North Carolina Crime Rate By City – Latest Statistics

By Doug Edwards

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Criminal Defense

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Last Modified on Apr 09, 2024

Understanding the amount of crime in a particular region or neighborhood can be important, especially for people who are moving to a new area or raising children. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find accurate and easy-to-digest information about the North Carolina crime rate by city or county.

Understanding North Carolina Crime Data

Some people assume that with today’s advanced police technology, up-to-the-minute crime reporting should only be a click away. In reality, gathering, validating, and publishing accurate data is serious work. This is why the most recent complete data for complex issues like crime rates is often a year or more old by the time it’s made publicly available. The most current complete dataset is the 2024 NCSBI Annual Summary Report, released in October 2025. Statistics from that report are used throughout this article.

It’s also important to understand that crime rates are inherently skewed by certain factors. For one, many crimes go unreported–especially crimes that are particularly sensitive or potentially embarrassing to the victim. Other crimes are reported but never resolved.

Crime rates broken down on an area-by-area basis are not only influenced by the amount of crime in that area but also by how that area is policed, how the data is collected, and the relationship people in that area have with the law enforcement infrastructure. Keep this in mind when doing your own research on the topic.

North Carolina Statewide Crime Trends

According to the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation’s 2024 Annual Summary Report, the overall Crime Index rate decreased 4.2 percent statewide compared to 2023. The violent crime rate dropped 4.3 percent, with the murder rate falling 9.2 percent, rape down 2.1 percent, robbery down 2.9 percent, and aggravated assault down 4.6 percent. Property crime also declined 4.1 percent. (Source: NCSBI 2024 Annual Summary Report)

This continues a general downward trend from the peak years of 2020-2021. North Carolina recorded 388.4 violent crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024, down from 405.8 in 2023. Property crime came in at 2,049.8 incidents per 100,000 residents in 2024. (Source: NCSBI 2024 Annual Summary Report, Table 1)

North Carolina Crime Statistics – Offenses by County and City

When looking for recent data on crime rates in North Carolina, some of the most reliable available statistics come from the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation. Their most recent crime data covers the 2024 reporting year and is organized by county and agency.

This reporting largely focuses on serious, violent crimes and includes instances of murder, aggravated assault, robbery, larceny, burglary, motor vehicle theft, and rape within North Carolina. According to the NCSBI’s 2024 data, the North Carolina counties with the highest total offense counts include:

1. Mecklenburg County, NC – 44,305 total offenses (2024) – Mecklenburg County has some of the highest crime rates in North Carolina, mainly thanks to the populous Charlotte metro area. Charlotte-Mecklenburg’s city police alone recorded 44,305 qualifying incidents in 2024, a slight decrease from 44,627 in 2023. (Source: NCSBI 2024 Annual Summary, Table 5)
2. Wake County, NC – approximately 21,000+ total offenses (2024) – There are around 20 separate law enforcement agencies working within Wake County, ranging from city police departments to the capitol police force. The Raleigh Police Department alone logged 16,263 incidents in 2024, up 7 percent from 2023. The Wake County Sheriff’s Office added 1,317 additional incidents. (Source: NCSBI 2024 Annual Summary, Table 5)
3. Guilford County, NC – approximately 18,000+ total offenses (2024) – Guilford County remains one of the more crime-affected places in the state. Greensboro PD reported 13,147 incidents in 2024 (down 5 percent from 2023), High Point police reported 3,432, and the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office reported 1,103 qualifying events. (Source: NCSBI 2024 Annual Summary, Table 5)
4. Forsyth County, NC – approximately 12,000+ total offenses (2024) – The Winston-Salem city police account for the majority of reported crimes. Winston-Salem logged 9,510 qualifying incidents in 2024 (down 4 percent from 2023), with the Forsyth County Sheriff adding 1,504 more. Similar to trends in other North Carolina counties, a substantial share of Forsyth County offenses stem from larceny incidents. (Source: NCSBI 2024 Annual Summary, Table 5)
5. Durham County, NC – 13,282 total offenses from Durham PD alone (2024) – In 2024, Durham’s city police logged 13,282 incidents, a 2 percent increase over 2023. The Durham County Sheriff added approximately 500 more incidents. Durham’s overall county crime rate was 4,595.9 per 100,000 residents in 2024. (Source: NCSBI 2024 Annual Summary, Tables 5 and 6)
6. Cumberland County, NC – approximately 7,963+ total offenses (2024, Fayetteville PD only) – The Fayetteville Police are the busiest law enforcement agency in Cumberland County. Fayetteville PD logged 7,963 incidents in 2024, down 7 percent from 8,565 the prior year. Cumberland County’s overall crime rate was 3,706.1 per 100,000 residents in 2024. (Source: NCSBI 2024 Annual Summary, Tables 5 and 6)
7. Buncombe County, NC – 5,905 total offenses (Asheville PD + Buncombe Sheriff, 2024) – The Asheville Police handled the vast majority of incidents in Buncombe County. In 2024, Asheville PD reported 4,501 total incidents (down 11 percent from 2023), while the Buncombe County Sheriff added 1,404 more. Buncombe County’s overall crime rate was 2,281.9 per 100,000 residents in 2024. (Source: NCSBI 2024 Annual Summary, Tables 5 and 6)
8. Robeson County, NC – 5,070.3 per 100,000 residents (2024 crime rate) – highest in North Carolina – Robeson County is unique among the counties on this list because the Robeson County Sheriff handles a larger share of offenses than any single municipal police department. While Robeson County does not rank among the top eight counties by total offense count, it holds the highest crime rate per 100,000 residents in the state at 5,070.3 in 2024 – though that represents a significant decrease from 5,964.5 per 100,000 in 2023. Lumberton is the largest city in Robeson County. (Source: NCSBI 2024 Annual Summary, Table 6)

Safest Cities in North Carolina

According to Safewise, which takes into account various types of crime reports and community attributes, the safest cities in North Carolina in 2026 are Rolesville, Pinehurst, Davidson, Waxhaw, and Fuquay-Varina. Rolesville, a small town in Wake County just northeast of Raleigh with a population of approximately 11,884, earned the top spot with a violent crime rate of just 0.3 incidents per 1,000 residents. (Source: Safewise, 2026 Safest Cities in North Carolina)

FAQs

What City has the Highest Crime Rate in NC?

According to the NCSBI’s 2024 Annual Summary Report, Robeson County has the highest crime rate per 100,000 residents in the state at 5,070.3 – down from 5,964.5 in 2023. Lumberton, located in Robeson County, is frequently cited as the most dangerous city in North Carolina when measuring crime per capita. (Source: NCSBI 2024 Annual Summary, Table 6)

What City Has the Lowest Crime Rate in NC?

The city with the lowest crime rate in NC can be calculated in a few different ways, depending on what data set you use and what types of crimes are being included in the calculation. Safewise’s 2026 rankings list Rolesville as North Carolina’s safest city, with a violent crime rate of only 0.3 incidents per 1,000 residents. Among larger cities, Pinehurst and Davidson consistently earn top safety rankings. (Source: Safewise 2026; NCSBI 2024 Annual Summary) You can also check the crime rate in your area at the official State of North Carolina website.

Is Charlotte or Asheville Safer?

Asheville is generally considered safer than Charlotte based on both total crime counts and per-capita rates. In 2024, Asheville PD reported 4,501 total incidents with a county crime rate of 2,281.9 per 100,000 residents, while Charlotte-Mecklenburg PD reported 44,305 total incidents with a county rate of 4,158.6 per 100,000. However, it is important to understand that crime rates and safety can be analyzed in many different ways, and safety conditions can sometimes change drastically on a neighborhood-to-neighborhood basis even within the same city. (Source: NCSBI 2024 Annual Summary, Tables 5 and 6)

What Is the Most Violent County in North Carolina?

The answer depends on whether you measure by total volume or by rate per capita. By total number of violent offenses, Mecklenburg County leads the state – in 2024, Mecklenburg recorded 7,289 violent offenses, the most of any county. By crime rate per 100,000 residents, Robeson County has the highest violent crime rate at 1,135.6 per 100,000 in 2024, though this represents a 20 percent improvement from 1,425.7 in 2023. Scotland County also consistently ranks near the top by rate, with 1,111.4 violent crimes per 100,000 in 2024. (Source: NCSBI 2024 Annual Summary, Tables 5 and 6)

Has the North Carolina Crime Rate Gone Up or Down Recently?

North Carolina’s overall crime rate decreased 4.2 percent in 2024 compared to 2023, according to the NCSBI’s 2024 Annual Summary Report (released October 2025). Violent crime dropped 4.3 percent and property crime fell 4.1 percent. This follows a 2.3 percent overall increase in 2023. The state’s murder rate declined 9.2 percent in 2024, the sharpest single-year improvement among major violent crime categories. If you are facing criminal charges in North Carolina, the data on crime rates in your area may be relevant to your defense strategy. (Source: NCSBI 2024 Annual Summary, Table 1)

What Is the Most Dangerous County in North Carolina by Crime Rate?

Based on the NCSBI’s 2024 Annual Summary, Robeson County has the highest overall index crime rate in North Carolina at 5,070.3 per 100,000 residents. Scotland County is second at 4,213.6 per 100,000, followed by Vance County at 4,122.3 per 100,000. These smaller, rural counties consistently rank at the top of per-capita crime rate measures, even though their total offense counts are far lower than larger urban counties like Mecklenburg or Wake. (Source: NCSBI 2024 Annual Summary, Table 6)

Edwards Law, PLLC – Criminal Defense Solutions for North Carolina

If you’re in need of high-quality criminal defense representation in North Carolina, Edwards Law, PLLC, of Asheville can help. Please contact us at your earliest convenience to get started with a consultation.