North Carolina’s Safest Cities of 2025

See crime rates for the safest cities.

In our latest State of Safety survey, 72% of North Carolina residents say they think crime is increasing—the highest percentage in the nation. However, their personal experiences suggest crime is actually declining throughout the state. Only package theft seems to be on the rise.

Per capita crime rates in North Carolina's 20 safest cities also reflect a downward trend. Several cities reported year-over-year decreases in both property crime and violent crime, and two cities are celebrating this achievement for the second year in a row.

We didn't have enough viable data to calculate statewide crime rates this year, but our eleventh annual State of Safety report offers a peek at crime experiences and concerns across The Tar Heel State.

Four in ten (40%) North Carolina residents feel safe in their state, which is the same as last year. This is the eleventh lowest confidence level in the nation, and all of North Carolina's neighbors feel safer in their states (TN 51%, VA 47%, SC 44%). The US average is 48%. 

Even though North Carolinians reported a decrease in first-hand experiences with property crime, violent crime, and gun violence, they're the most likely in the nation to believe crime is increasing (NC 72%, US 61%). They also report some of the highest levels of worry for these crimes. 

Find safety and security resources in North Carolina.

North Carolina residents in our survey reported fewer personal experiences with property crime compared to the previous year, making them the second least likely to experience a property crime nationwide. However, their worries continue to increase. Package theft experiences and concerns are also on the rise, but it's the least worrisome crime for North Carolinians.

• 17% of North Carolinians said they personally experienced a property crime in the 8 months prior to our survey, down from 24% the year before (US 27%).
• Only residents in Massachusetts were less likely to experience a property crime (16%).
• The percentage of North Carolinians who worry about property crime on a daily basis increased from 43% to 63%, which is the seventh highest percentage in the nation (US 54%).
• 35% said they experienced package theft in the 8 months prior to our survey, up from 29% the year before (US 37%).
• 53% told us they worry about package theft on a daily basis, up from 47% (US 52%).
• North Carolina residents prefer to protect their property with security cameras (47%), firearms (29%), and security systems (28%).

A smaller percentage of North Carolinians reported first-hand experiences with violent crime in this year's survey, but concern about violent crime has risen dramatically in The Tar Heel State. North Carolina residents now express the fourth highest level of concern nationwide. 

• 13% of North Carolinians reported having a personal experience with violent crime in the 8 months prior to our survey, down from 15% the previous year (US 14%).
• The percentage of North Carolina residents who say they worry about violent crime on a daily basis rose from 45% to 70% year over year (US 59%).
• Only residents in Louisiana (71%), Nevada (72%), and California (72%) worry about violent crime more than North Carolinians. 
• 31% of residents in North Carolina report using some form of personal protection (US 35%).
• North Carolina residents prefer to protect themselves with pocket knives (14%), firearms (14%), and pepper spray (10%).

• 10% of survey respondents reported experiencing gun violence in the 8 months prior to the survey, down from 16% the year before (US 11%).
• Concern about gun violence rose from 54% to 65% year over year (US 57%).
• North Carolinians reported the twelfth highest level of concern about gun violence nationwide. 
• There were 15 mass shootings in North Carolina in 2024—down from 33 the year before.

For the purposes of this report, the terms “dangerous” and “safest” refer explicitly to crime rates as calculated from FBI crime data—no other characterization of any community is implied or intended.

• 113 cities met the criteria for ranking this year.
• Every safest city reported 2.0 or fewer violent crimes per 1,000 residents.
• Davidson climbed from #3 to #1 this year.
• Davidson and Fuquay-Varina are the only two cities on this year's list that saw decreases in both property crime and violent crime for two years in a row.
• Rolesville, Waxhaw, Elon, Gibsonville, and Cornelius saw decreases in property crime and violent crime compared to the year before. 
• Davidson, Rolesville, and Black Mountain reported zero murders, rapes, and robberies.
• Whispering Pines reported no motor vehicle thefts for the second year in a row.
• Concord has a population greater than 110,000 people, which makes its low per capita crime rates even more impressive.

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