North Carolina is an absolutely lovely state with a whole host of wonderful cities. There is also a wide variety of small towns in North Carolina. While it’s wonderful to share all the amazing places in this state, it doesn’t hurt to know which towns to be extra careful in. Several websites make claims as to what the most dangerous cities in North Carolina are. To get the bigger picture, we looked up the most recent actual FBI statistics, which were from 2018, and here’s what we found to be reported for each locale on the targeted list of the most dangerous cities in North Carolina:

1. Whiteville
Whiteville, NC 28472, USA
Wikipedia/gerrydincher
One of the smallest cities to make the list, Whiteville's population was reported as 5,401. In terms of violent crime, a person in this small city has a 1 in 96 chance of being a victim. The city reported 56 violent crimes to the FBI, including murder, robbery, and aggravated assault. At the same time, the city declared 471 incidents of non-violent crime that included property crimes, burglaries, larceny thefts, stolen vehicles, and even five cases of arson. Those in Whiteville have a 1 in 11.46 chance of experiencing a non-violent crime, placing it at the top of the list of dangerous towns in North Carolina.

Take a deeper look into the issues in Whiteville:

2. Henderson
Henderson, NC, USA
Eric Moore/Google
Henderson's population was reported as 14,780. Violent crimes racked up to a total of 268 in this, the county seat of Vance County, North Carolina. That means 1 in 55 here was subject to a violent crime during the reporting period. However, in terms of non-violent crime, things get a little dicey: 804 non-violent crimes were reported, stepping up the probability of becoming a target to 1 in every 18.38 people. No wonder it's considered one of the most dangerous towns in North Carolina.
3. Kinston
Kinston, NC, USA
Rashad Watters/Google
Over in eastern North Carolina, Kinston ranks high as one of the most dangerous places in North Carolina. In the FBI's statistics for non-violent crimes per capita. 1,305 were reported, making the chances of becoming a target yourself a shocking 1 in 15.58. For violent crimes during the same period, Kinston reported 226, including aggravated assault, robbery, and murder or manslaughter.

Ride along on a drive through Kinston:

4. Albemarle
Albemarle, NC, USA
Wikipedia/Kenneth C. Zirkel
In the Piedmont, the city of Albemarle scored especially high for non-violent crimes. The total reported was 853 for a total population of 15,991. Folks in Albemarle were subject to a potential non-violent crime at the rate of 1 in every 18.74 residents. Violent crimes (murder and manslaughter, robbery, and aggravated assault) were recorded as happening much less, however, with 119 reported during the year — at a rate of 1 incident per 134 residents.
5. Reidsville
Reidsville, NC 27320, USA
Wikimedia Commons/indy beetle
Over in Rockingham County, the City of Reidsville falls into place at number five on the list of most dangerous places in the Tar Heel State. Based on the FBI's figures, Reidsville's population of 13,774 experienced 693 non-violent crime incidents, five cases of arson, and 104 violent crimes.

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6. Oxford
Oxford, NC 27565, USA
Flickr/Jimmy Emerson, DVM
The population in Oxford was reported to the FBI as 8,793. In that same year, violent crimes (murder, manslaughter, robbery, aggravated assault) totaled 68 incidents — while non-violent crimes racked up 411 reports, including property crimes like burglary, larceny, theft, and stolen vehicles. The chance of becoming a victim of a non-violent crime was 1 in 21.39 persons, while the chance of becoming a victim of a violent crime was 1 in 129.
7. Siler City
Siler City, NC 27344, USA
Wikimedia Commons/Siler City Town Bored
Over in the Triangle, the Greensboro suburb of Siler City falls into this list at number seven. The city reported 55 violent crimes for its population of 8,225. Likewise, the non-violent crime rate was one incident per 22.2 persons for a total of 369 non-violent crimes reported during the same period. Additionally, one case of arson went on the record.
8. Rockingham
Rockingham, NC 28379, USA
Alex Maldonado/Google
Rockingham, population 8,754, saw a large number of non-violent crimes, stacking up to a 1 in 14.54 chance of becoming a victim yourself. The total number of non-violent crimes totaled 602 and an additional three cases of arson were recorded. In terms of violent crimes, Rockingham fared much better, with only 51 reported, which computes to one violent crime per 174.1 residents.

Take a drive through Rockingham:

9. Gastonia
Gastonia, NC, USA
Eric Moore/Google
Approximately 100 miles to the east of Rockingham, Gastonia fared about the same in terms of figures for violent and non-violent crimes. With a population of 77,316, it's also the largest of the cities on this list. The city experienced a whopping 3,839 non-violent crimes and most were categorized as larceny-theft (2,919) — but overall, the chances of becoming a victim yourself in Gastonia were 1 in 20. For violent crimes, the city reported 525 of those, bringing the probability of becoming a violent crime victim to 1 in 147.2.
10. Salisbury
Salisbury, NC, USA
Sevor Klu/Google
Rounding out this list of dangerous places in North Carolina is Salisbury. With a population of 33,901, there were 236 violent crimes reported. This would include murder and manslaughter, robbery, and aggravated assault. Non-violent crimes in the same period stacked up to a whopping 1,579 cases that included property crime, larceny-theft, and stolen vehicles. An additional five cases of arson were added to the books for the same year. In 2018, your chance of becoming a victim of either a violent or a non-violent crime was 1 in 18.67.

While numbers may tell one side of the story and give a paper representation of what life may be like in terms of crime in these cities, it is also true that each and every one of the cities on this list also has many worthwhile qualities making them wonderful places to live in or visit. Did your city make the list of the most dangerous cities in North Carolina, or do you think your city should replace one of the cities on the list? We’d love to know your opinion, so feel free to join the conversation in the comments. For a nice change of pace, go on a road trip to take a look at some of the most quaint North Carolina small towns.

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More to Explore

Cities And Towns In North Carolina

Danielle Schwartz | March 08, 2022

What are the most charming small towns in North Carolina?

The most charming towns in North Carlina include:

Bryson City is one of the most charming towns in North Carolina. It's right at the entry to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, so you'll love it if you're a nature fan. You can even take a sweet train ride through the park with the Smoky Mountains Railroad, giving it that old-fashioned feel that the whole family will love. There are museums for history buffs and Tuckasegee River has fun white-water rafting for adventurers!

What is the safest place to live in North Carolina?

The safest place to live in North Carolina is:

With so much talk about dangerous cities in the state, it’s good to know that there are plenty of safe options as well! Rolesville is the safest city in North Carolina. Crime Grade reports the crime rate is just 14.20 per 1,000 residents per year. In the Northeast area, known to be the safest part of the city, your chance of being a victim of a crime is only 1 in 84. In terms of violent crimes, Rolesville is 86% lower than the national average, so you can rest easy if you live in this peaceful town.

What is the richest city in North Carolina?

The richest city in North Carolina is:

Weddington is the richest city in North Carolina, with a median income of $136,891. A suburban setting provides this city of about 9,500 residents with a beautiful backdrop for their upscale neighborhoods. Just 15 miles southeast of Charlotte, its location is great for those who want to be close to a bigger city, but enjoy the quieter lifestyle that suburbia provides. It's also the perfect town for families with kids, with over 46% of households with children under 18, and over 89% of households with married couples. If you’re looking for a nice place to move your family where you’ll be sure to find friends for the kids as well as the adults, Weddington is a good choice.

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