North Carolina Crime Grades: A-F Safety Ratings for 206 Cities (2024)

Statewide grade C

206 cities graded A+ through F based on 2024 FBI crime data. State overall score: 47/100 (Average).

What is North Carolina’s crime safety grade?

North Carolina earned an overall safety grade of C (score: 47/100, Average) based on 2024 FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program data, with a statewide violent crime rate of 364.6 per 100,000 and property crime rate of 1929.5 per 100,000. PlainCrime graded 206 North Carolina cities with reportable crime data against national benchmarks, producing an A+ through F score for each jurisdiction. Grades weigh violent and property crime rates: cities more than 50% below the national average typically earn A or A+, while cities significantly above average receive D or F ratings.

Across the 206 graded North Carolina cities, 14 earned A+, 36 earned A, 36 received B, 46 landed at C, 25 received D, and 49 fell to F in the 2024 scoring. The highest-rated city is Caswell Beach with a A+ grade (score: 100/100, violent rate 0/100K). The lowest-rated city is Wadesboro with a F grade (score: 0/100, violent rate 2037.1/100K).

Roughly 24% of graded cities in North Carolina achieved an A or A+ rating, while 36% received a D or F. Cities missing from this table either did not submit complete 2024 UCR data, fell below the minimum population threshold for reliable rate calculation, or report through consolidated agencies that aggregate into county or regional totals instead of individual city figures. Grade boundaries use the national violent and property crime rate averages for 2024 as the reference point, so grades are directly comparable between North Carolina and other states on the site.

A safety grade condenses several FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) measures into a single letter, ranking each state's violent and property crime rates against the national distribution rather than a fixed cutoff. A high grade therefore means a state compares well to its peers in a given year, not that it is free of crime. Grades move as the underlying rates move and as agency reporting completeness shifts from year to year. Two states with the same letter can have very different profiles: one may carry a higher violent-crime rate offset by low property crime, the other the reverse. Use the grade as a quick orientation, then read the component rates beneath it to see what is actually driving the number for this state.

A+

14 cities

36 cities

46 cities

25 cities

49 cities

Caswell Beach

0
Drexel

0
Banner Elk

0
Whispering Pines

0
Pine Level

0
Biltmore Forest

0
Pine Knoll Shores

0
Rolesville

33.7

What this shows Caswell Beach reports the lowest violent-crime rate in North Carolina. At 0 per 100K, it runs well below the North Carolina average of 364.6. These eight cities anchor the safe end of the state.

#	Grade	City	Score	Violent Rate	Property Rate	Population
1	A+	Caswell Beach	100	0/100K	0/100K	397
2	A+	Drexel	100	0/100K	56.8/100K	1,761
3	A+	Banner Elk	98	0/100K	173.2/100K	1,155
4	A+	Whispering Pines	98	0/100K	257.8/100K	5,431
5	A+	Pine Level	97	0/100K	340/100K	2,353
6	A+	Biltmore Forest	95	0/100K	621.5/100K	1,448
7	A+	Pine Knoll Shores	95	0/100K	625/100K	1,440
8	A+	Rolesville	93	33.7/100K	437.6/100K	11,884
9	A+	Davidson	92	41.9/100K	446.6/100K	14,332
10	A+	Pinehurst	92	58.8/100K	277.8/100K	18,716
11	A+	Middlesex	90	0/100K	1164/100K	945
12	A+	Taylorsville	90	0/100K	1195.7/100K	2,258
13	A+	Waxhaw	90	58.6/100K	422.7/100K	23,893
14	A+	Elon	90	77.7/100K	310.7/100K	11,585
15	A	Stallings	89	51.2/100K	671.8/100K	17,564
16	A	Broadway	88	0/100K	1389.9/100K	1,367
17	A	Fuquay-Varina	88	69.6/100K	579.7/100K	47,436
18	A	Columbus	87	0/100K	1532.9/100K	1,109
19	A	North Topsail Beach	87	0/100K	1467.9/100K	1,090
20	A	Southern Shores	87	31.7/100K	1111.1/100K	3,150
21	A	Holly Ridge	87	54.3/100K	832.9/100K	5,523
22	A	Highlands	85	0/100K	1693.4/100K	1,122
23	A	Winterville	85	82.4/100K	723/100K	10,926
24	A	Black Mountain	84	58.4/100K	1179.4/100K	8,564
25	A	Hudson	83	53.2/100K	1302.8/100K	3,761
26	A	Boone	83	89.9/100K	908.9/100K	20,024
27	A	Mint Hill	83	99.1/100K	835.1/100K	28,259
28	A	King	82	78.1/100K	1197.9/100K	7,680
29	A	Richlands	82	81.4/100K	1139.6/100K	2,457
30	A	Southport	82	89/100K	1068.1/100K	4,494
31	A	Leland	82	96.5/100K	983.1/100K	33,162
32	A	Bunn	81	0/100K	2144.8/100K	373
33	A	Youngsville	81	0/100K	2195.9/100K	2,368
34	A	Cary	81	71/100K	1317.4/100K	181,793
35	A	Fletcher	81	73/100K	1338.4/100K	8,219
36	A	Cornelius	81	103.9/100K	1035.6/100K	33,699
37	A	Sunset Beach	81	107.3/100K	965.7/100K	4,660
38	A	Beech Mountain	81	152.4/100K	457.3/100K	656
39	A	Archdale	80	107.1/100K	1120/100K	12,143
40	A	Four Oaks	80	152.4/100K	571.6/100K	2,624
41	A	Swansboro	79	46.8/100K	1872.2/100K	4,273
42	A	Madison	78	46.2/100K	1986.1/100K	2,165
43	A	Spruce Pine	78	91.4/100K	1507.5/100K	2,189
44	A	Cramerton	78	108/100K	1241.9/100K	5,556
45	A	Angier	78	151.9/100K	835.2/100K	7,902
46	A	Wendell	77	135.1/100K	1074.9/100K	16,281
47	A	Holden Beach	76	105.8/100K	1481.5/100K	945
48	A	Raeford	76	110.2/100K	1432.3/100K	4,538
49	A	Mount Holly	75	107.6/100K	1646.8/100K	18,581
50	A	China Grove	75	151.8/100K	1105.8/100K	4,612
51	B	Jefferson	74	122.1/100K	1526.3/100K	1,638
52	B	Tryon	74	123.5/100K	1543.2/100K	1,620
53	B	Lowell	74	130.2/100K	1458.7/100K	3,839
54	B	Huntersville	74	143/100K	1364.2/100K	65,752
55	B	Wake Forest	74	146.8/100K	1304.8/100K	55,872
56	B	Concord	74	159/100K	1105.2/100K	111,922
57	B	Gibsonville	74	176.7/100K	925.3/100K	9,619
58	B	Woodfin	73	174.3/100K	1083.3/100K	8,031
59	B	Valdese	72	106.3/100K	1977.5/100K	4,703
60	B	Clayton	72	168.3/100K	1282.8/100K	31,494
61	B	Weldon	69	73.3/100K	2710.6/100K	1,365
62	B	Morrisville	69	99/100K	2433.8/100K	32,336
63	B	Cleveland	69	225.2/100K	1013.5/100K	888
64	B	Canton	68	158.5/100K	1879.1/100K	4,417
65	B	Kannapolis	68	168/100K	1785.1/100K	60,725
66	B	Burgaw	68	198.4/100K	1445.6/100K	3,528
67	B	Maxton	68	236.3/100K	992.4/100K	2,116
68	B	Emerald Isle	67	149.7/100K	2046.4/100K	4,007
69	B	Maysville	67	235.8/100K	1061.3/100K	848
70	B	Weaverville	66	63.4/100K	3127.6/100K	4,732
71	B	Havelock	66	205.1/100K	1574.8/100K	16,574
72	B	Carrboro	65	180.6/100K	1929.2/100K	21,045
73	B	Kill Devil Hills	65	217.5/100K	1496.7/100K	7,817
74	B	Ocean Isle Beach	64	98.1/100K	3042.2/100K	1,019
75	B	Butner	64	245.2/100K	1311.9/100K	8,156
76	B	West Jefferson	63	74.6/100K	4477.6/100K	1,340
77	B	Pittsboro	63	101.3/100K	3060.4/100K	4,934
78	B	Mayodan	62	81.2/100K	7832.8/100K	2,464
79	B	Kitty Hawk	62	242.3/100K	1642.4/100K	3,714
80	B	Ayden	62	253.6/100K	1482.6/100K	5,126
81	B	Ranlo	62	318.3/100K	763.8/100K	4,713
82	B	Blowing Rock	61	148.5/100K	2821.1/100K	1,347
83	B	Chapel Hill	61	172.1/100K	2514.6/100K	63,906
84	B	Snow Hill	61	204.5/100K	2113.2/100K	1,467
85	B	Mooresville	60	217.1/100K	2152.4/100K	54,823
86	B	Coats	60	217.4/100K	2043.5/100K	2,300
87	C	Dallas	59	257/100K	1815.3/100K	6,225
88	C	Newport	59	286.6/100K	1455/100K	4,536
89	C	Boiling Spring Lakes	59	289.7/100K	1434.2/100K	6,903
90	C	Matthews	58	184.6/100K	2654.2/100K	31,422
91	C	North Wilkesboro	57	254.5/100K	2058.8/100K	4,323
92	C	Saluda	57	309.6/100K	1393.2/100K	646
93	C	Cherryville	56	173.4/100K	2995.9/100K	6,342
94	C	Troy	56	301.5/100K	1608/100K	2,985
95	C	Tabor City	56	302.5/100K	1540.2/100K	3,636
96	C	Knightdale	55	194.6/100K	2923.6/100K	20,557
97	C	Surf City	55	293/100K	1777.3/100K	5,120
98	C	Beaufort	55	304.9/100K	1727.6/100K	4,920
99	C	Creedmoor	55	315.8/100K	1598.9/100K	5,066
100	C	Troutman	54	172.5/100K	3327.6/100K	4,057
101	C	Granite Falls	54	203.7/100K	2974.7/100K	4,908
102	C	Yadkinville	54	297.5/100K	1884.3/100K	3,025
103	C	Jonesville	53	171.5/100K	6560.9/100K	2,332
104	C	Carolina Beach	51	332.5/100K	1850.5/100K	6,917
105	C	Kernersville	50	227.9/100K	3148.4/100K	28,522
106	C	Franklin	50	251.3/100K	2901.5/100K	4,377
107	C	Kenansville	50	262.5/100K	2755.9/100K	762
108	C	New Bern	50	362.5/100K	1616.1/100K	32,548
109	C	Wrightsville Beach	49	207.9/100K	3659/100K	2,405
110	C	Biscoe	49	215.9/100K	3777.7/100K	1,853
111	C	Graham	49	346.3/100K	1880.5/100K	18,772
112	C	Marion	48	242.1/100K	3201.1/100K	7,435
113	C	Mount Airy	48	311.6/100K	2436.3/100K	10,590
114	C	Aberdeen	47	245/100K	3267/100K	9,795
115	C	Hendersonville	47	263.5/100K	3058.9/100K	15,561
116	C	Thomasville	47	330.6/100K	2296.1/100K	27,525
117	C	Lenoir	46	258.2/100K	3219.6/100K	18,201
118	C	Zebulon	46	328.3/100K	2452.7/100K	10,356
119	C	Lincolnton	46	360.6/100K	2123.7/100K	12,478
120	C	Southern Pines	46	368.6/100K	2030.2/100K	17,092
121	C	Edenton	46	378.2/100K	1913.2/100K	4,495
122	C	Nags Head	45	255.6/100K	3418.5/100K	3,130
123	C	Elizabeth City	45	341/100K	2386.7/100K	19,064
124	C	Windsor	45	444/100K	1205.2/100K	3,153
125	C	Mount Olive	44	303.7/100K	2943.9/100K	4,280
126	C	Franklinton	43	285.1/100K	3278.7/100K	2,806
127	C	Star	43	364.1/100K	2427.2/100K	824
128	C	Newton	43	400.6/100K	1906.7/100K	13,479
129	C	Rutherfordton	41	297.2/100K	3323.4/100K	3,701
130	C	Mebane	41	305.9/100K	3212.2/100K	20,920
131	C	Warsaw	41	328.7/100K	3031.4/100K	2,738
132	C	Bessemer City	41	457.3/100K	1495.2/100K	5,685
133	D	Stantonsburg	39	528.4/100K	924.7/100K	757
134	D	Shallotte	38	324.4/100K	4199.7/100K	5,548
135	D	Sharpsburg	38	512.8/100K	1253.6/100K	1,755
136	D	Rowland	37	337.1/100K	3370.8/100K	890
137	D	Morehead City	37	361.4/100K	3072.3/100K	9,960
138	D	Belmont	37	382.8/100K	2833.1/100K	15,672
139	D	Eden	37	411.6/100K	2534.8/100K	15,307
140	D	Erwin	36	436.4/100K	2348.3/100K	4,812
141	D	Wilkesboro	35	356/100K	5257.4/100K	3,652
142	D	Garner	35	356.8/100K	4507.1/100K	36,720
143	D	Hickory	35	407.3/100K	2824.4/100K	44,682
144	D	Louisburg	34	359.3/100K	5509/100K	3,340
145	D	Siler City	34	479/100K	2149.3/100K	8,142
146	D	High Point	33	454.8/100K	2456/100K	117,629
147	D	Hillsborough	32	378/100K	4526/100K	9,788
148	D	Wallace	32	400.9/100K	3207.3/100K	3,492
149	D	Chadbourn	31	390.1/100K	4031.2/100K	1,538
150	D	Murfreesboro	31	558.7/100K	1590/100K	2,327
151	D	Lexington	30	437.2/100K	3020.3/100K	19,899
152	D	Greenville	29	453.4/100K	2914/100K	90,871
153	D	Raleigh	27	488.8/100K	2819.2/100K	488,085
154	D	Bryson City	27	602/100K	1538.5/100K	1,495
155	D	Waynesville	26	499.4/100K	2811.4/100K	10,813
156	D	Haw River	26	504/100K	2771.9/100K	2,381
157	D	Maggie Valley	25	456.9/100K	5082.8/100K	1,751
158	F	Wilmington	22	482.8/100K	3514.8/100K	125,101
159	F	Smithfield	21	490.2/100K	3563.6/100K	12,852
160	F	Wilson	21	579.2/100K	2402.5/100K	47,825
161	F	Beulaville	20	524/100K	3231.4/100K	1,145
162	F	Wilson's Mills	20	754.7/100K	1097.8/100K	2,915
163	F	Washington	19	520/100K	3379.8/100K	9,616
164	F	Sylva	18	519.1/100K	4301.1/100K	2,697
165	F	Forest City	18	527.7/100K	5290.2/100K	7,391
166	F	Whiteville	17	537.2/100K	7971.6/100K	4,654
167	F	Spring Lake	17	541.1/100K	3377.3/100K	11,459
168	F	Reidsville	17	596.5/100K	2735.9/100K	14,584
169	F	Kings Mountain	16	647.6/100K	2266.5/100K	12,045
170	F	Clinton	15	566.3/100K	3277.1/100K	8,300
171	F	Marshville	14	666.4/100K	2258.4/100K	2,701
172	F	Farmville	12	1376.7/100K	2097.9/100K	4,576
173	F	Tarboro	10	668.5/100K	2692.3/100K	10,920
174	F	Rockingham	9	614.6/100K	3835.6/100K	8,786
175	F	Shelby	9	1044.1/100K	2433.3/100K	22,028
176	F	Selma	9	1049.1/100K	2388.2/100K	7,244
177	F	Durham	8	619.2/100K	3799.7/100K	300,208
178	F	Fayetteville	7	660.2/100K	3094.6/100K	209,945
179	F	Monroe	6	652.9/100K	3333.9/100K	38,903
180	F	Benson	5	748.6/100K	2796.1/100K	4,542
181	F	Winston-Salem	4	809.7/100K	2921.2/100K	254,041
182	F	Burlington	3	952.3/100K	3085.1/100K	60,906
183	F	Ahoskie	1	698.7/100K	4061.1/100K	4,580
184	F	Pineville	0	723.7/100K	8755.5/100K	11,330
185	F	Charlotte-Mecklenburg	0	733.2/100K	3705.3/100K	1,003,130
186	F	Rocky Mount	0	765.4/100K	3979.9/100K	54,223
187	F	Atlantic Beach	0	775.7/100K	3596.6/100K	1,418
188	F	Asheville	0	796.1/100K	3895.2/100K	95,219
189	F	Oxford	0	841.5/100K	3587.2/100K	9,032
190	F	Gastonia	0	849.5/100K	3514.2/100K	85,112
191	F	Red Springs	0	885.8/100K	4365.7/100K	3,161
192	F	Roanoke Rapids	0	896.7/100K	3380/100K	14,497
193	F	Dunn	0	903.5/100K	5108.3/100K	8,633
194	F	Pembroke	0	916.8/100K	7933.7/100K	2,836
195	F	Greensboro	0	923.7/100K	3383.1/100K	304,306
196	F	Kinston	0	958.6/100K	4964.2/100K	19,298
197	F	Salisbury	0	960/100K	3987.5/100K	36,564
198	F	Roxboro	0	1007.9/100K	3509.4/100K	8,235
199	F	Fairmont	0	1041.7/100K	4483.7/100K	2,208
200	F	Goldsboro	0	1076.4/100K	5863.5/100K	33,444
201	F	Williamston	0	1161.4/100K	6407.7/100K	4,994
202	F	Lumberton	0	1676.5/100K	9943.9/100K	19,087
203	F	Henderson	0	1791.6/100K	5800.8/100K	14,791
204	F	Plymouth	0	1861.8/100K	3502.7/100K	3,169
205	F	Laurinburg	0	1894.1/100K	5042/100K	14,994
206	F	Wadesboro	0	2037.1/100K	7353.8/100K	4,909

Frequently Asked Questions

What is North Carolina's overall crime safety grade?

North Carolina has an overall safety grade of C (score: 47/100). This is based on the state's aggregate violent crime rate of 364.6 per 100K and property crime rate of 1929.5 per 100K compared to national averages.

How many cities in North Carolina have an A+ safety grade?

14 cities in North Carolina earned an A+ safety grade (2024), meaning their crime rates are well below the national average. 36 additional cities earned an A grade.

Which is the safest city in North Carolina?

Caswell Beach is the highest-rated city in North Carolina with a A+ grade (score: 100/100). Its violent crime rate is 0 per 100K.

Nearby States, Crime Grades

Compare North Carolina's grade distribution with neighboring states, or use the compare tool to benchmark jurisdictions side-by-side.

Explore More

North Carolina Crime Overview → Safest Cities in North Carolina → All State Grades →

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Source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, 2024. Safety scores based on violent and property crime rates vs. national averages published in FBI Crime in the United States (CIUS) Table 8. Population figures reference U.S. Census Bureau estimates where FBI-reported populations are unavailable. Verify with FBI.gov UCR and Census.gov QuickFacts.

Read our methodology , how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Every figure on PlainCrime is rendered directly from FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) source data, no number is typed in by an editor. This page draws directly on FBI Uniform Crime Reporting source data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.