4 North Carolina cities rank among ‘America’s safest.’ Here’s where
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Four midsize cities in North Carolina have been recognized as some of the safest in America, according to a recent SmartAsset study.
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Chapel Hill, Concord, Mooresville and Cary earned spots on the Top 75 list, appearing alongside dozens of other metros from across the US.
For the rankings, the personal finance website reviewed more than 300 cities with populations between 65,000 and 250,000 and scored them using four key metrics: violent crime rate, property crime rate, auto fatality rate and natural disaster risk.
“Safety and security are major determinants of quality of life,” analysts wrote. “While no place is risk-free, some midsized cities offer residents a stronger sense of everyday security than others.”
Here’s how each North Carolina city stacked up:
Aside from being one of the nation’s safest cities, Chapel Hill has earned several accolades in recent years and routinely appears in national rankings for research, education and of course, food.
The metro Raleigh suburb is home to UNC Health Care, which Forbes named one of America’s Dream Employers in 2025, The News & Observer reported.
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Woods Charter, also in Chapel Hill, was one of more than a dozen schools in the Triangle named on U.S. News & World Report’s 2026 Best Elementary and Middle Schools list.
Merritt’s Grill, known for its “down home” sandwiches, earned a spot on Yelp’s list of the top places to eat in the Triangle last year, and USA Today readers voted The Pig as one of the state’s standout spots for Carolina-style barbecue.
These midsize metros rose to the top when it came to safety and security, according to the SmartAsset study:
Keen awareness and basic safety practices are key to reducing your risk of becoming the victim of a crime, according to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety.
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To protect yourself in public spaces, experts suggest following these tips:
