Most Dangerous Cities in North Carolina 2024
Avg Violent Crime Rate
Avg Murder Rate
Avg Property Crime Rate
Crime Hotspots in North Carolina (2024)
These 36 cities reported the highest crime rates in North Carolina. On average, they experience 1.1x the national crime rate, with violent crime averaging 441 per 100,000 (national average: 473).
Goldsboro, NC tops the list with a total crime rate of 6,940 per 100,000 — 2.5x the national average. Its violent crime rate of 1,076 per 100K is 2.3x the national average.
Full Rankings
| # | City | State | Population | Total Crime Rate | Violent Crime Rate | Murder Rate | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Goldsboro | NC | 33,444 | 6,940.0 | 1,076.4 | 44.9 | +152% |
| 2 | Salisbury | NC | 36,564 | 4,947.5 | 960.0 | 30.1 | +80% |
| 3 | Garner | NC | 36,720 | 4,872.0 | 364.9 | 2.7 | +77% |
| 4 | Rocky Mount | NC | 54,223 | 4,745.2 | 765.4 | 12.9 | +72% |
| 5 | Asheville | NC | 95,219 | 4,691.3 | 796.1 | 12.6 | +70% |
| 6 | Charlotte - Mecklenburg | NC | 1,003,130 | 4,439.0 | 733.7 | 10.9 | +61% |
| 7 | Durham | NC | 300,208 | 4,420.3 | 620.6 | 12.3 | +61% |
| 8 | Gastonia | NC | 85,112 | 4,363.7 | 849.5 | 4.7 | +59% |
| 9 | Greensboro | NC | 304,306 | 4,306.9 | 923.7 | 14.1 | +56% |
| 10 | Burlington | NC | 60,906 | 4,040.7 | 955.6 | 6.6 | +47% |
| 11 | Wilmington | NC | 125,101 | 4,000.0 | 485.2 | 5.6 | +45% |
| 12 | Monroe | NC | 38,903 | 3,997.1 | 663.2 | 7.7 | +45% |
| 13 | Fayetteville | NC | 209,945 | 3,755.8 | 661.1 | 12.4 | +36% |
| 14 | Winston-Salem | NC | 254,041 | 3,731.3 | 810.1 | 11.4 | +36% |
| 15 | Kernersville | NC | 28,522 | 3,376.3 | 227.9 | 7.0 | +23% |
| 16 | Greenville | NC | 90,871 | 3,367.4 | 453.4 | 9.9 | +22% |
| 17 | Raleigh | NC | 488,085 | 3,308.0 | 488.9 | 5.1 | +20% |
| 18 | Hickory | NC | 44,682 | 3,234.0 | 409.6 | 2.2 | +17% |
| 19 | Wilson | NC | 47,825 | 2,981.7 | 579.2 | 25.1 | +8% |
| 20 | High Point | NC | 117,619 | 2,913.6 | 457.4 | 2.6 | +6% |
| 21 | Matthews | NC | 31,422 | 2,838.8 | 184.6 | 0.0 | +3% |
| 22 | Chapel Hill | NC | 63,906 | 2,686.8 | 172.1 | 1.6 | +-2% |
| 23 | Thomasville | NC | 27,525 | 2,626.7 | 330.6 | 18.2 | +-5% |
| 24 | Morrisville | NC | 32,336 | 2,532.8 | 99.0 | 3.1 | +-8% |
| 25 | Mooresville | NC | 54,823 | 2,371.3 | 218.9 | 3.7 | +-14% |
| 26 | New Bern | NC | 32,548 | 1,978.6 | 362.5 | 12.3 | +-28% |
| 27 | Kannapolis | NC | 60,725 | 1,953.1 | 168.0 | 9.9 | +-29% |
| 28 | Huntersville | NC | 65,752 | 1,507.2 | 143.0 | 1.5 | +-45% |
| 29 | Wake Forest | NC | 55,872 | 1,451.5 | 146.8 | 3.6 | +-47% |
| 30 | Clayton | NC | 31,494 | 1,451.1 | 168.3 | 0.0 | +-47% |
| 31 | Cary | NC | 181,793 | 1,388.9 | 71.5 | 1.7 | +-50% |
| 32 | Concord | NC | 111,922 | 1,266.1 | 160.8 | 5.4 | +-54% |
| 33 | Cornelius | NC | 33,699 | 1,139.5 | 103.9 | 3.0 | +-59% |
| 34 | Leland | NC | 33,162 | 1,079.6 | 96.5 | 0.0 | +-61% |
| 35 | Mint Hill | NC | 28,259 | 934.2 | 99.1 | 0.0 | +-66% |
| 36 | Fuquay Varina | NC | 47,436 | 649.3 | 69.6 | 0.0 | +-76% |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most dangerous city in North Carolina?
Goldsboro, NC has the highest crime rate in North Carolina at 6,940.0 per 100,000 residents in 2024.
What makes a city dangerous?
High crime rates, particularly violent crime, indicate elevated risk. Cities on this list average a violent crime rate of 441 per 100K — 0.9x the national average of 473.
Is the crime rate getting worse?
Crime trends vary by city. Some cities on this list have seen decreasing rates in recent years while others have increased. Visit individual city pages for year-over-year trend data.
See Also
Understanding High Crime Rates
High crime rates often correlate with factors like poverty, unemployment, population density, and policing resources — not a city's inherent character. Many cities on this list have neighborhoods that are quite safe, while others face concentrated challenges in specific areas.
Crime rates also reflect reporting practices: cities with well-funded police departments may report more crimes than those with fewer resources.