The property crime gap is the wider one: at 3,800 per 100k, Durham runs 94% above the national 1,954, while violent crime sits 63% above at 621. That combination places the city in the 6th percentile of the 13,216 jurisdictions SafeNest grades, and earns a D. The 2.6% year-over-year decline in violent crime for 2024 reads as stable, not as a turnaround. Schools carry a similar split: a 5.7/10 average across 68 rated schools holds high schools at 6.2 and middle schools at 4.2, with Morehead Montessori at 9.8 showing the range inside one city-wide number. Flood context is state-level: 8 FEMA flood declarations for North Carolina between 1962 and 2013, plus 38 hurricane or tropical-storm declarations. None of these figures describe a street. A buyer weighing Durham is weighing an average, and the block decides the rest.
Crime in Durham vs. the national average
Durham reports 621 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 63% above the U.S. average of 381, and 3,800 property crimes per 100k versus a national 1,954 (94% above). In the most recent FBI reporting year (2024), the violent crime rate fell 2.6% year over year, a pattern SafeNest classifies as stable.
| Durham | US average | |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crime (per 100k) | 621 | 381 |
| Property crime (per 100k) | 3800 | 1954 |
City-wide averages hide block-by-block variation — the safest and least safe neighborhoods in Durham can differ dramatically. For a specific address, a SafeNest report covers it directly — or search free in the iPhone app.
Flood & natural hazard risk
Federal disaster records for North Carolina — the state SafeNest uses for Durham's flood context — list 8 FEMA flood disaster declarations between 1962 and 2013, most recently "Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, Mudslides". North Carolina has also seen 38 hurricane or tropical-storm declarations, events that frequently drive flooding. These are state-level federal declarations, not a parcel-level flood-zone determination — a specific Durham address may sit inside or well outside a FEMA flood zone, which SafeNest does not determine; check FEMA's flood maps and flood-insurance requirements for that address.
Schools in Durham
Public schools in Durham average 5.7/10 on the SafeNest School Score across 68 rated schools. By level, high schools rate strongest at 6.2/10 on average, while middle schools average 4.2/10. The highest-scoring is Morehead Montessori at 9.8/10.
Registered offenders
Registered-offender data is meaningful only at the address level, so SafeNest does not publish a city-wide figure for Durham: a single citywide number would blend blocks with very different profiles and mislead more than it informs. Registered offender counts by distance band for any specific Durham address are included in a SafeNest report, drawn directly from the state's public registry. The iPhone app shows that count free for any address, and maps each registrant with Premium.
Check a specific Durham address
City averages are a starting point. A SafeNest report covers one specific address — crime, registered offender counts, flood and disaster history, schools, air quality, taxes — delivered by email as a PDF for $6.99.
Or search any Durham address free in the iPhone app.
Common questions about safety in Durham
Is Durham, NC safe?
Durham records 621 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 63% above the US national average of 381. Overall SafeNest grade: D, a city-wide average of reported crime. It does not describe a specific street or address.
What is the crime rate in Durham?
Durham reports approximately 621 violent crimes and 3800 property crimes per 100,000 residents in 2024, the most recent FBI reporting year in our data.
Does Durham have flood risk?
SafeNest reports federal disaster declaration history for the area. For Durham, federal records show 8 FEMA flood disaster declarations for North Carolina, most recently in 2013; a specific address may still sit inside or outside a FEMA flood zone, which SafeNest does not determine — check FEMA's flood maps for that address.
How this page was built
Every figure here comes from the same public records behind SafeNest's grading. We published the full method and what it does and doesn't support in We graded 13,216 American cities with FBI data — including where a letter grade means almost nothing. City comparisons: safest cities in North Carolina.
Other city safety reports
Data compiled from public sources including FBI crime statistics, FEMA disaster declarations and the FEMA National Risk Index, NCES education data, and state registries. Last updated 2026-08-17. Figures are city-level estimates; verify with primary sources before making decisions. SafeNest is not a consumer reporting agency (see Terms).