Is Charlotte, NC Safe? (2022 Crime Rates And Crime Stats)

If you are thinking about visiting Charlotte and have some qualms about the safety of the city, we got you covered.

We are going to deep dive into the statistics, look at some maps, graphs and talk to the residents of the city to give you a better understanding of how safe Charlotte really is.

Is Charlotte Safe To Visit?

Statistically speaking, Charlotte is a slightly unsafe place. In 2021, Charlotte had a violent crime rate of 848.69 incidents per 100,000 residents, which is twice as high as the national average and is on par with cities like Philadelphia, Atlanta and Cincinnati.

Here’s a graph that will give you some perspective on Charlotte’s violent crime rate.

Charlotte Crime Stats

Here’s a breakdown of all the crimes in Charlotte for 2020 and 2021.

	2020	2021	Percent Change
Homicide	119	97	-18%
Rape	245	306	25%
Robbery	1,763	1,344	-24%
Aggravated Assault	5,888	5,719	-3%
VIOLENT CRIME TOTAL	8,015	7,466	-7%
Burglary	4,312	3,685	-15%
Theft-Larceny	23,757	23,098	-3%
Motor Vehicle Theft	2,984	3,128	5%
Arson	158	131	-17%
PROPERTY CRIME TOTAL	31,211	30,042	-4%
TOTALS	39,226	37,508	-4%

*All data is from the FBI UCR and cross reference with the Charlotte Police Department.

Charlotte’s Violent Crime Rate

In 2021 Charlotte reported 8,015 violent crimes and had a violent crime rate of 916.44 per 100,000 people.

Year over year violent crime has decreased by 7%.

Here’s a graph showing you how violent crime has trended in Charlotte over a 12 year period.

*Violent crimes include; homicides, rape, robbery and aggravated assaults and the violent crime rate is calculated by dividing the number of reported crimes by the total population; the result is multiplied by 100,000.

Charlotte’s Murder Rate

In 2021 Charlotte reported 97 homicides, which was a 18% decrease from 2020 where 119 homicide was reported.

In 2021 Charlotte had a murder rate of 11.03 per 100,000 people, which is 70% higher than the national average

Here’s a graph showing you how homicides has trended in Charlotte over a 12 year period.

Charlotte’s Property Crime Rate

In 2021 Charlotte reported 31,053 property crimes and had a property crime rate of 3,414.99 per 100,000 people, which is 74% higher than the national average.

Year over year property crime in Charlotte has decreased by 4%.
Charlotte has a similar property crime rate to Corpus Christi, Chicago and Jacksonville.

Here’s a graph showing you how property crime has trended in Charlotte over a 12 year period.

**Property crimes include; arson, burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft are classified as property crimes. The property crime rate is calculated by dividing the number of reported crimes by the total population; the result is multiplied by 100,000.

Charlotte vs Other North Carolina Cities (2020)

Here’s a graph showing you how Charlotte’s violent crime rate compares to other cities in North Carolina.

Charlotte’s violent crime rate ranks 3rd highest among the most populous cities in North Carolina.

Charlotte vs The Most Dangerous Cities In The United States

Here’s a list of the top 22 most dangerous cities in the United States ranked by violent crime rates.

Charlotte’s Most Dangerous Neighborhoods

Here’s a map showing you where gangs are most active in the city.

Tryon hills
Hidden Valley
Lincoln Heights
Wesley Heights
Druid Hills
Grier Heights
Sugar Creek
Thomasboro
West Charlotte
North Charlotte

Safest Neighborhoods In Charlotte

South Park
Noda
South End
Myers park
Plaza-Midwood
Chantilly
Elizabeth
Ballantyne
Dilworth
Uptown

Is Downtown Charlotte (Uptown) Safe?

Uptown Charlotte is a generally safe area to visit, but keep in mind that it is a major metro area and there are homeless people and some crime but not to the extent that West Charlotte offers.

As long as you don’t engage with the homeless and don’t walk alone late at night in desolate areas, you should be fine.

What do residents of Charlotte say about its safety

"I tend to avoid North Charlotte like the plague."
"If you see a Boost Mobile store you are probably entering a bad neighborhood."
"West Charlotte is straight up hood bruh."
"South Charlotte is the affluent and nicer area. North and West Charlotte is the less nice areas."
"North Charlotte is an entirely different city than South Charlotte. I live in the South Charlotte and rarely venture into North Charlotte."
"As long as you don’t get involved drugs, gangs or hood shit, there generally won’t be a problem."
"Charlotte is extremely safe outside of the sketchy parts. The good parts of Charlotte are south and a little to the east."
"Avoid the gang neighborhoods and you avoid crime in Charlotte for the most part."
"Avoid West Charlotte. It is the worst part of town. Avoid anything along North Graham (north of Uptown), Eastway, Tryon, Sugar Creek, Freedom Dr, and anything close to Eastland Mall."
"Avoid places that are named something-heights, like Grier Heights."
"Charlotte has bad areas just like any other city but overall its pretty safe."
"Crime does happen in Charlotte, but is it something you should be overly concerned with? Generally no."

Is Charlotte Safe For A Woman?

As long as you learn the layout of the city, avoid problem areas and follow general safety tips, Charlotte is safe for woman.

Safety Tips For Visiting Charlotte

Learn the layout of the city! Know which areas to avoid. When you start to see abandoned buildings, metal bars on windows, liquor stores, cash checking places, you are headed in the wrong direction.
Walk with confidence, mind your own business, dont engage with transients and panhandlers, and act like you belong.
Always maintain situational awareness and be aware of your surroundings. Don’t scroll through your phone and emmerse yourself in your headphones while walking down the street.
Don’t explore or sight see an unfamiliar area at night.
Never feel like you owe anyone an explanation for your personal comfort. If someone is making you feel uncomfortable, change trains, ask for help, tell him to fu*k off.
Don’t roll your car window down when a stranger asks you to. Only do so for a police officer.
As a woman. Don’t walk alone at night anywhere while intoxicated. Go in a group, grab a cab, or get an uber.
Don’t talk on the phone, particularly if it’s late at night and you are by yourself.
Never walk through an alley, especially at night.
ANYONE asking for money is a scammer. “My school team needs transportation money for a tournament” B.S!
Do not accept an open drink from anybody, except the bartender.
Don’t get into a train car that is empty if you can help it.
Mind your own business. If things look like they are getting rough or testy, leave immediately.
If you are getting robbed accept it and don’t be a hero. Hand over what they want. Your life is not worth your wallet or cellphone.

Final Thoughts

Charlotte is a slightly unsafe place to visit. Statistically, it register closer to the unsafe spectrum and there are huge swaths of Charlotte that you should avoid, namely the west side and the north. However, these are generally areas that a tourist wouldn’t want to visit anyways.

As long as you learn which areas to avoid and follow the safety tips posted above, you can mitigate a lot of your chances of becoming a victim of crime.

Quick Facts About Charlotte

Fact	Charlotte, North Carolina	United States
Population, Census, April 1, 2020	874,579	331,449,281
Population, Census, April 1, 2010	731,424	308,745,538
Median value of owner-occupied housing units, 2015-2019	$220,300.00	$217,500.00
Median selected monthly owner costs -with a mortgage, 2015-2019	$1,446.00	$1,595.00
Median gross rent, 2015-2019	$1,135.00	$1,062.00
High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2015-2019	89.1%	88.0%
Bachelor’s degree or higher, percent of persons age 25 years+, 2015-2019	44.3%	32.1%
In civilian labor force, total, percent of population age 16 years+, 2015-2019	71.6%	63.0%
Median household income (in 2019 dollars), 2015-2019	$62,817.00	$62,843.00
Per capita income in past 12 months (in 2019 dollars), 2015-2019	$38,000.00	$34,103.00
Persons in poverty, percent	12.8%	11.4%