You’ll be hard-pressed to find a good dose of Southern hospitality in North Carolina’s most dangerous cities. These cities are more concerned with cleaning up their neighborhoods and fighting crime.
We’re not talking about choosing tomato-based BBQ sauce instead of vinegar, or even worse, not being a Durham Bulls fan.
We are here to tell you where people commit the most crimes in the Tarheel State per capita. Using Saturday Night Science, we compared FBI data for violent and property crimes per capita in North Carolina cities with a population of 5,000. That left 109 cities.
1,677 violent crimes /100k · 9,944 property crimes /100k · #3 most violent in North Carolina
Located in
Robeson County, North Carolina
Lumberton, located in Robeson County, North Carolina, has been ranked as the most dangerous place to live in the state for 2026. This ranking is based on the high rate of violent and property crimes per capita.
Lumberton reported 320 violent crimes, including 10 murder cases, 14 rapes, 57 robberies, and 239 aggravated assaults.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
1,792 violent crimes /100k · 5,801 property crimes /100k · #2 most violent in North Carolina
Located in
Vance County, North Carolina
Welcome to Henderson. The city of 14,791 had 4 murders in 2024, the 11th highest rate statewide.
All forms of violent crime are quite prevalent in Henderson, where residents had a 1 in 55 shot of being the victim of an attack over the year.
Property crime is also all too common in Henderson, so be sure nobody steals your catch after a day out fishing on Kerr Lake.
Henderson is located about 40 miles northeast of Durham.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
1,076 violent crimes /100k · 5,864 property crimes /100k · #4 most violent in North Carolina
Located in
Wayne County, North Carolina
The next stop on our list of North Carolina’s most dangerous places for 2026 takes us to Goldsboro, a city of 33,444 in Wayne County. Goldsboro is no stranger to violence — anyone can visit the Goldsborough Bridge Battlefield, site of a Civil War battle with 15,000 soldiers.
These days, violence is slightly less prevalent, but there were still 360 violent crimes recorded in 2024.
On top of that, Goldsboro averaged more than five property crimes each day in 2024, so you’ll want to keep your doors locked and your eyes peeled for porch pirates here.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
1,894 violent crimes /100k · 5,042 property crimes /100k · #1 most violent in North Carolina
Located in
Scotland County, North Carolina
The Laurinburg Police Department sure has their work cut out for them. Why’s that? Well, residents had a 1 in 52 of finding themselves the victim of a violent crime in 2024, the highest odds in North Carolina.
On top of that, Laurinburg had the second highest burglary rate in the state, with about one happening each and every day, on average. In fact, there were more burglaries than larcenies in Laurinburg, which is extremely rare.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
959 violent crimes /100k · 4,964 property crimes /100k · #9 most violent in North Carolina
Located in
Lenoir County, North Carolina
Kinston was once the center of a thriving economy centered on lumber and cotton mills. Later, other forms of manufacturing entered the area, including pharmaceuticals. Thanks to these forces, the town boomed from the late 19th century into the middle of the 20th, with the population growing from a little more than 1,200 people in 1880 to nearly 25,000 residents in 1960.
Unfortunately, it has been downhill from there. This community in eastern North Carolina now has a population of 19,298, with narrowing economic prospects contributing to a rise in crime. As a result, this has become the number 5 most dangerous spot in the state.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
904 violent crimes /100k · 5,108 property crimes /100k · #12 most violent in North Carolina
Located in
Harnett County, North Carolina
Dunn was once at the center of nationally discussed paddling controversy. In 1981, a local school official punished a student with a spanking. Eventually, this spiraled into a lawsuit and an investigation by the U.S. Senate.
Whatever your opinion of corporal punishment, you might be forced to agree that the youth of current-day Dunn could use a little more disciple. (Although, maybe timeouts and constructive discussions would be more appropriate.) The local residents can get unruly, especially when it comes to property crimes. The town suffers the number 3 worst rate of burglaries in North Carolina.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
960 violent crimes /100k · 3,988 property crimes /100k · #8 most violent in North Carolina
Located in
Rowan County, North Carolina
Salisbury SAULZ-ber-ee is a city in North Carolina and the county seat of Rowan County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 33,663 in the 2010 Census. Salisbury is the home to famed North Carolina soft drink, Cheerwine, regional supermarket Food Lion, and the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. It is one of only two cities in North Carolina to have gigabit capacity through its municipally-owned broadband system Fibrant. A press conference held September 3, 2015 at Catawba College announced Salisbury’s Fibrant system is now capable of 10 gigabit capacity town-wide; believed to be the only town owned system in the world with this capacity.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
724 violent crimes /100k · 8,756 property crimes /100k · #20 most violent in North Carolina
Located in
Mecklenburg County, North Carolina
Located just south of Charlotte, you certainly won’t find Pineville featured on our list of Charlotte’s best suburbs. There’s far too much crime in Pineville for that.
In fact, while Pineville is in the #8 position on this list, it actually had the second highest total crime rate. How’d that happen? Well, having the second highest property crime rate by a huge margin helped.
Residents had a crazy high 1 in 11 chance of having their stuff stolen or damaged by a criminal in 2024. We just hope nobody steals any important historical memorabilia from the James K. Polk State Historic Site.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
1,008 violent crimes /100k · 3,509 property crimes /100k · #7 most violent in North Carolina
Located in
Person County, North Carolina
Located in Person County, North Carolina, the city of Roxboro crime statistics reveal a darker side to this city of 8,235 residents. Roxboro is noted as the ninth most dangerous place in the state, with a high rate of both violent and property crimes.
The city witnessed 83 incidents of violent crimes, ranking it as the seventh highest in the state. The city also recorded 289 cases of property crime.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
765 violent crimes /100k · 3,980 property crimes /100k · #18 most violent in North Carolina
Located in
Nash County, North Carolina
Rocky Mount is a city in Edgecombe and Nash counties in the Atlantic coastal plain region of the U.S. state of North Carolina. Although it was not formally incorporated until February 28, 1907, the North Carolina community that became the city of Rocky Mount dates from the beginning of the 19th century. The first post office in the area opened in 1816. The city’s population was 57,685 at the 2010 census, with an estimated population of 56,325 in 2014. Rocky Mount has received the All-America City Award from the National Civic League two times, in 1969 and 1999.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is North Carolina’s statewide median.
On the map
Where crime hits hardest in North Carolina
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the most dangerous cities in North Carolina for 2026?
Every year the FBI release two crime datasets on cities in North Carolina. First a preliminary dataset limited to the biggest cities in North Carolina, followed by a more detailed release at the end of the year.
For our analysis, we focused on the 2024 data, specifically the 2024 Crime In The United States Report for North Carolina.
So what criteria did we use? Have a look:
- Violent Crimes Per Capita
- Property Crimes Per Capita
In order to make the analysis as apples to apples as possible, we only considered North Carolina cities over 5,000 in population. That left us with 109 cities in North Carolina.
We then ranked each city from 1 to 109 for the two criteria with a #1 ranking being the most dangerous for the particular criteria.
Next, we averaged the two rankings into one “Dangerous Index”.
Finally, we ranked every city on the “Dangerous Index” with the lowest index being the most dangerous in North Carolina — Lumberton. Any ties went to the smaller city.
This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. It is our eleventh time ranking the most dangerous places to live in North Carolina and is updated for 2026.
The full plate
Crime By City In North Carolina
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Dangerous Index | Population | Total Crimes Per 100K | Violent Crimes Per 100K | Property Crimes Per 100K | Murders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lumberton | 2.00 | 19,087 | 11,620 | 1,677 | 9,944 | 10 |
| 2 | Henderson | 3.00 | 14,791 | 7,592 | 1,792 | 5,801 | 4 |
| 3 | Goldsboro | 3.50 | 33,444 | 6,940 | 1,076 | 5,864 | 15 |
| 4 | Laurinburg | 4.00 | 14,994 | 6,936 | 1,894 | 5,042 | 9 |
| 5 | Kinston | 8.50 | 19,298 | 5,923 | 959 | 4,964 | 4 |
| 6 | Dunn | 9.00 | 8,633 | 6,012 | 904 | 5,108 | 3 |
| 7 | Salisbury | 10.00 | 36,564 | 4,947 | 960 | 3,988 | 11 |
| 8 | Pineville | 11.00 | 11,330 | 9,479 | 724 | 8,756 | 0 |
| 9 | Roxboro | 14.50 | 8,235 | 4,517 | 1,008 | 3,509 | 1 |
| 10 | Rocky Mount | 15.50 | 54,223 | 4,745 | 765 | 3,980 | 7 |
| 11 | Asheville | 15.50 | 95,219 | 4,691 | 796 | 3,895 | 12 |
| 12 | Oxford | 16.50 | 9,032 | 4,429 | 841 | 3,587 | 1 |
| 13 | Greensboro | 17.00 | 304,306 | 4,307 | 924 | 3,383 | 43 |
| 14 | Gastonia | 17.50 | 85,112 | 4,364 | 849 | 3,514 | 4 |
| 15 | Forest City | 18.00 | 7,391 | 5,818 | 528 | 5,290 | 0 |
| 16 | Charlotte-Mecklenburg | 18.00 | 1,003,130 | 4,439 | 733 | 3,705 | 109 |
| 17 | Roanoke Rapids | 18.50 | 14,497 | 4,277 | 897 | 3,380 | 1 |
| 18 | Rockingham | 20.50 | 8,786 | 4,450 | 615 | 3,836 | 5 |
| 19 | Durham | 20.50 | 300,208 | 4,419 | 619 | 3,800 | 37 |
| 20 | Burlington | 22.50 | 60,906 | 4,037 | 952 | 3,085 | 4 |
| 21 | Monroe | 25.00 | 38,903 | 3,987 | 653 | 3,334 | 3 |
| 22 | Smithfield | 26.50 | 12,852 | 4,054 | 490 | 3,564 | 1 |
| 23 | Hillsborough | 27.50 | 9,788 | 4,904 | 378 | 4,526 | 2 |
| 24 | Spring Lake | 28.00 | 11,459 | 3,918 | 541 | 3,377 | 0 |
| 25 | Wilmington | 28.00 | 125,101 | 3,998 | 483 | 3,515 | 7 |
| 26 | Fayetteville | 28.00 | 209,945 | 3,755 | 660 | 3,095 | 26 |
| 27 | Clinton | 28.50 | 8,300 | 3,843 | 566 | 3,277 | 1 |
| 28 | Washington | 28.50 | 9,616 | 3,900 | 520 | 3,380 | 4 |
| 29 | Winston-Salem | 28.50 | 254,041 | 3,731 | 810 | 2,921 | 29 |
| 30 | Garner | 30.50 | 36,720 | 4,864 | 357 | 4,507 | 1 |
| 31 | Shelby | 31.00 | 22,028 | 3,477 | 1,044 | 2,433 | 5 |
| 32 | Selma | 31.50 | 7,244 | 3,437 | 1,049 | 2,388 | 0 |
| 33 | Shallotte | 34.00 | 5,548 | 4,524 | 324 | 4,200 | 0 |
| 34 | Tarboro | 34.50 | 10,920 | 3,361 | 668 | 2,692 | 2 |
| 35 | Reidsville | 37.00 | 14,584 | 3,332 | 597 | 2,736 | 0 |
| 36 | Waynesville | 39.50 | 10,813 | 3,311 | 499 | 2,811 | 2 |
| 37 | Lexington | 39.50 | 19,899 | 3,457 | 437 | 3,020 | 3 |
| 38 | Raleigh | 40.00 | 488,085 | 3,308 | 489 | 2,819 | 25 |
| 39 | Greenville | 41.00 | 90,871 | 3,367 | 453 | 2,914 | 9 |
| 40 | Morehead City | 42.50 | 9,960 | 3,434 | 361 | 3,072 | 0 |
| 41 | Kings Mountain | 42.50 | 12,045 | 2,914 | 648 | 2,267 | 2 |
| 42 | Wilson | 42.50 | 47,825 | 2,982 | 579 | 2,403 | 12 |
| 43 | Hickory | 43.50 | 44,682 | 3,232 | 407 | 2,824 | 1 |
| 44 | Belmont | 44.00 | 15,672 | 3,216 | 383 | 2,833 | 0 |
| 45 | Mebane | 45.50 | 20,920 | 3,518 | 306 | 3,212 | 0 |
| 46 | High Point | 45.50 | 117,629 | 2,911 | 455 | 2,456 | 3 |
| 47 | Eden | 46.00 | 15,307 | 2,946 | 412 | 2,535 | 0 |
| 48 | Lenoir | 47.00 | 18,201 | 3,478 | 258 | 3,220 | 0 |
| 49 | Aberdeen | 48.50 | 9,795 | 3,512 | 245 | 3,267 | 0 |
| 50 | Siler City | 50.00 | 8,142 | 2,628 | 479 | 2,149 | 0 |
| 51 | Hendersonville | 50.00 | 15,561 | 3,322 | 263 | 3,059 | 1 |
| 52 | Marion | 50.50 | 7,435 | 3,443 | 242 | 3,201 | 0 |
| 53 | Kernersville | 51.50 | 28,522 | 3,376 | 228 | 3,148 | 2 |
| 54 | Zebulon | 54.50 | 10,356 | 2,781 | 328 | 2,453 | 1 |
| 55 | Newton | 55.50 | 13,479 | 2,307 | 401 | 1,907 | 1 |
| 56 | Southern Pines | 56.00 | 17,092 | 2,399 | 369 | 2,030 | 0 |
| 57 | Elizabeth City | 56.00 | 19,064 | 2,728 | 341 | 2,387 | 3 |
| 58 | Mount Airy | 56.50 | 10,590 | 2,748 | 312 | 2,436 | 1 |
| 59 | Lincolnton | 57.00 | 12,478 | 2,484 | 361 | 2,124 | 0 |
| 60 | Knightdale | 57.00 | 20,557 | 3,118 | 195 | 2,924 | 0 |
| 61 | Thomasville | 57.50 | 27,525 | 2,627 | 331 | 2,296 | 5 |
| 62 | Bessemer City | 58.00 | 5,685 | 1,953 | 457 | 1,495 | 5 |
| 63 | Cherryville | 59.00 | 6,342 | 3,169 | 173 | 2,996 | 2 |
| 64 | Graham | 60.00 | 18,772 | 2,227 | 346 | 1,880 | 3 |
| 65 | New Bern | 61.00 | 32,548 | 1,979 | 363 | 1,616 | 4 |
| 66 | Carolina Beach | 61.50 | 6,917 | 2,183 | 333 | 1,851 | 1 |
| 67 | Matthews | 62.00 | 31,422 | 2,839 | 185 | 2,654 | 0 |
| 68 | Chapel Hill | 65.50 | 63,906 | 2,687 | 172 | 2,515 | 1 |
| 69 | Creedmoor | 66.50 | 5,066 | 1,915 | 316 | 1,599 | 0 |
| 70 | Surf City | 66.50 | 5,120 | 2,070 | 293 | 1,777 | 0 |
| 71 | Mooresville | 67.00 | 54,823 | 2,369 | 217 | 2,152 | 2 |
| 72 | Dallas | 67.50 | 6,225 | 2,072 | 257 | 1,815 | 1 |
| 73 | Boiling Spring Lakes | 71.00 | 6,903 | 1,724 | 290 | 1,434 | 0 |
| 74 | Carrboro | 71.00 | 21,045 | 2,110 | 181 | 1,929 | 1 |
| 75 | Ayden | 72.50 | 5,126 | 1,736 | 254 | 1,483 | 2 |
| 76 | Kill Devil Hills | 74.00 | 7,817 | 1,714 | 217 | 1,497 | 0 |
| 77 | Morrisville | 74.00 | 32,336 | 2,533 | 99 | 2,434 | 1 |
| 78 | Havelock | 74.50 | 16,574 | 1,780 | 205 | 1,575 | 0 |
| 79 | Butner | 75.50 | 8,156 | 1,557 | 245 | 1,312 | 0 |
| 80 | Kannapolis | 76.50 | 60,725 | 1,953 | 168 | 1,785 | 6 |
| 81 | Mount Holly | 81.00 | 18,581 | 1,754 | 108 | 1,647 | 1 |
| 82 | Clayton | 83.50 | 31,494 | 1,451 | 168 | 1,283 | 0 |
| 83 | Huntersville | 83.50 | 65,752 | 1,507 | 143 | 1,364 | 1 |
| 84 | Woodfin | 85.00 | 8,031 | 1,258 | 174 | 1,083 | 0 |
| 85 | Wake Forest | 85.00 | 55,872 | 1,452 | 147 | 1,305 | 2 |
| 86 | Gibsonville | 86.50 | 9,619 | 1,102 | 177 | 925 | 0 |
| 87 | Concord | 87.00 | 111,922 | 1,264 | 159 | 1,105 | 6 |
| 88 | Cramerton | 87.50 | 5,556 | 1,350 | 108 | 1,242 | 0 |
| 89 | Archdale | 90.00 | 12,143 | 1,227 | 107 | 1,120 | 0 |
| 90 | Wendell | 90.00 | 16,281 | 1,210 | 135 | 1,075 | 0 |
| 91 | Fletcher | 90.50 | 8,219 | 1,411 | 73 | 1,338 | 1 |
| 92 | Angier | 91.00 | 7,902 | 987 | 152 | 835 | 0 |
| 93 | Cary | 91.50 | 181,793 | 1,388 | 71 | 1,317 | 3 |
| 94 | King | 92.50 | 7,680 | 1,276 | 78 | 1,198 | 0 |
| 95 | Cornelius | 92.50 | 33,699 | 1,139 | 104 | 1,036 | 1 |
| 96 | Leland | 94.50 | 33,162 | 1,080 | 96 | 983 | 0 |
| 97 | Mint Hill | 95.50 | 28,259 | 934 | 99 | 835 | 0 |
| 98 | Boone | 96.00 | 20,024 | 999 | 90 | 909 | 0 |
| 99 | Black Mountain | 96.50 | 8,564 | 1,238 | 58 | 1,179 | 0 |
| 100 | Winterville | 98.50 | 10,926 | 805 | 82 | 723 | 0 |
Source: FBI UCR 2024. 109 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Locking It All Up In North Carolina
So what is the most dangerous city in North Carolina? After analyzing 109 cities in North Carolina, Lumberton takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in North Carolina based on the most recently reported FBI data — 2024.
The latest FBI crime data shows that Lumberton ranks as the most dangerous city in North Carolina for 2026.
The most dangerous cities in North Carolina are Lumberton, Henderson, Goldsboro, Laurinburg, Kinston, Dunn, Salisbury, Pineville, Roxboro, and Rocky Mount.
We want to point out again that there’s still safes places in Lumberton and that this isn’t a comment on the people that live there. So please don’t beat us up.
Questions and answers
Most Dangerous Places To Live In North Carolina FAQs
Is North Carolina a dangerous state?
Yes, North Carolina is a dangerous state as it ranks as the #17 most dangerous state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in North Carolina ranks 2most dangerous in the United States — 13.39% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Tar Heel State ranks 16th most dangerous in the United States — 13.92% worse than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022.
Is Raleigh, NC a dangerous city?
No, Raleigh is not a dangerous city. Raleigh ranks as the #148 safest out of 328 major cities over 100,000 people in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. Keep in mind that are always safe and dangerous parts of any city, so even though Raleigh might be considered safe you still need to be aware of where you are. For example, Glenwood is the safest in Raleigh, while Central is considered dangerous by many based on recent crime stats.
Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Raleigh ranks 156th highest in America — 9.71% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 188th highest in the United States — 14.44% better than US average property crime rate. Note the latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022 and that no city in America is ‘dangerous’. Despite the uptick in murders, it’s nothing like you’d see in Tijuana or Caracas where the murder rate is 2x any American city.
