The Safest and Most Dangerous Cities in North Carolina

Most Dangerous Cities in North Carolina

Highest Violent Crime Rate per 100,000 Residents

1. Lumberton: 2,018
2. Wadesboro: 1,841
3. Henderson: 1,836

Highest Property Crime Rate per 100,000 Residents

1. Lumberton: 11,955
2. Whiteville: 9,603
3. Pembroke: 8,981

Lumberton earns the dubious distinction of being the most dangerous city in North Carolina. The county seat of Robeson County, Lumberton, has the highest rate of violent crimes (2,018 per 100,000 inhabitants) and property crimes (11,955 per 100,000 inhabitants).

Two of Lumberton’s closest neighbors had similarly bad scores. Located just down 74 from Lumberton, Whiteville scores poorly for property crimes (second overall) with 9,603 property crimes per 100,000 residents. Pembroke, 20 minutes in the other direction from Lumberton and home to the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, placed third for property crimes with 8,981 per 100,000 residents.

Fortunately for locals, neither Whiteville nor Pembroke made the podium for violent crimes. Instead, that distinction went to Wadesboro (1,841 violent crimes per 100,000 residents) and Henderson (1,836 violent crimes per 1,00,000 residents), placing second and third, respectively, behind Lumberton.

Safest Cities in North Carolina

Are you looking for a safer place to live? It doesn’t hurt to live by a golf course ― at least, according to statistics.

Lowest Violent Crime Rate per 100,000 Residents

1. Rolesville: 18
2. Davidson: 19
3. Whispering Pines: 19

Lowest Property Crime Rate per 100,000 Residents

1. Trent Woods: 269
2. Four Oaks: 273
3. Pinehurst: 340

Pinehurst had the third-lowest property crime rate in North Carolina, with 340 crimes per 100,000 residents. The only communities with a better score were tiny Trent Woods (next to the birthplace of Pepsi in New Bern) and Four Oaks (an even smaller town along Interstate 95 in Johnston County), which had 269 and 273 property crimes per 100,000 residents, respectively.

According to the FBI, the suburbs of Raleigh and Charlotte are some of the safest places to live in the state overall. Rolesville, near Wake Forest, northeast of Raleigh, had 18 violent crimes per 100,000 people. Charlotte’s bedroom community of Davidson (19 crimes per 100,000 inhabitants) and the golf-addicted village of Whispering Pines (19 crimes per 100,000 inhabitants) also scored impressive marks.

North Carolina Crime vs. the National Average

North Carolina is slightly less safe than the average state. It ranks around the middle of the pack for both violent crimes and property crimes.

In 2023, per FBI statistics, North Carolina ranked:

• 19th of 50 for violent crimes (+8% above the national average) with 391 violent crimes per 100,000 inhabitants.
• 16th of 50 for property crime (also +8% above the national average) with 2,065 property crimes per 100,000 inhabitants.

There’s certainly room for improvement ― but the state has lower crime rates than neighboring South Carolina, which ranks eighth for violent crime and 11th for property crime.

Property crime rates

(Per 100,000 residents)

Better yet, North Carolina is moving in the right direction. Over the last year, according to the FBI, North Carolina’s violent crime rate dropped by 3.4%. The property crime rate remained stable with a 0.0% change.

Violent crime rates

(Per 100,000 residents)

The worst state for crime? New Mexico, which ranked #1 overall for both violent and property crime rates. Maine, meanwhile, had the lowest violent crime rate (#50 overall) while Idaho had the lowest property crime rate (#50 overall).

Which Crimes Are Most Common?

It’s not all good news. North Carolina ranks within the top 15 for both burglaries and murders. Only seven states have a higher burglary rate than North Carolina.

The most common crime overall? Aggravated assault, which has 303.5 incidents per 100,000 residents. That may sound scary, but aggravated assault is the most common violent crime in nearly every state.

The most common property crime in North Carolina (and most other states) is larceny-theft (1,447.8 incidents per 100,000 residents):

• Burglary (41.7% above national average): With 355.3 per 100,000 residents, North Carolina is the eighth worst state in America for burglaries, ranking 41.7% above the nationwide average.
• Murder (38.6% above national average): North Carolina has 7.9 murders per 100,000 residents, which is 38.6% higher than the nationwide average. That may sound bad, but it’s better than the rest of the South. Of the 12 states with a higher murder rate than North Carolina, eight are in the South.
• Aggravated assault (14.9% above national average): Aggravated assault is the most common violent crime in North Carolina, with 303.5 incidents per 100,000 residents.
• Larceny-theft (7.5% above national average): Larceny-theft is the most common property crime in most states, including North Carolina. With 1,447.8 incidents of larceny-theft per 100,000 residents, it’s also the most common crime in North Carolina overall.
• Vehicle theft (17.9% below national average): With 261.8 vehicle thefts per 100,000 residents, North Carolina is well below the nationwide average.
• Robbery (22.1% below national average): With a robbery rate of 51.8 per 100,000 residents, North Carolina sits near the bottom of the pack, around 22.1% below the national average.
• Rape (25.8% below national average): North Carolina is 25.8% below the national average with 28.2 rapes per 100,000 residents.

Overall, the Tar Heel State ranks in the high-middle of the pack among its 49 competitors. There’s room for improvement, but it's generally outperforming the rest of the South.

What’s Driving Crime in North Carolina?

Crime is a complex phenomenon driven by everything from socioeconomics to local law reporting standards. As a large and diverse state with centuries of history, North Carolina’s crime rates vary based on several factors.

According to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation,² all of the following factors influence differences in crime rates between jurisdictions:

• Population density, size and degree of urbanization
• Concentration of youth
• Economic conditions (median income, poverty level and job availability)
• Cultural, educational, religious and family factors
• Citizens’ attitudes towards crime and overall crime reporting practices
• Stability of population, such as tourism, transiency and commuting patterns

North Carolina’s heat and humidity can drive us all a little crazy. Hot weather also increases crime. The NC SBI lists “climate” as one of the factors affecting crime rates in North Carolina. A Rutgers study found that violent crime becomes more common in the summer.³