All things considered, North Carolina is a relatively big state. With 100 counties and 53,819 square miles, it can be a daunting task to become familiar with every little town. Thankfully, you don’t have to do that. But if you’re thinking of moving any time soon, then you’ll at least want to familiarize yourself with the 10 safest cities in North Carolina. Safewise is a company so obsessed with home security that it analyzes cities all over the country each year based on crime statistics reported to the FBI so it can determine the safest cities in every state. A report from Safewise actually lists the top 87 safest cities in North Carolina. The top 10 are below.
More than half of the cities on this list have a population exceeding 20,000, whereas in other states, most of the top 10 safest cities are very small. Morrisville is no different, with a population of 28,796. All 10 of the cities on the list have one thing in common: in the figures reported to the FBI regarding violent crimes taking place all of the cities have ratings below 1. Morrisville's current rate of violent crimes is 0.4 instances per 1,000 residents. While any sort of violent crime is bad, that's still a respectable statistic. The city's property crime rate is 13.2. You will feel nice and safe in Morrisville, North Carolina.
In 1963, the two towns of Fuquay Springs and Varina merged to create this hyphenated town name. The city's mayor, John Byrne, has held the office since 2001. Byrne's father played for the New York Yankees. Fuquay-Varina's population has spiked under Byrne's tenure from right around 7,900 in the year 2001 to 30,977 in 2021. In spite of the growth, the community retains a nice small-town feel, with loads of green space and parks throughout. Fuquay-Varina is a beautiful town to live in with your family.
With a population of 9,922, Winterville and its small historic district is impressive, with 102 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Speaking of buildings, the town's property crime rate is decently low at 8.7 instances per 1,000 residents (per year). If you are looking for a nice, new place to move, Winterville is an excellent choice.
The third Wake County town (so far) on the list of Top 10 Safest Places To Live In North Carolina is Wendell, with a population of 8,096 residents. It's located 20 miles due east of Raleigh, so living here is like having the best of both worlds with a small town and a big city both at your fingertips at all times. Wendell's violent crime rate sits at 0.7 instances per 1,000 residents (per year), a respectable figure. If you like being close to the city but away from the fray, then you will really like living in Wendell, North Carolina.
The seventh-largest city in the state is ranked number six among the safest places to live in the Tar Heel State. It's also a Wake County location, making four of the bottom five located in Wake County. Cary's violent crime rate is 0.7 and property crime rate dips below double digits to a solid 9. The statistics in Cary, North Carolina are truly impressive.
Home to the liberal arts college of the same name, Davidson has a population of 13,193 which no doubt enjoys its close proximity to Charlotte (about 20 miles away). Another thing Davidson enjoys is the top spot for earnings on this list of Top 10. The median annual household income for Davidson is $128,255. Property crimes here rate a 9.2; while violent crimes occur at a rate of 0.6 instances per 1,000 residents per year. People who are lucky enough to live in Davidson, North Carolina can consider themselves lucky indeed!
North Carolina has some pretty large cities on this list. The population of Wake Forest is 46,145, much larger than the average small towns featured in other states. In spite of its size, Wake Forest retains a relatively small violent crime rate of 0.5 instances per 1,000 residents per year. These statistics make it one of the best safe cities in North Carolina. That's certainly commendable! We are considerably impressed with the lovely town of Wake Forest, North Carolina.
The Village of Pinehurst has a year-round population of 16,522 which, no doubt, enjoys the easy access to the resort found here. Pinehurst Resort was established in 1895, the Village of Pinehurst was established in 1980. The violent crime rate here is 0.7 and the property crime rate is 6.8. Now those are some amazing statistics for the town of Pinehurst, North Carolina!
Part of the Burlington MSA, Elon has a population of 12,214. The town is home to Elon University, ranked #88 in the country in 2021 by U.S. News and World Report for the Best Universities in the U.S. As far as crime goes, Elon earns an impressively low violent crime rate of 0.7 instances per 1,000 residents per year. Property crimes are equally low, at 6.7. If you're interested in a vibrant town with plenty to recommend it, check out Elon, North Carolina.
And the number one safest city to live in North Carolina is Holly Springs! Wake County seems to have something in the water, making it an extra safe place to live, as Holly Springs is the fifth city on this list of 10 that is located, at least in part, in Wake County. The southwest quadrant of Raleigh seems to be extra safe as well, as Holly Springs in located just seven miles up the road from another city on this list: Fuquay-Varina. In terms of crimes, Holly Springs has the lowest crime rate in North Carolina for property crimes (6.6) and it has the third lowest violent crime rate (0.6). Congratulations to Holly Springs, North Carolina!
If you were wondering “what are the safest cities in North Carolina?” then now you know! Did your city make the cut? Have you heard of all of these cities before today? And lastly, were you surprised at some of the larger cities that made this list? Sound off in the comments section! We found the fact that big cities made this list to be particularly impressive, given that large cities sometimes can develop reputations for more crime than small towns. We are happy to report that North Carolina keeps so many of its towns of all sizes nice and safe for its residents and visitors.
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