Burke County Crime & Safety

Burke County has a total crime rate of 4059.3 per 100,000 residents, based on FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data. This includes both violent crimes (539.9 per 100K) and property crimes (3519.4 per 100K).

Burke County has a safety score of 3/100, rated "High Crime". A higher safety score indicates lower crime rates relative to other counties nationwide. It ranks #92 out of 100 counties in North Carolina for safety (1 = safest).

The county's safety score of 93.6 is well below the North Carolina state average of 96.8. Its total crime rate of 4,059.3 per 100K is nearly double the state average of 2,050.0.

Violent crime in Burke sits at 539.9 per 100K, exceeding the national average of 369.8. Property crime is also elevated at 3,519.4 per 100K, which is substantially higher than national norms.

Crime data for Burke County comes from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program. Local law enforcement agencies submit data on violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) and property crimes (burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft) to the FBI. Rates are calculated per 100,000 residents to allow fair comparison between counties of different sizes. The safety score (0-100) is derived from these rates, with higher scores indicating safer counties.

Burke County has a safety score of 3/100, which is below the North Carolina average of 32/100. Many counties with above-average crime rates invest in community policing, crime prevention programs, neighborhood watch initiatives, and social services aimed at reducing crime over time.