Is Raleigh, NC Safe? 2026 Crime Rates & Safety Report
Key facts
- 01
Raleigh, North Carolina reported 334.35 motor vehicle theft offenses per 100,000 residents in 2025, 1.73 times the national reference of 193.00 per 100,000 and 141.35 per 100,000 above that reference, with 1,574 annual reported offenses (FBI CDE 2025 profile).
- 02
Raleigh, North Carolina reported 324.15 burglary offenses per 100,000 residents in 2025, 1.72 times the national reference of 188.15 per 100,000 and 136.00 per 100,000 above that reference, with 1,526 annual reported offenses (FBI CDE 2025 profile).
- 03
Raleigh, North Carolina reported 80.51 robbery offenses per 100,000 residents in 2025, 1.67 times the national reference of 48.24 per 100,000 and 32.27 per 100,000 above that reference, with 379 annual reported offenses (FBI CDE 2025 profile).
- 04
Raleigh, North Carolina reported 1,821.09 larceny-theft offenses per 100,000 residents in 2025, 1.65 times the national reference of 1,106.97 per 100,000 and 714.12 per 100,000 above that reference, with 8,573 annual reported offenses (FBI CDE 2025 profile).
- 05
Raleigh, North Carolina reported 300.58 aggravated assault offenses per 100,000 residents in 2025, 1.31 times the national reference of 229.56 per 100,000 and 71.02 per 100,000 above that reference, with 1,415 annual reported offenses (FBI CDE 2025 profile).
Quick answer
In the Safety Atlas 2026 public safety index, Raleigh, NC has an adjusted safety score of 33.91 out of 100. It ranks #1 in this comparison set out of the 6 jurisdictions in the current scored comparison set in North Carolina. Its overall crime trajectory is currently classified as decreasing. Separately, Raleigh Police reported 4 homicides in Q1 2026 versus 11 in Q1 2025 (−64%), with robberies and aggravated assaults up slightly; a July 2026 SmartAsset study ranked Raleigh the 15th-safest large US city and the safest big city in North Carolina, independent releases outside this profile’s 2025 FBI source year.
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2026 edition, FBI source year 2025.
Raleigh in 7 numbers
- Motor vehicle theft fell by a third. 1,574 reports in 2025 vs 2,357 in 2024 (−33%), the largest year-over-year move of any indicator offense.
- Almost half of all reports are property crime. 15,044 of 30,981 reports (48.6%); larceny-theft alone is 8,573 (27.7%).
- Clearances skew toward violent crime. 84% of homicides cleared vs 3.6% of motor vehicle thefts and 8.3% of larcenies (2025, reports cleared ÷ reports received).
- Burglary moved the other way. Up 12% (1,526 vs 1,363), with August (227) running 2.7× June (85).
- Robbery is volatile but down. Monthly counts swung 2.8× (May 50 vs Feb 18); the year finished 11% below 2024.
- The biggest volume isn’t violent. Simple assault (6,010) and drug/narcotic violations (3,518) dwarf the whole personal-safety total (2,047, 6.6% of reports).
- Small months, big bars. December’s 26 robberies vs May’s 50 is a gap of 24 reports, monthly charts amplify small-number swings. Read the 12-month direction, not one bar.
Takeaways are computed from FBI CDE reported counts (source year 2025, NC0920100). They describe reported data, not forecasts; check the methodology and coverage notes before reuse.
Every number on this page ships in the North Carolina workbook.
Key Public Safety Indicators
Reported rates per 100,000 residents; national references shown alongside.
| Offense Class | Annual Count | Rate per 100K | National Avg | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robbery | 379 | 80.51 | 48.24 |
1.67× national |
| Aggravated Assault | 1415 | 300.58 | 229.56 |
1.31× national |
| Burglary | 1526 | 324.15 | 188.15 |
1.72× national |
| Larceny-theft | 8573 | 1821.09 | 1106.97 |
1.65× national |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 1574 | 334.35 | 193.0 |
1.73× national |
Data, definitions and reuse
Violent: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault. Property: burglary, larceny, vehicle theft, arson. Subcategories are excluded to avoid double counting. Counts are offenses reported to police in this jurisdiction, not rates, neighborhood scores or a census of all crime.
| Month | Violent | Property |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 128 | 1090 |
| Feb | 125 | 851 |
| Mar | 190 | 966 |
| Apr | 162 | 931 |
| May | 204 | 1131 |
| Jun | 195 | 1017 |
| Jul | 174 | 1047 |
| Aug | 188 | 1151 |
| Sep | 151 | 884 |
| Oct | 210 | 906 |
| Nov | 157 | 930 |
| Dec | 115 | 811 |
Reuse under CC BY 4.0; indicate changes. The downloaded image carries our name, licence and source in its metadata. Embed code:
<img src="https://www.safetyatlas.us/img/charts/raleigh-nc-crime-trend-2025.webp" alt="Chart of Raleigh, NC crime statistics: Raleigh reported 1,999 violent offenses in 2025, 16.7% fewer than in 2024. Shows annual violent offense bars in a dark theme." width="1200" height="675" loading="lazy" style="max-width:100%;height:auto">
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.safetyatlas.us/safety/nc/raleigh">Safety Atlas, Raleigh, NC</a>. <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY 4.0</a>.</p>
Raleigh monthly trend: reported counts through December 2025
Annual totals hide timing. The bars below show 2025 reported counts per month for the three highest-relative indicator offenses; each table carries the same numbers with FBI pre-computed rates. The full 19-offense monthly series (2020-2025) is downloadable below.
Motor Vehicle Theft, month by month
↓ Decreasing, 1574 reports vs 2357 in 2024 (down 33% in reported data).
| Month | Count | Rate per 100K | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2025 | 172 | 33.81 | Full |
| Feb 2025 | 146 | 28.7 | Full |
| Mar 2025 | 147 | 28.9 | Full |
| Apr 2025 | 134 | 26.34 | Full |
| May 2025 | 128 | 25.16 | Full |
| Jun 2025 | 140 | 27.52 | Full |
| Jul 2025 | 132 | 25.95 | Full |
| Aug 2025 | 145 | 28.5 | Full |
| Sep 2025 | 118 | 23.2 | Full |
| Oct 2025 | 107 | 21.03 | Full |
| Nov 2025 | 92 | 18.08 | Full |
| Dec 2025 | 113 | 22.21 | Full |
Burglary, month by month
↑ Increasing, 1526 reports vs 1363 in 2024 (up 12% in reported data).
| Month | Count | Rate per 100K | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2025 | 171 | 33.61 | Full |
| Feb 2025 | 101 | 19.85 | Full |
| Mar 2025 | 89 | 17.49 | Full |
| Apr 2025 | 91 | 17.89 | Full |
| May 2025 | 140 | 27.52 | Full |
| Jun 2025 | 85 | 16.71 | Full |
| Jul 2025 | 124 | 24.37 | Full |
| Aug 2025 | 227 | 44.62 | Full |
| Sep 2025 | 98 | 19.26 | Full |
| Oct 2025 | 140 | 27.52 | Full |
| Nov 2025 | 165 | 32.43 | Full |
| Dec 2025 | 95 | 18.67 | Full |
Robbery, month by month
↓ Decreasing, 379 reports vs 425 in 2024 (down 11% in reported data).
| Month | Count | Rate per 100K | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2025 | 33 | 6.49 | Full |
| Feb 2025 | 18 | 3.54 | Full |
| Mar 2025 | 25 | 4.91 | Full |
| Apr 2025 | 40 | 7.86 | Full |
| May 2025 | 50 | 9.83 | Full |
| Jun 2025 | 29 | 5.7 | Full |
| Jul 2025 | 21 | 4.13 | Full |
| Aug 2025 | 41 | 8.06 | Full |
| Sep 2025 | 31 | 6.09 | Full |
| Oct 2025 | 37 | 7.27 | Full |
| Nov 2025 | 28 | 5.5 | Full |
| Dec 2025 | 26 | 5.11 | Full |
Clearances: what got cleared in 2025
84% of homicides cleared vs 4% of motor vehicle thefts, clearance follows violent crime, not volume.
| Offense | Reported | Cleared | Clearance rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homicide | 25 | 21 | 84.0% |
| Aggravated Assault | 1,415 | 338 | 23.9% |
| Robbery | 379 | 84 | 22.2% |
| Burglary | 1,526 | 169 | 11.1% |
| Larceny-theft | 8,573 | 709 | 8.3% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 1,574 | 56 | 3.6% |
Clearances ÷ reports received; clearances may concern earlier reports, so this is not a solve rate.
Monthly counts and FBI pre-computed rates per 100,000, FBI CDE source year 2025, NC0920100. Rates use FBI month-specific covered-population denominators and are shown as published, not recomputed. A hyphen (-) means not reported, not zero. Annual totals equal the sum of shown months within ±2% (see manifest).
Downloads: Raleigh monthly series (JSON) · same data (CSV) · build manifest
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What drives Raleigh's safety score?
Raleigh ranks in the top quarter of the 6 jurisdictions in the current scored comparison set in North Carolina, ahead of approximately 83% of that scored set. The profile uses a reporting population of 470,763 and source-year data through 2025; it is a citywide agency-level comparison, not a neighborhood forecast.
The strongest of the three score components is Personal Safety at 50.42, while Property Security is lowest at 16.33. The 34.09-point spread shows why the composite should be read by component instead of as a single absolute claim about safety.
Among the five public offense indicators, Motor Vehicle Theft is highest relative to its national reference at 334.35 per 100,000 (1.73× the national rate). Aggravated Assault is lowest on the same relative basis at 300.58 per 100,000 (1.31× national).
Coverage check: 18 of 18 tracked offense classes have reportable values in this profile. Missing values are not converted to zero.
Public indicator mix
Raleigh, North Carolina recorded 8,573 larceny-theft offenses in 2025, 63.7% of the 13,467 reports across its five public indicators, compared with 379 robbery reports (2.8%); this share covers only those five indicators, excluding other offense classes.
Raleigh, North Carolina recorded 1,574 motor vehicle theft offenses in 2025, 11.7% of the 13,467 reports across its five public indicators, compared with 379 robbery reports (2.8%); this share covers only those five indicators, excluding other offense classes.
Raleigh, North Carolina recorded 1,526 burglary offenses in 2025, 11.3% of the 13,467 reports across its five public indicators, compared with 379 robbery reports (2.8%); this share covers only those five indicators, excluding other offense classes.
Raleigh, North Carolina uses a reporting population of 470,763 residents and has values for 18 of the 18 tracked offense classes (100.0%) in its 2025 profile; coverage describes available classes rather than the share of residents reporting crime.
Raleigh, North Carolina has an adjusted score of 33.91 points out of 100 versus 28.57 in Durham, North Carolina, a difference of 5.34 points above that displayed state peer in the 2025 source-year profile; Raleigh ranks 1 of 6 scored jurisdictions in the published state comparison set.
Raleigh, North Carolina has an adjusted score of 33.91 points out of 100 versus 23.34 in Fayetteville, North Carolina, a difference of 10.57 points above that displayed state peer in the 2025 source-year profile; Raleigh ranks 1 of 6 scored jurisdictions in the published state comparison set.
Detailed Crime Class Breakdown
Additional tracked offense classes
- Homicide
- Rape
- Kidnapping/Abduction
- Human Trafficking
- Arson
- Theft From Building
- Theft From Motor Vehicle
- Simple Assault
- Intimidation
- Stolen Property Offenses
- Vandalism
- Weapon Law Violations
- Drug/Narcotic Violations
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Raleigh safe compared to other places in North Carolina?
Raleigh is classified as having low relative safety in the 2026 Safety Atlas Index. It has an adjusted safety score of 33.91 out of 100 and ranks #1 in this comparison set out of the 6 jurisdictions in the current scored comparison set in North Carolina.
What is the crime rate in Raleigh?
Public offense rates are listed above.
What is Raleigh's safety rating?
Raleigh's safety rating in the 2026 Safety Atlas Index is 33.91 out of 100, which ranks #1 in this comparison set out of the 6 jurisdictions in the current scored comparison set in North Carolina. Its overall crime trajectory is currently classified as decreasing, using source-year data through 2025.
What is the safest neighborhood in Raleigh?
This profile covers the reporting jurisdiction; consult local sources for neighborhood detail.
Is Raleigh safer than Charlotte?
Yes. On the 2026 Safety Atlas comparison using FBI source-year 2025 data, Raleigh scores 33.91 (#1 of the 6 scored North Carolina jurisdictions) and Charlotte scores 17.84 (#5 of 6). Both show decreasing displayed trajectories, and a July 2026 SmartAsset study independently ranked Raleigh the safest big city in North Carolina.
Why are some crime statistics locked for Raleigh?
Full offense series: state workbook.
How fresh is the monthly crime data on this page?
Monthly figures track FBI CDE source year 2025, the same vintage as the annual table above. A new FBI release typically lags several months; the caption stamps the source year and export date. Values can revise when the FBI re-publishes. Full monthly series for Raleigh are downloadable as JSON and CSV.
Why does the monthly chart move so much?
Monthly counts are small numbers, a difference of a few reports swings the bar. Reporting practice, staffing, and seasonal patterns all move single months. Read the 12-month direction in the trajectory line, not one bar. This profile measures the reporting jurisdiction only; it cannot rank neighborhoods within Raleigh.
What does the clearance rate on this page mean?
It divides 2025 reports cleared by 2025 reports received for that offense, including clearances of earlier reports, so it is a workload snapshot, not a guarantee a given case is solved. In Raleigh, violent offenses clear at far higher rates than property offenses (homicide 84%, motor vehicle theft 3.6%). Monthly clearance detail is not published yet.
Reading notes
North Carolina safety directory
Raleigh 2026 trend check: what the newest local releases say
Raleigh Police reported 4 homicides in Q1 2026 versus 11 in Q1 2025 (−64%), with non-fatal shootings down slightly (17 versus 19) and robberies and aggravated assaults up modestly, robberies 85 versus 81, assaults 1,855 versus 1,734. Total violent crime was down about 1% in Q2 2026 year over year. These are attributed local figures for 2026, not FBI-cohort comparisons; this profile’s scored comparison uses FBI source-year 2025 data, on which Raleigh scores 33.91 (#1 of 6).
The national frame agrees on Raleigh’s relative position: a July 2026 SmartAsset study of 83 large US cities ranked Raleigh the 15th-safest in the nation and the safest big city in North Carolina, on violent crime, property crime, traffic fatalities, and disaster risk. Use that study and this profile as two independent lenses, one journalistic, one reported-rate cohort, rather than mixing their numbers.
Raleigh vs North Carolina peers: five scored cities
Raleigh scores highest of the six scored North Carolina jurisdictions at 33.91 (#1 of 6), followed by Durham at 28.57 (#2), Fayetteville at 23.34 (#3), Greensboro at 21.51 (#4), Charlotte at 17.84 (#5), and Winston-Salem at 17.71 (#6), all 2026-edition scores on FBI source-year 2025 data. Open the Fayetteville, NC safety profile, the Winston-Salem, NC safety profile, and the Durham, NC safety profile offense tables alongside the Charlotte, NC safety profile and the Greensboro, NC safety profile offense tables before concluding which gap matters. Open the Charlotte, NC safety profile and the Greensboro, NC safety profile offense tables before concluding which gap matters. Within the state, the spread is wide: analysts have noted homicide rates in Greensboro and Fayetteville typically run six to seven times Raleigh’s (Carolina Journal, August 2026), so a statewide average would misdescribe every city in it.
| City | Adjusted score | Rank (of 6) | Trajectory | Reporting pop. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Raleigh | 33.91 | #1 | Decreasing | 470,763 |
| Durham | 28.57 | #2 | Stable | 288,465 |
| Fayetteville | 23.34 | #3 | Stable | 209,692 |
| Greensboro | 21.51 | #4 | Decreasing | 298,564 |
| Charlotte | 17.84 | #5 | Decreasing | 886,283 |
| Winston-Salem | 17.71 | #6 | Increasing | 250,887 |
Statewide context: the North Carolina safety directory.
Ranks compare only the current scored set shown here. Published profiles cover selected jurisdictions; these ranks are not a comprehensive statewide ranking.
Safety Atlas methodology · 2026 coverage report
Cite This Public Safety Profile
Citation formats:
Primary Source Data Integrity
- Crime Counts: FBI National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) database.
- Demographics: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimate boundaries.
- Methodology: Adjusted per-capita normalization with small-sample relief controls. View our complete Methodology Documentation.