Raleigh suburb with ‘genuine community feel’ is ranked the safest city in NC
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Rolesville was ranked No. 1 in SafeWise’s 2026 Safest Cities report.
- Rolesville reported 0.3 violent crimes and 4.5 property crimes per 1,000 people.
- SafeWise used recent FBI crime data adjusted for population, excluding incomplete reports.
A Raleigh-area town has been crowned North Carolina’s safest city, recent rankings show.
Home to more than 11,850 residents and counting, Rolesville took the No. 1 spot in SafeWise’s 2026 Safest Cities report despite a year-over-year rise in violent crime and property crime rates.
The town reported 0.3 violent crimes per 1,000 people while its property crime rate stood at 4.5 incidents per 1,000 people — well below the statewide average of 5.49 (for violent crime) and 29.87 (for property crime), data show.
Additionally, no aggravated assaults were reported.
Rolesville prides itself on its “family-friendly neighborhoods, exceptional schools” and “genuine community feel” — not to mention its proximity to the state’s capital city, its website says. Mayor Ronnie Currin called the safest city recognition “a great honor.”
“It only happens because of the wonderful community that is Rolesville,” Currin told The Raleigh News & Observer. “Not only do we have great police department and public safety employees, but the community consist of wonderful residents that strive for a safe community.”
Pinehurst, North Carolina — a city about 40 miles northwest of Fayetteville — earned second place in the SafeWise rankings, followed by Davidson to round out the top three.
Another metro Raleigh city, Fuquay-Varina, also landed in the top 10.
“North Carolinians who took our State of Safety survey report a higher confidence level than the year before,” SafeWise said in its report. “About 51% say they feel safe in the state, up from 40% the last two years.”
Rolesville isn’t the only city in the Triangle to be recognized for its low crime. A March report from personal finance platform MoneyGeek placed Cary among the top 20 safest cities in America.
It was the only North Carolina city to make rank, landing in 12th place for its low cost-of-crime estimate ($429 per capita) and rate of incidents.
How SafeWise came up with the rankings
To rank the state’s safest cities, SafeWise analyzed recent FBI violent and property crime data and adjusted it based on population. Incomplete crime reporting was not included.
“Our goal is to help readers understand crime trends and ask informed questions, not to judge communities or the people who call them home,” the report says.
The 10 cities that made the list reported one or fewer violent crime incidents per 100 people, and three of them — Pinehurst, Waxhaw and Fuquay-Varina — have seen a steady decrease in property crime in the last four years.
What are the safest cities in North Carolina?
These are North Carolina’s 10 safest cities in 2026, according to the SafeWise rankings:
- Rolesville
- Pinehurst
- Davidson
- Waxhaw
- Elon
- Stallings
- Fuquay-Varina
- Winterville
- Boone
- Mint Hill
Inspired by a story published in The Wichita Eagle.