Highest Crime in North Carolina

Top 100 cities ranked by highest crime

Highest Crime - North Carolina

1 Laurinburg 1,874/100K
2 Henderson 1,792/100K
3 Lumberton 1,692/100K
4 Williamston 1,161/100K
5 Goldsboro 1,088/100K
6 Selma 1,049/100K
7 Shelby 1,049/100K
8 Roxboro 1,020/100K
9 Burlington 965/100K
10 Salisbury 963/100K
11 Kinston 959/100K
12 Greensboro 926/100K
13 Dunn 904/100K
14 Roanoke Rapids 897/100K
15 Gastonia 854/100K
16 Oxford 841/100K
17 Winston-Salem 812/100K
18 Asheville 801/100K
19 Rocky Mount 765/100K
20 Pineville 724/100K
21 Albemarle 695/100K
22 Statesville 692/100K
23 Fayetteville 686/100K
24 Tarboro 659/100K
25 Kings Mountain 656/100K
26 Monroe 655/100K
27 Durham 621/100K
28 Rockingham 615/100K
29 Reidsville 597/100K
30 Wilson 583/100K
31 Clinton 566/100K
32 Spring Lake 532/100K
33 Washington 520/100K
34 Waynesville 499/100K
35 Smithfield 498/100K
36 Raleigh 492/100K
37 Wilmington 483/100K
38 High Point 463/100K
39 Greenville 459/100K
40 Hamlet 458/100K
41 Lexington 437/100K
42 Eden 425/100K
43 Newton 415/100K
44 Hickory 410/100K
45 Belmont 389/100K
46 Hillsborough 388/100K
47 Asheboro 376/100K
48 Southern Pines 369/100K
49 New Bern 363/100K
50 Lincolnton 361/100K
51 Garner 354/100K
52 Graham 346/100K
53 Thomasville 342/100K
54 Zebulon 338/100K
55 Carolina Beach 318/100K
56 Mount Airy 312/100K
57 Mebane 306/100K
58 Boiling Spring Lakes 290/100K
59 Hendersonville 263/100K
60 Lenoir 258/100K
61 Butner 257/100K
62 Dallas 257/100K
63 Ayden 254/100K
64 Aberdeen 245/100K
65 Jacksonville 240/100K
66 Kernersville 231/100K
67 Mooresville 223/100K
68 Kill Devil Hills 217/100K
69 Marion 215/100K
70 Havelock 205/100K
71 Knightdale 195/100K
72 Matthews 185/100K
73 Carrboro 181/100K
74 Gibsonville 177/100K
75 Chapel Hill 175/100K
76 Sanford 174/100K
77 Woodfin 174/100K
78 Cherryville 173/100K
79 Kannapolis 170/100K
80 Clayton 168/100K
81 Concord 159/100K
82 Nashville 156/100K
83 Angier 152/100K
84 Wake Forest 147/100K
85 Huntersville 143/100K
86 Brevard 140/100K
87 Wendell 135/100K
88 Holly Springs 123/100K
89 Cramerton 108/100K
90 Mount Holly 108/100K
91 Archdale 107/100K
92 Morrisville 102/100K
93 Cornelius 101/100K
94 Mint Hill 99/100K
95 Leland 97/100K
96 Oak Island 91/100K
97 Boone 85/100K
98 Winterville 82/100K
99 King 78/100K
100 Elon 78/100K

Cities with the highest crime rates in North Carolina face public safety challenges that affect residents' quality of life and economic development. Laurinburg has 1,874.1 violent crimes per 1,000 residents.

High crime rates are often linked to economic factors including poverty, unemployment, income inequality, and limited access to education and social services. Addressing crime effectively requires tackling these underlying root causes alongside traditional law enforcement approaches.

Many cities on this list are actively implementing comprehensive safety strategies including community policing, violence intervention programs, youth mentorship, and economic development initiatives aimed at reducing the conditions that contribute to criminal activity.

Did You Know?

  • 1. The violent crime rate in Laurinburg is 468.5x the national average.
  • 2. Crime rates have been declining nationally for decades - even cities on this list have generally seen improvements over time.
  • 3. Violent crime is heavily concentrated in specific neighborhoods - most areas within these cities are considerably safer than the citywide statistics suggest.

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