North Carolina is popular for its geographical and topographical diversity which makes it one of the most traveled states in the US. However, along with the most exciting locations, NC has some dangerous cities that should be avoided by a traveler.
But which are the most dangerous cities in North Carolina? In this article, we are going to discuss the worst cities to live in North Carolina in 2024 whether you are a traveler or thinking of staying here for long. These worst cities are categorized based on safety, pollution, crime rates, climatic conditions, political instability, etc.
Worst Cities to Live in North Carolina
There are a few worst places to live in NC based on the crime rates and safety issues. However, we are listing the top 7 places that you must avoid visiting or must take the highest possible precaution. Let’s begin one by one –
1. Lumberton
Lumberton is one of the most unsafe places in North Carolina. It is a large city in Robeson County with a population of 18, 841 as of 2022. Lumberton is famously known for North Carolina’s first certified retirement community and art gallery yet something serious here when it comes to living peacefully.
When we compare the violent crime rate per 1000 residents, the crime points is 23.67 while the average of North Carolina is 4.05. Also, the national average for this crime rate is 4 points. So, it can be analyzed how dangerous can be Lumberton. In simple words, Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Violent Crime is 1 in 42 in Lumberton which is 1 in 247 in NC.
Note – This data is taken from the Neighborhood Scout website. Read more details below on the methodology and how we collected the data.
2. Wadesboro
A town in NC, it is another worst city to live in North Carolina in 2024. Wadesboro is a small town with a population of 4966 according to 2022 data. Historic town in NC with a high combined violent crime and high property crime rate.
In the crime index, Wadesboro scores 0 out of 100 (safer than the 0% of US cities). When compared to the USA in terms of violent crime, Wadesboro rated with 26.58 points which is way higher than 4.05 which is for North Carolina.
Safety Score – 0/100
Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Violent Crime – 1 in 38
Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Property Crime – 1 in 13
3. Albemarle
Albemarle is a city and town in North Carolina with a population of 16,766, according to the 2022 census. It is one of the worst cities to live in North Carolina with the highest crime rate among large cities.
However, the violent crime rate is less prevalent here which is 1 in 171 with 5.85 points which is comparatively lesser. But the property crime rate is higher in Albemarle is 1 in 28 which is higher than the national average and North Carolina.
Safety Score – 5/100
Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Violent Crime – 1 in 171
Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Property Crime – 1 in 28
Read More: Top 10 Cheap Places to Visit in America
4. Kinston
Kinston is not a dangerous city in North Carolina but one of the poorest city of NC. Apart from that, this city is full of crime, a very low employment rate, high safety concerns, and a high property crime rate. It has a comparatively lower violent crime rate of 7.07 when compared to North Carolina’s average of 4.05.
However, there are 137 violent, 627 property, and a total of 764 crimes annually which makes 39.45 per 1,000 residents.
Safety Score – 5/100
Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Violent Crime – 1 in 141
Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Property Crime – 1 in 31
Â
5. Henderson
Commonly known for its thriving economy and excellent infrastructure, it is one of the worst places to live in North Carolina. Henderson is often referred to as the murder city of North Carolina with a total crime rate of 22.22 per 1000 residents.
Also, it has a total of 1002 violent crimes 1002 and property crimes of 6,396 which make a total of 7,363 crimes annually. However, we primarily do not rank Henderson as a crime city as it ranks below the national average of 4.54 with a crime rate of 3.02.
Safety Score – 19/100
Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Violent Crime – 1 in 331
Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Property Crime – 1 in 52
6. Reidsville
Reidsville is a metropolitan city with a total population of 14,566 and one of the worst cities to live in North Carolina. It has a higher crime rate of 47.92 per 1000 residents which alone consists of 555 property crimes. When we compare Reidsville with North Carolina (4.05) and the national average (4.0), this number lies at 9.82.
If you are thinking of living here, you might need to reconsider as property crime is way higher (approximately twice) than the North Carolina average. Also, its overall safety score is quite low as you can see below.
Safety Score – 3/100
Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Violent Crime – 1 in 102
Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Property Crime – 1 in 26
Read More:Â USA Solo Travel for Women: 30+ Best Cities
7. Fayetteville
Fayetteville comes at the #7 number in our list of the most dangerous cities in North Carolina. Primarily known for its rich history and strong military presence (among the largest military installations in the world), it is tarnished due to a high crime rate. The crime rate of Fayetteville is more than twice that of North Carolina when it comes to violent crime which is almost the same for property crime.
Safety Score – 4/100
Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Violent Crime – 1 in 102
Chances of Becoming a Victim of a Property Crime – 1 in 29
Methodology for Listing the Cities
We have taken utmost precaution while preparing this list of the worst places in North Carolina. Our primary source is Neighborhood Scout which provides comprehensive local data with the help of law enforcement agencies. Read more about how the primary data is collected. Instead of relying on a single source, we precisely verified all data from the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program, led by the FBI in over 18,000 cities.
Conclusion
Despite prominent tourist spot, North Carolina has many places that must avoid living in or traveling due to their high crime rates. We have discussed the top 7 worst cities to live in North Carolina, however, if you are still willing to travel to such locations, we recommend taking utmost safety precautions. For any further assistance, HerzenSpace is always here to help you, stay connected.
