North Carolina Crime Statistics

47 years of data (19792024)

Key Insights

  • North Carolina ranks #20 out of 51 states for violent crime rate (375.8 per 100K).
  • Violent crime decreased 4.5% from 2023 to 2024.
  • 242 cities report crime data. Safest: Whispering Pines (0.0/100K). Most dangerous: Wadesboro (2037.1/100K).
  • 832 murders in 2024 — a rate of 7.5 per 100K residents.
  • Since 1979, North Carolina's violent crime rate has changed by -16%.
Violent Crime Rate
375.8
-4.5% YoY
Murder Rate
7.5
832 total
Property Crime Rate
1968.1
217,402 total
Population
11,046,024
2024

2024 Crime Breakdown

Violent Crime: 41,511

Murder832
Rape3,091
Robbery5,540
Aggravated Assault32,048

Property Crime: 217,402

Burglary35,777
Larceny-Theft153,559
Motor Vehicle Theft28,066

Violent Crime Rate Trend

Homicide Rate Trend

Violent Crime Breakdown (2024)

Most Dangerous Cities

CityViolent RatePopulation
Wadesboro2037.14,909
Laurinburg1894.114,994
Plymouth1861.83,169
Henderson1791.614,791
Lumberton1676.519,087
Farmville1376.74,576
Williamston1161.44,994
Goldsboro1076.433,444
Selma1049.17,244
Shelby1044.122,028

Safest Cities

CityViolent RatePopulation
Whispering Pines0.05,431
Youngsville0.02,368
Pine Level0.02,353
Taylorsville0.02,258
Drexel0.01,761
Biltmore Forest0.01,448
Pine Knoll Shores0.01,440
Foxfire Village0.01,385
Broadway0.01,367
Robbins0.01,257

Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer. Rates per 100,000 residents. City data from Table 8.