What are the most dangerous cities in North Carolina? To get the lowdown on the cities in North Carolina that are the most dangerous with the highest crime rates, we consulted the most recent FBI Uniform Crime Report. Our rankings are based solely on the data publicly released each year by the FBI. A crime is a crime, so we took both violent and property crimes into account when compiling our list of North Carolina’s most dangerous cities.

We realize that this topic is inherently controversial in nature and hits close to home. We are aware that there are many different ways to present this data, but when compiling this list we chose to consider not just murder rate, but both violent and property crimes. Check each city listing to get a general idea of the city’s ranking in terms of just violent criminal offenses.

1. Lumberton, NC: North Carolina’s Most Dangerous City Population: 21,969

Annual Crimes Per 1,000 Residents

Violent Crimes: 20.39 per 1,000 residents

Property Crimes: 148.12 per 1,000 residents

Total Reported Crimes: 168.51 per 1,000 residents Lumberton has a crime rate of about 169 per one thousand residents. Your chance of becoming a victim of a crime in Lumberton? One in 16. Lumberton’s ranking when considering only violent crimes? #1 These statistics make Lumberton the most dangerous city in North Carolina.

2. Kinston, NC Population: 21,836

Annual Crimes Per 1,000 Residents

Violent Crimes: 12.82 per 1,000 residents

Property Crimes: 62.33 per 1,000 residents

Total Reported Crimes: 75.15 per 1,000 residents Kinston has a crime rate of about 75 per one thousand residents. Your chance of becoming a victim of a crime in Kinston? One in 13. Kinston’s ranking when considering only violent crimes? #3

3. Asheboro, NC Population: 25,535

Annual Crimes Per 1,000 Residents

Violent Crimes: 3.02 per 1,000 residents

Property Crimes: 70.41 per 1,000 residents

Total Reported Crimes: 73.43 per 1,000 residents Asheboro has a crime rate of about 73 per one thousand residents. Your chance of becoming a victim of a crime in Asheboro? One in 14. Asheboro’s ranking when considering only violent crimes? #29

4. Hickory, NC Population: 40,361

Annual Crimes Per 1,000 Residents

Violent Crimes: 6.57 per 1,000 residents

Property Crimes: 65.41 per 1,000 residents

Total Reported Crimes: 71.98 per 1,000 residents Hickory has a crime rate of about 72 per one thousand residents. Your chance of becoming a victim of a crime in Hickory? One in 14. Hickory’s ranking when considering only violent crimes? #10

5. Goldsboro, NC Population: 37,107

Annual Crimes Per 1,000 Residents

Violent Crimes: 8.41 per 1,000 residents

Property Crimes: 63.52 per 1,000 residents

Total Reported Crimes: 71.93 per 1,000 residents Goldsboro has a crime rate of about 72 per one thousand residents. Your chance of becoming a victim of a crime in Goldsboro? One in 14. Goldsboro’s ranking when considering only violent crimes? #4

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