So, you are thinking of moving to the Tar Heel state. With an area you might not know, you probably have a lot of questions about what type of environment you are going to be living in.
You may ask what the condition of the houses are, how expensive are the houses, how far it is from other areas, how are schools rated, and what there is to do?
But the most important question will be the following: Is the city you are living in safe?
What are the safest cities in North Carolina? Read on to find out.
The Safest Cities in North Carolina
Before we take a look at where your potential city came in on this list, one disclaimer to note is that only cities with a population of over 50,000 people were considered for this list.
With that out of the way, let’s get on to the list.
10. High Point
Adjacent to Greensboro and Winston-Salem in the northern half of the state, High Point is the city with the population threshold requirements that just cracks the Top 10 of this list.
The city has 113,000 people in it and has a violent crime rate of 7.3 and a property crime rate of 32.9. It does not have the best numbers to brag about, but it’s better than at least seven cities that failed to qualify.
9. Wilmington
Located in the southeast region of the state right along the Atlantic Ocean, Wilmington lands at #9 on this list.
With a population of right around 125,000 people, Wilmington has a violent crime rate of 6.1 and a property crime rate of 28.8.
8. Greenville
Located in the middle of the northeast region of the state, Greenville lands at #8.
Greenville has a population of around 94,000 people and has a violent crime rate of 4.6 and a property crime rate of 30.1.
7. Kannapolis
This was a city that almost did not even make this list. Granted, it was not because of their crime statistics but because they barely met the population threshold requirements at just over 50,000 people.
Kannapolis has a violent crime rate of 2.6 and a property crime rate of 22.8.
6. Raleigh
This one may surprise people. Home of the Carolina Hurricanes in the northern half of the state, Raleigh lands just outside the Top 5 cities on this list.
Raleigh has the second largest population in the state at around 477,000 and it is the largest populated city on this list (sorry Charlotte). But, it is surprisingly one of the state’s safer cities.
The city’s violent crime rate is 2.6 and the property crime rate is 17.8.
So, with two of the biggest cities in the state out of the equation, what fills the Top 5?
5. Huntersville
Located just outside the city limits of Charlotte by Lake Norman, Huntersville cracks the Top 5. Like Kannapolis, Huntersville also did not meet the population threshold by much, with just 58,000 people.
The city has a violent crime rate of 1.4 and a property crime rate of 16.2.
4. Concord
This city shares a lot of similarities with the one it just squeaked ahead on this list. Like Huntersville, Concord is also located just outside of Charlotte, only it is northeast of the city rather than northwest.
Concord has a population of around 96,000 people with a violent crime rate of 1.2 and a property crime rate of 16.5.
3. Chapel Hill
College basketball fans should know the name of this city all too well. Home to the University of North Carolina, aka the Tar Heels, Chapel Hill lands at #3 on this list.
The city has a population of about 61,000 people with a violent crime rate of .9 and a property crime rate of 15.1.
2. Apex
Our #2 city is only 23 miles from Chapel Hill and 15 miles from Raleigh. It is also right next to the number one city on this list.
Apex has a population of around 56,000 people with a violent crime rate of .9 and a property crime rate of 9.4.
1. Cary
As stated above, the #1 city on this list is actually right next to Apex. In fact, the two cities border each other.
Cary has a surprisingly large population to top a list like this at about 172,000 people. In fact, Raleigh is the only city in the Top 10 with a larger population than Cary.
Yet, the city has a violent crime rate of just .7 and a property crime rate of 9.
One important factor that may be relevant here is that Cary and Apex are the only two cities in the Top 5 of this list that have a median income of over $100,000. They are also two of the Top 5 highest household income cities in the state.
What About Charlotte?
Charlotte is the largest populated city in North Carolina so it is hard to ignore. However, Charlotte does have a violent crime problem, having almost double the rate than the national average.
Yet, border cities like Kannapolis, Huntersville, and Concord all easily made this list of the safest cities. For the record, Charlotte placed 13th of the North Carolina cities eligible by population.
Is Charlotte, NC safe? It appears that its neighbors are, but not necessarily the city itself.
In a city more known for crime than others in the state, some people that live there may end up asking questions like these if they get caught up on the wrong side of things.
Be Prepared for the Worst
If you do not live in one of the safest cities in North Carolina, there is a higher chance you could potentially either be a victim of a crime or even commit a crime yourself.
For the worst-case scenario of getting arrested and thrown in jail for a potential crime, contact us if you ever find yourself needing money to get bailed out of a Charlotte jail with our 24-hour bail services.
Bail bonds have a premium rate of up to 15%.
