State crime profile · 2024
North Carolina Crime Rates: Safest & Most Dangerous Cities
Crime data for 206 cities and 78 counties in North Carolina (NC), ranked safest to most dangerous from 536 reporting agencies.
- 364.6
- Violent / 100K
- 1,929.5
- Property / 100K
- 206
- Cities
- 78
- Counties
The verdict
North Carolina's 364.6 violent crimes per 100,000 runs 4% above the U.S. average, making it higher-crime than most states.
- 364.6
- violent crimes per 100K
- +4%
- vs. the U.S. average
- 30th
- safest of 51 states & DC
- 1,929.5
- property crimes per 100K
How safe is North Carolina? FBI UCR data snapshot
North Carolina (NC) reported 40,271 violent crimes and 213,138 property crimes in 2024, based on FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program submissions from 536 law enforcement agencies. That translates to a statewide violent crime rate of 364.6 per 100,000 residents and a property crime rate of 1929.5 per 100,000 against a reporting population of 11,046,024. The PlainCrime dataset indexes 206 North Carolina cities and 78 counties, each with their own detail pages and local crime figures drawn from FBI UCR Tables 8 and 10.
Within the statewide violent crime total, aggravated assault accounted for 0 incidents, robbery 0, murder and non-negligent manslaughter 0, and rape 0. Property crime splits across larceny-theft (0), burglary (0), motor vehicle theft (0), and arson (0).
Across 11 years of state-level UCR history (2014–2024), the violent crime rate moved from 304.6 to 364.6 per 100,000, a rise of 19.7%. City-level detail pages within North Carolina include safety grades (A+ to F), benchmarks against national averages, per-capita risk estimates, and multi-year trend tables for users comparing specific jurisdictions. All figures above are drawn from FBI UCR 2024 submissions; reporting completeness varies by agency, and the FBI periodically restates prior-year figures as late submissions arrive.
State figures roll up the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) submissions from local and county agencies across the state, then express them per 100,000 residents so one state can be compared with another. Statewide averages hide a great deal of variation: a handful of large cities often account for much of a state's reported violent crime, while most of its land area and population live with markedly lower rates. Reporting completeness also differs between states, so a year-over-year change can reflect which agencies filed data as much as any real shift on the ground. Read a state number as the broad backdrop, then drill into the city and county pages for the local detail that actually shapes day-to-day decisions.
How North Carolina ranks nationally
North Carolina vs. every U.S. state
Violent crime per 100,000 residents, FBI UCR 2024. Lower is safer.
365 41st percentile lower than 41% of 51 U.S. states
Each bar is a band of values; taller bars hold more U.S. states. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program · 2024
Safest Cities
Top 50 by lowest violent crime rate
Most Dangerous Cities
Top 50 by highest violent crime rate
Crime Trends
Multi-year charts & analysis
Crime Trends
| Year | Population | Violent Crime | Rate | Property Crime | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 11,046,024 | 40,271 | 364.6 | 213,138 | 1929.5 |
| 2023 | 10,835,491 | 41,870 | 386.4 | 221,449 | 2043.7 |
| 2022 | 10,698,973 | 42,547 | 397.7 | 218,322 | 2040.6 |
| 2021 | 10,551,162 | 43,650 | 413.7 | 217,575 | 2062.1 |
| 2020 | 10,600,823 | 44,871 | 423.3 | 231,270 | 2181.6 |
| 2019 | 10,488,084 | 37,696 | 359.4 | 231,848 | 2210.6 |
| 2018 | 10,383,620 | 33,060 | 318.4 | 221,998 | 2138 |
| 2017 | 10,273,419 | 32,918 | 320.4 | 234,769 | 2285.2 |
| 2016 | 10,146,788 | 32,644 | 321.7 | 245,019 | 2414.7 |
| 2015 | 10,042,802 | 30,348 | 302.2 | 244,376 | 2433.3 |
| 2014 | 9,943,964 | 30,285 | 304.6 | 272,619 | 2741.6 |
Cities in North Carolina
Safest cities in North Carolina
Cities with 25,000+ residents, lowest violent crime per 100,000, FBI UCR 2024. Hover a bar for the exact rate.
- Fuquay-Varina
Fuquay-Varina
69.6 /100K
- Cary
Cary
71 /100K
- Leland
Leland
96.5 /100K
- Morrisville
Morrisville
99 /100K
- Mint Hill
Mint Hill
99.1 /100K
- Cornelius
Cornelius
103.9 /100K
- Huntersville
Huntersville
143 /100K
- Wake Forest
Wake Forest
146.8 /100K
What this shows Fuquay-Varina is the safest sizeable city in North Carolina, at 69.6 violent crimes per 100,000.
Highest violent-crime cities in North Carolina
Cities with 25,000+ residents, highest violent crime per 100,000, FBI UCR 2024. Hover a bar for the exact rate.
- Goldsboro
Goldsboro
1,076.4 /100K
- Salisbury
Salisbury
960 /100K
- Burlington
Burlington
952.3 /100K
- Greensboro
Greensboro
923.7 /100K
- Gastonia
Gastonia
849.5 /100K
- Winston-Salem
Winston-Salem
809.7 /100K
- Asheville
Asheville
796.1 /100K
- Rocky Mount
Rocky Mount
765.4 /100K
What this shows Goldsboro reports the highest big-city violent-crime rate in North Carolina, at 1,076.4 per 100,000.
| City | Population | Violent / 100K | Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charlotte-Mecklenburg | 1,003,130 | 733.2 | F |
| Raleigh | 488,085 | 488.8 | D |
| Greensboro | 304,306 | 923.7 | F |
| Durham | 300,208 | 619.2 | F |
| Winston-Salem | 254,041 | 809.7 | F |
| Fayetteville | 209,945 | 660.2 | F |
| Cary | 181,793 | 71 | A |
| Wilmington | 125,101 | 482.8 | F |
| High Point | 117,629 | 454.8 | D |
| Concord | 111,922 | 159 | B |
| Asheville | 95,219 | 796.1 | F |
| Greenville | 90,871 | 453.4 | D |
| Gastonia | 85,112 | 849.5 | F |
| Huntersville | 65,752 | 143 | B |
| Chapel Hill | 63,906 | 172.1 | B |
| Burlington | 60,906 | 952.3 | F |
| Kannapolis | 60,725 | 168 | B |
| Wake Forest | 55,872 | 146.8 | B |
| Mooresville | 54,823 | 217.1 | B |
| Rocky Mount | 54,223 | 765.4 | F |
| Wilson | 47,825 | 579.2 | F |
| Fuquay-Varina | 47,436 | 69.6 | A |
| Hickory | 44,682 | 407.3 | D |
| Monroe | 38,903 | 652.9 | F |
| Garner | 36,720 | 356.8 | D |
| Salisbury | 36,564 | 960 | F |
| Cornelius | 33,699 | 103.9 | A |
| Goldsboro | 33,444 | 1,076.4 | F |
| Leland | 33,162 | 96.5 | A |
| New Bern | 32,548 | 362.5 | C |
| Morrisville | 32,336 | 99 | B |
| Clayton | 31,494 | 168.3 | B |
| Matthews | 31,422 | 184.6 | C |
| Kernersville | 28,522 | 227.9 | C |
| Mint Hill | 28,259 | 99.1 | A |
| Thomasville | 27,525 | 330.6 | C |
| Waxhaw | 23,893 | 58.6 | A+ |
| Shelby | 22,028 | 1,044.1 | F |
| Carrboro | 21,045 | 180.6 | B |
| Mebane | 20,920 | 305.9 | C |
| Knightdale | 20,557 | 194.6 | C |
| Boone | 20,024 | 89.9 | A |
| Lexington | 19,899 | 437.2 | D |
| Kinston | 19,298 | 958.6 | F |
| Lumberton | 19,087 | 1,676.5 | F |
| Elizabeth City | 19,064 | 341 | C |
| Graham | 18,772 | 346.3 | C |
| Pinehurst | 18,716 | 58.8 | A+ |
| Mount Holly | 18,581 | 107.6 | A |
| Lenoir | 18,201 | 258.2 | C |
| Stallings | 17,564 | 51.2 | A |
| Southern Pines | 17,092 | 368.6 | C |
| Havelock | 16,574 | 205.1 | B |
| Wendell | 16,281 | 135.1 | A |
| Belmont | 15,672 | 382.8 | D |
| Hendersonville | 15,561 | 263.5 | C |
| Eden | 15,307 | 411.6 | D |
| Laurinburg | 14,994 | 1,894.1 | F |
| Henderson | 14,791 | 1,791.6 | F |
| Reidsville | 14,584 | 596.5 | F |
| Roanoke Rapids | 14,497 | 896.7 | F |
| Davidson | 14,332 | 41.9 | A+ |
| Newton | 13,479 | 400.6 | C |
| Smithfield | 12,852 | 490.2 | F |
| Lincolnton | 12,478 | 360.6 | C |
| Archdale | 12,143 | 107.1 | A |
| Kings Mountain | 12,045 | 647.6 | F |
| Rolesville | 11,884 | 33.7 | A+ |
| Elon | 11,585 | 77.7 | A+ |
| Spring Lake | 11,459 | 541.1 | F |
| Pineville | 11,330 | 723.7 | F |
| Winterville | 10,926 | 82.4 | A |
| Tarboro | 10,920 | 668.5 | F |
| Waynesville | 10,813 | 499.4 | D |
| Mount Airy | 10,590 | 311.6 | C |
| Zebulon | 10,356 | 328.3 | C |
| Morehead City | 9,960 | 361.4 | D |
| Aberdeen | 9,795 | 245 | C |
| Hillsborough | 9,788 | 378 | D |
| Gibsonville | 9,619 | 176.7 | B |
| Washington | 9,616 | 520 | F |
| Oxford | 9,032 | 841.5 | F |
| Rockingham | 8,786 | 614.6 | F |
| Dunn | 8,633 | 903.5 | F |
| Black Mountain | 8,564 | 58.4 | A |
| Clinton | 8,300 | 566.3 | F |
| Roxboro | 8,235 | 1,007.9 | F |
| Fletcher | 8,219 | 73 | A |
| Butner | 8,156 | 245.2 | B |
| Siler City | 8,142 | 479 | D |
| Woodfin | 8,031 | 174.3 | B |
| Angier | 7,902 | 151.9 | A |
| Kill Devil Hills | 7,817 | 217.5 | B |
| King | 7,680 | 78.1 | A |
| Marion | 7,435 | 242.1 | C |
| Forest City | 7,391 | 527.7 | F |
| Selma | 7,244 | 1,049.1 | F |
| Carolina Beach | 6,917 | 332.5 | C |
| Boiling Spring Lakes | 6,903 | 289.7 | C |
| Cherryville | 6,342 | 173.4 | C |
Counties in North Carolina
Largest counties in North Carolina, violent crime per 100K
Top 8 counties by population, violent crime per 100,000 residents. Hover a bar for the exact rate.
- Wake 24.5
Wake
24.5 /100K
- Guilford
Guilford
54.5 /100K
- Forsyth
Forsyth
77.9 /100K
- Durham 28
Durham
28 /100K
- Buncombe
Buncombe
65.3 /100K
- Union
Union
84.8 /100K
- Gaston 3.1
Gaston
3.1 /100K
- Cabarrus 24.4
Cabarrus
24.4 /100K
Nearby States
Compare North Carolina with neighboring states, or use the compare tool for side-by-side jurisdiction benchmarking.
Explore North Carolina crime data
Primary source: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, Crime in the United States annual release. State-level trends cross-check against the FBI Crime Data Explorer (CDE) API.
Population figures for rate calculations reference U.S. Census Bureau estimates where FBI-reported populations are unavailable. Verify with Census.gov QuickFacts.
Read our methodology , how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Using PlainCrime rankings responsibly
Crime rankings are most useful when they sit alongside other community-quality signals, school performance, housing affordability, employment, and access to healthcare. A safer-than-average violent-crime rate in a small commuter suburb does not by itself make a city a better place to live; it is one data point among many. Likewise, a higher-than-average rate in a dense urban center may reflect that residents and visitors interact with police more often, not that the city is necessarily unsafe for its residents. We provide cross-links from each city profile to neighboring jurisdictions, state averages, and national benchmarks so you can read each number in context rather than in isolation.
For news outlets, researchers, and concerned residents who cite our rankings, the most defensible approach is to quote the per-100,000 rate, the reporting year, and the source agency in the same sentence. Avoid framing crime statistics as predictive, UCR data describes what was reported in a past year, not what will happen tomorrow. Where possible, pair our rankings with longitudinal trend data on the relevant city's profile page to show whether the rate is moving up, holding steady, or falling year over year.