crime in Wilmington? ▼
The most common crime type in Wilmington is larceny-theft, accounting for 71.1% of all reported crimes (3,555 incidents in 2024).
Understanding Crime Data
► ► ► ►
Understanding Crime Rates
How per-capita rates are calculated and what they mean
Violent vs Property Crime
Key differences between crime categories
FBI Crime Stats Explained
How the FBI collects and reports UCR data
Crime, Housing & Schools
How safety connects to housing costs and school quality
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Road Safety in NC →
Traffic fatality data by county
Data as of 2024. Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program.
Crime rates are calculated per 100,000 population. Not all agencies report complete data. FBI Crime in the United States (CIUS) Table 8. Population figures referenced from U.S. Census Bureau estimates where noted; state-level comparisons cross-check against state UCR programs. Verify with FBI.gov UCR, Census.gov QuickFacts, and HUD.gov fair-market rents.
Disclaimer: This information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. Data is sourced from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. Consult a qualified professional before making decisions based on this data.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
All federal data sources used on this page
- FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program — Summary Reporting System + National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). fbi.gov/ucr
- FBI Crime Data Explorer (CDE) — current-vintage UCR/NIBRS data API. cde.ucr.cjis.gov
- Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) — National Crime Victimization Survey, contextual statistics. bjs.ojp.gov
- U.S. Census Bureau ACS — population denominators for rate calculations. census.gov/programs-surveys/acs
- CDC WONDER — injury and mortality reference for homicide rate context. wonder.cdc.gov
- FBI Hate Crime Statistics — annual hate-crime reports. justice.gov/hatecrimes
Federal data Last updated 2026 Free public data
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