Dare County Crime & Safety

Dare County has a total crime rate of 1665.8 per 100,000 residents, based on FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data. This includes both violent crimes (134.6 per 100K) and property crimes (1531.2 per 100K).

Dare County has a safety score of 30/100, rated "High Crime". A higher safety score indicates lower crime rates relative to other counties nationwide. It ranks #47 out of 100 counties in North Carolina for safety (1 = safest).

The county's safety score exceeds the state average of 96.8, and its violent crime rate is remarkably low. Eight reporting agencies work together to keep Dare County safer than many of its mainland neighbors.

Violent crime is rare here, at only 134.6 per 100K compared to the national 369.8. Property crime sits at 1531.2, making it the primary focus for local law enforcement efforts.

Crime data for Dare 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.

Dare County has a safety score of 30/100, 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.