Waynesville, NC Crime Rate 2024 – Latest Statistics

The Waynesville, NC crime rate is important to understand if you are a North Carolina resident. Whether you are considering moving there, vacationing there, or just driving through the city, it’s important to be aware of the crime statistics so you can be prepared.

Every city has some level of crime, no matter what size. Being equipped with the latest trends and statistics could help you along your journey. It is important to note, however, that crime rates may offer only a small picture of a city’s safety determination.

Understanding the Crime Rate

When analyzing the crime rate, crimes are broken out into two main categories. Violent crimes and property crimes. Violent crimes happen when there is violence or the threat of violence involved in a crime. This could be anything that is physically harmful in some way or that causes physical trauma.

Property crime happens when someone’s property is stolen, destroyed, or damaged. The key difference here is that violence was not used. If violence or the use of force occurs, it is considered a violent crime. For example, if someone steals a wallet from someone else’s person using violence, it would be a violent crime, not a property crime.

Reporting these crimes can be tricky because you could be charged with two different crimes under one incident. For example, assume someone commits larceny but then uses violence after they’ve been caught. The larceny crime would be considered a property crime, but once they started using violence, it could be classified as a violent crime. This is a case where one offense is reported as two crimes, a property crime and a violent crime, inflating the crime rate numbers.

Violent Crimes

Violent crimes include offenses like assault, battery, robbery, murder, and rape. The violent crime rate in Waynesville is 4.14 per 1,000 residents. For comparison, the state average is 4.05 per 1,000 residents, and the national average is 4 per 1,000 residents. Most of the reported violent crimes are made up of assaults, which is also true for violent crimes reported across the country.

Property Crimes

Property crimes include burglary, vehicle theft, grand theft auto, and larceny. The property crime rate in Waynesville is 33.15 per 1,000 residents. The state average is 20.64 per 1,000 residents, and the national average is 20 per 1,000 residents. Theft makes up the majority of property crimes in the city, followed by burglary.

FAQs

Q: Is Waynesville, North Carolina a Safe Place to Live?

A: Waynesville, North Carolina, is generally a safe place to live. It has a crime rate that is just above the state average in terms of property crimes and violent crimes. For violent crimes, 1 in 241 residents have a chance of being a victim of a violent crime. This is just above the state average of 1 in 247 residents being victims. For property crimes, 1 in 30 residents are likely to become victims versus the state average of 1 in 48 residents.

Q: What North Carolina City Has the Lowest Crime Rate?

A: It can be difficult to determine which city has the lowest crime rate in NC, as there are different types of crime rates. An area with low violent crime rates may have higher property crimes and vice versa. For example, Fuquay-Varina was found to have exceptionally low property crime rates and low crime-related costs, but it ranks higher for violent crime rates. In spite of higher violent crime rates, Fuquay-Varina is considered to be a safe suburb of Raleigh.

Q: What Causes the Crime Rate to Increase?

A: There are several different reasons the crime rate may increase. There are both social and economic factors at play. Social factors include things like culture, family conditions, the strength of local law enforcement, crime reporting practices, and local judicial policies, among other things.

Some important economic factors include the poverty rate, unemployment rate, degree of education, household income, and property values. These are all important trends to measure and they each help explain the changes in crime rates.

Q: How Can I Determine if a North Carolina Town is Safe?

A: There are several ways to determine if a North Carolina town is safe. Conducting online research into posted property and violent crime rates is a good place to start. Several sites are dedicated to informing the community about crimes that occur in the US. You can also speak with local law enforcement for more real-life applications of those crime rates. They can offer specific information about neighborhoods and which areas of the city are safe at different times of day.

Q: What Are the Demographics of Waynesville?

A: Waynesville has a population of just under 11,000 people. The city is 91% white, 5% mixed race, and 1% black. The city has a very small Asian and Indigenous population as well. The median age for residents is 47. For men, it’s the age of 44, and for women, it’s 51. Roughly 51% of the population is female. While over 58% of the population are homeowners the average size of households is two people. Almost 20% of the population holds Bachelor’s degrees.

Legal Guidance

There are pros and cons to living in every city in the US. Each city will have its fair share of crime. Waynesville, which reports above-average crime rates in terms of violent crimes and property crimes, is a small, tucked-away city that many residents enjoy living in. Understanding the way crime rates are reported helps to give a better understanding of the true rate of crime in a city. The data, although it can be flawed, helps you make informed decisions about the city.

The legal team at Edwards Law, PLLC can help you analyze this data and make an informed decision about living in or visiting Waynesville. We have helped several North Carolina residents with their legal questions.

We have the resources to help you. If you or a loved one are a resident who’s been involved in a crime, you should contact us today to speak with a member of our team. We can review your situation, gather evidence, and help you explore your potential legal options.