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Two Large North Carolina Cities Ranked Among The Safest In The U.S.

Author Phil Harris
Two cities in North Carolina rank among the safest large cities in the U.S., based on recent crime cost per capita figures. (Photo by rarrarorro/Getty Images)

Would you believe me if I told you that two North Carolina cities are some of the safest in America? I could hardly blame you for being skeptical. When the news media seems to focus only on the negative, it can be hard to feel like there’s anything good about the place where you live. Stories about crime usually dominate TV and radio newscasts. But, believe it or not, the news isn’t all bad here in North Carolina.

Financial services website MoneyGeek is out with their Safest Cities In America 2023 report. Their team of analysts looked at some of the FBI’s most recent crime statistics from 263 cities across the nation with populations greater than 100,000. They wanted to figure out the “crime cost per capita” for each of those cities. In other words, society literally pays a price every time a crime is committed. The higher the price, the more dangerous the city.

The Highs And Lows

According to MoneyGeek’s analysis, the Chicago suburb of Naperville, Illinois is the safest city in America. The city of just over 149,000 people has a crime cost per capita of $156. Now compare that to another midwestern city: St. Louis, Missouri. “The Gateway to the West” has a crime cost per capita of $8,457, making it the most dangerous city in the country.

While it certainly appears that larger cities are more dangerous than smaller ones, Honolulu is still relatively safe. Hawaii’s state capital and largest city carries a crime cost per capita of $528, making it the safest large city in America. But we’re not too far behind in North Carolina.

Charlotte ranks 8th on the list with a crime cost per capita of $1,073, and Raleigh is the 11th safest large city and has a crime cost per capita of $1,149. In a separate report on America’s Safest Small Cities and Towns, MoneyGeek determined that Apex is North Carolina’s safest city overall with a crime cost per capita of just $133.

What may surprise you more than anything else in these reports is that New York City ranks as the fifth safest large city in the U.S. based on crime cost per capita. Maybe the Big Apple isn’t as rotten as most people think. You can see the top 15 below:

Safest Large Cities In America 2023 (MoneyGeek)

Rank – City – Crime Cost per Capita

  1. Honolulu, HI — $528
  2. Virginia Beach, VA — $550
  3. Henderson, NV — $805
  4. El Paso, TX — $837
  5. New York, NY — $863
  6. San Diego, CA — $963
  7. Mesa, AZ — $1,069
  8. Charlotte, NC — $1,073
  9. San Jose, CA — $1,106
  10. Boston, MA — $1,119
  11. Raleigh, NC — $1,149
  12. Arlington, TX — $1,264
  13. Santa Ana, CA — $1,416
  14. Omaha, NE — $1,503
  15. Austin, TX — $1,577

Phil Harris is 50% of "Phil & Mel in the Afternoon" on K104.7. He has been with the station since 2013 and on the air in Charlotte since 2000. Before coming to the Queen City, Phil worked for radio stations in Pittsburgh, Austin, and Seattle. In addition to the weekly "Throwback Threesome" music video feature, Phil writes about things that matter to Charlotte sports fans and pet owners. He happens to be both.

These Are 5 of the Most Dangerous Cities in South Carolina

South Carolina is home to a lot of things. From beautiful and historic towns to the beaches to the swamps, there is always something to visit and see. But, just like anywhere else, South Carolina does have their troubling areas as well. Not everywhere can be all peaches and cream, that is just how the world works. Even though you may know and love an area, it can also e very dangerous. Maybe you know what parts of a place to visit and what parts to stay away from, but not every tourist knows that information.

Southwest Journal went on to name the most dangerous cities in South Carolina for 2023. A study was done by RoadSnacks and compared over 50 cities across the state. With the use of the FBI’s latest crime reports, they looked at both violent and property crimes in each city. Taking the information they found, they were able to compile a list of the most dangerous cities in the United States. Of course, we wanted to take a look into some of the top cities. So, below you can find the top 5 most dangerous cities in South Carolina. Interested in the full top 10? Visit Southwest Journal to see.

  • 5. Myrtle Beach

    Coming up at #5 is one of our popular tourist destinations for the summer, Myrtle Beach. Overall, the city has seen a slight decrease in violent crimes but the property crimes are on a rise. Just a few years ago, you had a 1 in 10 chance of being a victim of theft or damage. Which for many, when visiting on vacation the time for this kind of crime can be disheartening.

    • Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,379 (Fifth most dangerous)
    • Property Crimes Per 100k: 8,716 (Most dangerous)

  • 4. Spartanburg

    If you have ever traveled through the upstate of South Carolina, then you know of Spartanburg, South Carolina. In 2022, Spartanburg was named the 5th most dangerous place to live in the state. On average, Spartanburg has more than one burglary happening in a day. Violent crimes are also somewhat of an issue in the area as well. With a mixture of locals and college students, there are tons of things happening in the city at once.

    • Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,430 (Fourth most dangerous)
    • Property Crimes Per 100k: 6,101 (Eighth most dangerous)

  • 3. Florence

    Now, this one is one of those that some people would hate to see their hometown, but as someone who traveled to Florence frequently growing up, you may agree on it as well. They have one of the top burglary rate in the state and in one year, they had over 500 violent crimes. For a town that is not super populated with tourist and about 38,000 people locally, the 500 violent crimes can be quite a bit.

    • Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,456 (Third most dangerous)
    • Property Crimes Per 100k: 6,192 (Seventh most

  • 2. Darlington

    Up next at #2 is Darlington, South Carolina. Darlington is known mainly for their tobacco farms and NASCAR races, but crime is a major factor in the area as well. Over the years, the amount of property crimes that have taken place has also seen an increase. There is more than one car theft per month and I guess the amount of racecars that may be in the area also plays a role in that.

    • Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,594 (Second most dangerous)
    • Property Crimes Per 100k: 6,344 (Sixth most dangerous)

  • 1. Orangeburg

    Coming in at #1 and being the most dangerous city in South Carolina is Orangeburg. Orangeburg is full of rich history but it is a city that has had quite a past. Orangeburg is filled with locals and students from the two major schools in the area. The city has the highest violent crime rate in the state with about 177 assaults reported amongst its 12,529 residents.

    • Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,731 (Most dangerous)
    • Property Crimes Per 100k: 6,560 (Fourth most dangerous

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