Raleigh, NC Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Raleigh Crime & Safety

Is Raleigh safe to live in?

By the numbers, Raleigh earns a city-wide Safety Rating of B (Safe), and the data backs that up: across 19 analyzed neighborhoods, 79% are graded A or B, meaning roughly four out of five neighborhoods fall into the low-to-moderate crime category. A full 52.6% of neighborhoods hold an A grade — places like Glenwood, Wakefield Plantation, Five Points, Wade, Midtown Raleigh, Hillsborough, Forestville, North Raleigh, Northwest Raleigh, and Northeast Raleigh. Another 26.3% earn a B grade. Only 10.5% of neighborhoods (2 out of 19) are graded D, and notably, zero neighborhoods receive an F. For a metro of over 1 million residents, that distribution is meaningfully better than many comparable U.S. cities.

What is the crime rate in Raleigh, NC?

Rather than a single citywide number, Raleigh's crime picture is best understood neighborhood by neighborhood. The overall city grade is a C, reflecting the full range from very safe to higher-crime pockets. On the safer end, 10 neighborhoods earn an A grade and 5 earn a B grade, together accounting for 79% of analyzed areas. On the higher-crime end, Central Raleigh and North Central Raleigh both grade D+, while South Central Raleigh grades C- and East Raleigh grades C. Southwest Raleigh sits in the middle at B-. The gap between the safest neighborhoods — like Glenwood (A) with a median income of $134,363 — and the higher-crime areas underscores how much safety varies by location within the city.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Raleigh?

Ten of Raleigh's 19 analyzed neighborhoods carry an A grade, making the city's safe-neighborhood options unusually broad. The top performers include:

• Glenwood — Grade A, median income $134,363, population ~9,252
• Wakefield Plantation — Grade A, median income $115,612, population ~10,055
• Five Points — Grade A, median income $104,190, population ~9,597
• Wade — Grade A, median income $96,851, population ~11,663
• Midtown Raleigh — Grade A, median income $102,840, population ~20,000
• Hillsborough — Grade A, median income $46,444, population ~14,355
• Forestville — Grade A, median income $84,883, population ~24,292
• North Raleigh — Grade A-, median income $94,718, population ~84,931
• Northwest Raleigh — Grade A-, median income $95,516, population ~94,276
• Northeast Raleigh — Grade A-, median income $73,164, population ~50,575

It's worth noting that Hillsborough achieves its A grade despite a median income of $46,444 — well below the city median of $69,720 — demonstrating that safety grades don't simply mirror income levels.

Which neighborhoods in Raleigh have higher crime?

Two neighborhoods — Central Raleigh and North Central Raleigh — carry the city's lowest grades at D+, placing them in the higher-crime tier. Together with South Central Raleigh (C-) and East Raleigh (C), these four areas make up the roughly 11% of neighborhoods graded D or below citywide. Southwest Raleigh (B-) sits closer to the middle of the spectrum and is not considered a high-crime area, though it grades below the city's many A-rated neighborhoods. Residents in or near Central and North Central Raleigh are encouraged to use the interactive crime map to identify specific block-level trends and stay current with Raleigh Police Department advisories.

Is Raleigh a good place to live for families?

The data points strongly toward yes for families who choose their neighborhood thoughtfully. With a median household income of $69,720, a 4.3% unemployment rate, and a median home value of $266,727, Raleigh offers relative economic stability for a city of 1,073,800 residents. The 11.8% poverty rate is a factor to be aware of but is not unusually high for a large Southern metro. From a safety standpoint, 79% of neighborhoods are rated A or B — meaning families have a wide selection of lower-crime communities, including large residential areas like Northwest Raleigh (94,276 residents, A-) and Forestville (24,292 residents, A). The city's zero F-graded neighborhoods out of 19 analyzed is a meaningful data point for families weighing Raleigh against other metros.

How does neighborhood income relate to safety in Raleigh?

There is a general correlation between higher incomes and better crime grades in Raleigh, but it's not absolute. The three top-graded neighborhoods by income — Glenwood ($134,363), Wakefield Plantation ($115,612), and Five Points ($104,190) — all hold Grade A ratings. However, Hillsborough earns a Grade A with a median income of just $46,444, which is well below the citywide median of $69,720. Meanwhile, the D+-graded areas of Central Raleigh and North Central Raleigh tend to have lower income levels, consistent with the broader national pattern. The takeaway: income is one signal, but using the neighborhood-level crime grades on the Raleigh crime map gives a more direct and reliable picture of actual safety conditions.