The 20 Safest Cities in North Carolina—2017

North Carolina is taking a strong stand against sexual assault and rape culture. The North Carolina Coalition Against Sexual Assault has implemented the LIVERESPECT on Campus program, which aims to prevent sexual assault in high schools and colleges across the state. In addition, the organization recently joined with antiviolence group A Call to Men to offer a free two-day conference to help educate and implement the LIVERESPECT initiative.

The twenty cities that made our list this year exemplify the state’s overall commitment to fight sexual assault. Seven of our safest cities reported zero incidents of rape, and only one reported more than three incidents, as of the FBI’s 2015 crime data report.

These cities also report low numbers of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter. In fact, every city on our list boasts a lower violent crime rate than the national average. North Carolina as a whole beats the national violent crime rate, ranking twenty-fourth among all states.

Of North Carolina’s safest cities, 60% did a better job on crime in 2015 than the year before. Twelve of our safest cities moved up the list this year, and Pinehurst, our top city, moved from second place to first. This city helps rally citizens to look out for one another and take pride in their community through the Village of Honor, a program that regularly honors the city’s many active and veteran military residents.

If you’re looking for ways to help make your town safer, civic pride is one way to make a difference. Find other home and neighborhood safety resources and tips in our North Carolina Safety Directory. Learn everything from what to do during a natural disaster to how to prevent crime in your neighborhood—and even get involved in crime prevention activities in your North Carolina city.

How We Chose the Safest Cities in North Carolina

To identify the safest cities in North Carolina, we reviewed the most recent FBI Crime Report statistics from 2015, along with population data. We eliminated all cities with fewer than 4,000 residents as well as any cities that failed to submit a complete crime report to the FBI.

From there, we evaluated the remaining cities. We narrowed it down based on the number of reported violent crimes (aggravated assault, murder, rape, and robbery) and property crimes (burglary, arson, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft) in each city. To further level the playing field, we calculated the likelihood of these crimes occurring out of 1,000 people in each city.

Learn more about how we rank our Safest Cities reports.

1. Pinehurst ↑

Previous Rank: 2

Violent Crime per 1,000: 0.70
Property Crime per 1,000: 5.83

2. Waxhaw ↑

Previous Rank: 5

Violent Crime per 1,000: 0.74
Property Crime per 1,000: 7.72

3. Holly Springs

Previous Rank: 3

Violent Crime per 1,000: 0.57
Property Crime per 1,000: 9.07

4. Trent Woods ↓

Previous Rank: 1

Violent Crime per 1,000: 0.24
Property Crime per 1,000: 10.16

5. Havelock ↑

Previous Rank: 18

Violent Crime per 1,000: 0.24
Property Crime per 1,000: 10.54

6. Stallings ↑

Previous Rank: 9

Violent Crime per 1,000: 0.79
Property Crime per 1,000: 10.49

7. Davidson ↓

Previous Rank: 6

Violent Crime per 1,000: 0.82
Property Crime per 1,000: 10.53

8. Cary

Previous Rank: 8

Violent Crime per 1,000: 0.51
Property Crime per 1,000: 11.87

9. Valdese ↑

Previous Rank: 17

Violent Crime per 1,000: 0.22
Property Crime per 1,000: 12.36

10. Woodfin ↑

Previous Rank: 14

Violent Crime per 1,000: 2.05
Property Crime per 1,000: 10.56

11. Black Mountain ↑

Previous Rank: 12

Violent Crime per 1,000: 0.73
Property Crime per 1,000: 11.92

12. Wendell ↑

Previous Rank: 26

Violent Crime per 1,000: 1.28
Property Crime per 1,000: 12.62

13. Cornelius ↓

Previous Rank: 10

Violent Crime per 1,000: 1.24
Property Crime per 1,000: 13.79

14. Fletcher ↓

Previous Rank: 11

Violent Crime per 1,000: 0.53
Property Crime per 1,000: 15.74

15. Morrisville ↑

Previous Rank: 22

Violent Crime per 1,000: 0.67
Property Crime per 1,000: 16.24

16. Leland ↑

Previous Rank: 23

Violent Crime per 1,000: 1.17
Property Crime per 1,000: 16.11

17. Gibsonville ↓

Previous Rank: 13

Violent Crime per 1,000: 2.66
Property Crime per 1,000: 15.23

18. Huntersville ↑

Previous Rank: 21

Violent Crime per 1,000: 1.38
Property Crime per 1,000: 17.01

19. Mint Hill ↑

Previous Rank: 24

Violent Crime per 1,000: 1.21
Property Crime per 1,000: 17.38

20. Winterville ↓

Previous Rank: 16

Violent Crime per 1,000: 1.88
Property Crime per 1,000: 16.72

Didn’t see your city rank in the top 20?

Check the remaining cities below, and take a look at the most recent FBI crime data here.

21. Rolesville	22. Boone	23. Clayton
24. Wake Forest	25. Cramerton	26. Brevard
27. Mount Holly	28. Bessemer City	29. Carrboro
30. Creedmoor	31. Kannapolis	32. Archdale
33. Newport	34. King	35. Matthews
36. Jacksonville	37. Concord	38. Pittsboro
39. Cherryville	40. Beaufort	41. Butner
42. Kings Mountain	43. Waynesville	44. Burgaw
45. Tarboro	46. Rutherfordton	47. Lexington
48. Farmville	49. Edenton	50. Belmont
51. Southern Pines	52. High Point	53. Carolina Beach
54. New Bern	55. Conover	56. Lincolnton
57. Mebane	58. Garner	59. Greensboro
60. Greenville	61. Newton	62. Graham
63. Burlington	64. Erwin	65. Mocksville
66. Charlotte-Mecklenburg	67. Raeford	68. Aberdeen
69. Shelby	70. Spring Lake	71. Thomasville
72. Wilson	73. Lenoir	74. Mount Airy
75. Albemarle	76. Rocky Mount	77. Durham
78. Morehead City	79. Wallace	80. Mount Olive
81. Hickory	82. Wilmington	83. Salisbury
84. Long View	85. Selma	86. Asheville
87. Clinton	88. Hamlet	89. Siler City
90. Granite Falls	91. Gastonia	92. Hope Mills
93. Roxboro	94. Ahoskie	95. Wadesboro
96. Laurinburg	97. Smithfield	98. Reidsville
99. Washington	100. Zebulon

How safe is your home?

Wherever you live, feeling safe in your home can bring greater peace of mind and happiness. Whether your city made our list or not, we recommend adding extra security to your home with monitored security services provided by the nation’s leading home security providers.

To learn more about the home security options available to you, check out SafeWise’s picks for Best Home Security Systems of 2018 or select the city nearest you in the drop down menu below.

If you would like to contact a SafeWise Safest Cities Analyst, please email safestcities@safewise.com.