Safest Cities in North Carolina (2024)

Ranked by violent crime rate per 100,000 residents from 2024 FBI data. North Carolina has 266 cities reporting crime data, with a statewide violent crime rate of 375.8 per 100K.

266

Cities Tracked

0.0

Safest City Rate

263.5

Median City Rate

1894.1

Highest Rate

Top 25 Safest Cities in North Carolina

#CityPopulationViolent RateMurder RateProperty RateGrade
1Whispering Pines5,4310.00.0257.8A
2Rolesville11,88433.70.0437.6B+
3Davidson14,33241.90.0446.6B+
4Stallings17,56451.20.0671.8B+
5Apex74,10552.60.0906.8B+
6Holly Ridge5,52354.30.0832.9B+
7Black Mountain8,56458.40.01179.4B+
8Waxhaw23,89358.60.0422.7B+
9Pinehurst18,71658.80.0277.8B+
10Fuquay-Varina47,43669.60.0579.7B
11Cary181,79371.01.61317.4B
12Fletcher8,21973.012.21338.4B
13Elon11,58577.70.0310.7B
14King7,68078.10.01197.9B
15Holly Springs48,19980.90.01029.1B
16Winterville10,92682.40.0723.0B
17Boone20,02489.90.0908.9B
18Leland33,16296.50.0983.1B
19Morrisville32,33699.03.12433.8B
20Mint Hill28,25999.10.0835.1B
21Cornelius33,699103.93.01035.6C+
22Archdale12,143107.10.01120.0C+
23Mount Holly18,581107.65.41646.8C+
24Cramerton5,556108.00.01241.9C+
25Wendell16,281135.10.01074.9C+

Most Dangerous Cities in North Carolina

#CityPopulationViolent RateMurder RateGrade
1Laurinburg14,9941894.160.0F
2Henderson14,7911791.627.0F
3Lumberton19,0871676.552.4F
4Goldsboro33,4441076.444.9F
5Selma7,2441049.10.0F
6Shelby22,0281044.122.7F
7Roxboro8,2351007.912.1F
8Salisbury36,564960.030.1F
9Kinston19,298958.620.7F
10Statesville30,245955.53.3F
11Burlington60,906952.36.6F
12Greensboro304,306923.714.1F
13Dunn8,633903.534.8F
14Roanoke Rapids14,497896.76.9F
15Gastonia85,112849.54.7F

All 266 Cities in North Carolina

Complete list ranked from safest to most dangerous.

Show all 266 cities
#CityPop.Violent RateGrade
1Whispering Pines5,4310.0A
2Youngsville2,3680.0A
3Pine Level2,3530.0A
4Taylorsville2,2580.0A
5Drexel1,7610.0A
6Biltmore Forest1,4480.0A
7Pine Knoll Shores1,4400.0A
8Princeton1,4230.0A
9Foxfire Village1,3850.0A
10Broadway1,3670.0A
11Robbins1,2570.0A
12Banner Elk1,1550.0A
13Highlands1,1220.0A
14Columbus1,1090.0A
15North Topsail Beach1,0900.0A
16Vass1,0250.0A
17Cooleemee9830.0A
18Middlesex9450.0A
19Taylortown8910.0A
20Fair Bluff7210.0A
21Bailey5610.0A
22Caswell Beach3970.0A
23Bunn3730.0A
24Indian Beach2310.0A
25Trent Woods4,08924.5A
26Southern Shores3,15031.7A
27Rolesville11,88433.7B+
28Davidson14,33241.9B+
29Madison2,16546.2B+
30Swansboro4,27346.8B+
31Cape Carteret2,06848.4B+
32Stallings17,56451.2B+
33Apex74,10552.6B+
34Hudson3,76153.2B+
35Holly Ridge5,52354.3B+
36Black Mountain8,56458.4B+
37Waxhaw23,89358.6B+
38Pinehurst18,71658.8B+
39Weaverville4,73263.4B+
40Granite Quarry3,05765.4B+
41Fuquay-Varina47,43669.6B
42Cary181,79371.0B
43Lake Lure1,38172.4B
44Fletcher8,21973.0B
45Weldon1,36573.3B
46West Jefferson1,34074.6B
47Elon11,58577.7B
48King7,68078.1B
49Holly Springs48,19980.9B
50Mayodan2,46481.2B
51Richlands2,45781.4B
52Winterville10,92682.4B
53Southport4,49489.0B
54Boone20,02489.9B
55Spruce Pine2,18991.4B
56Rockwell2,17092.2B
57Leland33,16296.5B
58Ocean Isle Beach1,01998.1B
59Morrisville32,33699.0B
60Mint Hill28,25999.1B
61Pittsboro4,934101.3B
62Cornelius33,699103.9C+
63Holden Beach945105.8C+
64Valdese4,703106.3C+
65Archdale12,143107.1C+
66Sunset Beach4,660107.3C+
67Mount Holly18,581107.6C+
68Cramerton5,556108.0C+
69Raeford4,538110.2C+
70Manteo1,647121.4C+
71Jefferson1,638122.1C+
72Stanley4,074122.7C+
73Tryon1,620123.5C+
74Lowell3,839130.2C+
75Wendell16,281135.1C+
76Huntersville65,752143.0C+
77Wake Forest55,872146.8C
78Blowing Rock1,347148.5C
79Emerald Isle4,007149.7C
80Stoneville1,335149.8C
81China Grove4,612151.8C
82Angier7,902151.9C
83Four Oaks2,624152.4C
84Beech Mountain656152.4C
85Oak Island8,955156.3C
86Canton4,417158.5C
87Concord111,922159.0C
88Navassa1,842162.9C
89Kannapolis60,725168.0C
90Clayton31,494168.3C
91Ramseur1,780168.5C
92Mount Gilead1,168171.2C
93Jonesville2,332171.5C
94Chapel Hill63,906172.1C
95Troutman4,057172.5C
96Cherryville6,342173.4C
97Woodfin8,031174.3C
98Carthage2,839176.1C
99Gibsonville9,619176.7C
100Carrboro21,045180.6C
101Matthews31,422184.6C
102Woodland534187.3C
103Randleman4,661193.1C
104Knightdale20,557194.6C
105Burgaw3,528198.4D+
106Granite Falls4,908203.7D+
107Snow Hill1,467204.5D+
108Havelock16,574205.1D+
109Wrightsville Beach2,405207.9D+
110Biscoe1,853215.9D+
111Dobson1,386216.5D+
112Mooresville54,823217.1D+
113Coats2,300217.4D+
114Kill Devil Hills7,817217.5D+
115Cleveland888225.2D+
116Kernersville28,522227.9D+
117Robersonville1,307229.5D+
118Maysville848235.8D+
119Maxton2,116236.3D+
120Warrenton844237.0D+
121Grifton2,495240.5D+
122Marion7,435242.1D+
123Kitty Hawk3,714242.3D+
124Aberdeen9,795245.0D+
125Butner8,156245.2D+
126Candor813246.0D+
127Franklin4,377251.3D+
128Ayden5,126253.6D+
129North Wilkesboro4,323254.5D+
130Nags Head3,130255.6D+
131Dallas6,225257.0D+
132Lenoir18,201258.2D+
133Kenansville762262.5D+
134Hendersonville15,561263.5D+
135Sugar Mountain377265.3D
136Wingate4,873266.8D
137Brevard7,848267.6D
138Franklinton2,806285.1D
139Belhaven1,399285.9D
140Newport4,536286.6D
141Boiling Spring Lakes6,903289.7D
142Surf City5,120293.0D
143Rutherfordton3,701297.2D
144Yadkinville3,025297.5D
145Spencer3,327300.6D
146Troy2,985301.5D
147Tabor City3,636302.5D
148Mount Olive4,280303.7D
149Beaufort4,920304.9D
150Mebane20,920305.9D
151Saluda646309.6D
152Jacksonville72,570311.4D
153Mount Airy10,590311.6D
154Creedmoor5,066315.8D
155Ranlo4,713318.3D
156Shallotte5,548324.4D
157Zebulon10,356328.3D
158Warsaw2,738328.7D
159Thomasville27,525330.6D
160Carolina Beach6,917332.5D
161Boonville1,194335.0D
162Rowland890337.1D
163Elizabeth City19,064341.0D
164Graham18,772346.3D
165Andrews1,707351.5D
166Wilkesboro3,652356.0D
167Garner36,720356.8D
168Louisburg3,340359.3D
169Lincolnton12,478360.6D
170Morehead City9,960361.4D
171New Bern32,548362.5D
172Star824364.1D
173Southern Pines17,092368.6D
174Hillsborough9,788378.0F
175Edenton4,495378.2F
176Belmont15,672382.8F
177Northwest1,037385.7F
178Conover8,525387.1F
179Long View5,148388.5F
180Chadbourn1,538390.1F
181Duck751399.5F
182Newton13,479400.6F
183Wallace3,492400.9F
184Hickory44,682407.3F
185Morganton17,568409.8F
186Eden15,307411.6F
187Newland721416.1F
188Hope Mills17,838420.5F
189Asheboro27,619423.6F
190Erwin4,812436.4F
191Lexington19,899437.2F
192East Spencer1,600437.5F
193Windsor3,153444.0F
194Greenville90,871453.4F
195High Point117,629454.8F
196Maggie Valley1,751456.9F
197Bessemer City5,685457.3F
198Siler City8,142479.0F
199Wilmington125,101482.8F
200Raleigh488,085488.8F
201Smithfield12,852490.2F
202Waynesville10,813499.4F
203Haw River2,381504.0F
204Sharpsburg1,755512.8F
205Sylva2,697519.1F
206Washington9,616520.0F
207Beulaville1,145524.0F
208Forest City7,391527.7F
209Stantonsburg757528.4F
210Chocowinity747535.5F
211Whiteville4,654537.2F
212Elkin4,076539.7F
213Spring Lake11,459541.1F
214Lillington4,387547.1F
215Murfreesboro2,327558.7F
216Clinton8,300566.3F
217Albemarle16,926573.1F
218Wilson47,825579.2F
219Reidsville14,584596.5F
220Bryson City1,495602.0F
221Rockingham8,786614.6F
222Durham300,208619.2F
223St. Pauls2,045635.7F
224Kings Mountain12,045647.6F
225Monroe38,903652.9F
226Fayetteville209,945660.2F
227Marshville2,701666.4F
228Tarboro10,920668.5F
229Ahoskie4,580698.7F
230Pineville11,330723.7F
231Charlotte-Mecklenburg1,003,130733.2F
232Benson4,542748.6F
233Wilson's Mills2,915754.7F
234Rocky Mount54,223765.4F
235Elizabethtown3,244770.7F
236Atlantic Beach1,418775.7F
237Asheville95,219796.1F
238Winston-Salem254,041809.7F
239White Lake738813.0F
240Oxford9,032841.5F
241Gastonia85,112849.5F
242Red Springs3,161885.8F
243Roanoke Rapids14,497896.7F
244Dunn8,633903.5F
245Murphy1,654906.9F
246Pembroke2,836916.8F
247Greensboro304,306923.7F
248Burlington60,906952.3F
249Statesville30,245955.5F
250Kinston19,298958.6F
251Salisbury36,564960.0F
252Magnolia833960.4F
253Roxboro8,2351007.9F
254Fairmont2,2081041.7F
255Shelby22,0281044.1F
256Selma7,2441049.1F
257Goldsboro33,4441076.4F
258Williamston4,9941161.4F
259Scotland Neck1,7891173.8F
260Farmville4,5761376.7F
261Enfield2,2341387.6F
262Lumberton19,0871676.5F
263Henderson14,7911791.6F
264Plymouth3,1691861.8F
265Laurinburg14,9941894.1F
266Wadesboro4,9092037.1F

Crime Composition in North Carolina

How violent crime breaks down across cities reporting data in North Carolina.

Agg. Assault: 76.1%
Robbery: 15.8%
Rape: 6.3%
Murder: 1.7%

State violent crime rate: 375.8/100K vs national average: 359.1/100K (5% above national average)

About This Data

Crime rates are from the FBI's 2024 Uniform Crime Report, the most recent data available. Rates are per 100,000 residents. Safety grades are based on national percentile ranking — an "A" means the city is safer than 80%+ of all US cities in our database.

Not all cities report to the FBI. Small agencies may have incomplete data. Always consider multiple years of data before drawing conclusions about a city's safety.

National demographic context: Crime and safety vary across racial and ethnic groups. Per-city demographic data is not published by the FBI, but national patterns show significant disparities. Full demographics | Racial disparities