Crime & Safety in Winston-Salem, NC
Violent and property crime rates, clearance data, and trends — 2024 Data
Crime Overview
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)Violent Crime Rate
8.10
per 1,000 residents
+81% vs national
Property Crime Rate
29.21
per 1,000 residents
+34% vs national
Total Crimes
9,479
2024
Violent Clearance
45%
cases solved
+5% vs national
Property Clearance
17%
cases solved
vs Similar Cities
+30%
vs 250K-500K avg
+30% vs 250K-500K
YoY Change
-9.0%
violent crime rate
improving vs 2023
How Winston-Salem Compares
Source: FBI (2024)Winston-Salem vs Similar Cities
Source: FBI (2024)Compared to cities with 250,000 - 500,000 residents. Winston-Salem is highlighted in green.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Property Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Murder Rate (per 1,000)
Violent Crime Clearance Rate
Crime Rate Trends
Source: FBICrime Composition
Source: FBI (2024)Violent Crime Breakdown
Property Crime Breakdown
Crime Clearance (Solve) Rates
Source: FBI (2024)Winston-Salem police solve 79% of murder cases but only 9% of motor vehicle theft cases. The national violent crime clearance rate is 42%.
Weapon Used in Violent Crime
Source: FBI (2024)Crime Breakdown
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)| Crime Type | Category | Count | Rate per 1K | Clearance % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murder | Violent | 29 | 0.11 | 79.3% |
| Rape | Violent | 117 | 0.46 | 34.2% |
| Robbery | Violent | 247 | 0.97 | 27.9% |
| Aggravated Assault | Violent | 1,664 | 6.55 | 47.2% |
| Burglary | Property | 1,448 | 5.70 | 23.3% |
| Larceny/Theft | Property | 5,073 | 19.97 | 16.3% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | Property | 900 | 3.54 | 9.1% |
Winston-Salem, NC reported 2,058 violent crimes and 7,421 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 8.10 per 1,000 residents is 80.8% above the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 45% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 5,073 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 56.7% of aggravated assaults. Compared to similarly sized cities (250,000 - 500,000 population), Winston-Salem's violent crime rate is 30% higher. Violent crime has been trending downward.
Crime History
Source: FBI| Year | Violent | Property | Violent Rate | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 2,058 | 7,421 | 8.10 | 29.21 |
| 2023 | 2,244 | 7,592 | 8.90 | 30.11 |
| 2022 | 2,963 | 9,794 | 11.79 | 38.97 |
| 2021 | 2,893 | 10,130 | 11.57 | 40.52 |
| 2020 | 3,138 | 11,881 | 12.55 | 47.52 |
| 2018 | 2,156 | 10,666 | 8.74 | 43.22 |
| 2017 | 2,087 | 11,590 | 8.54 | 47.45 |
| 2016 | 1,823 | 11,638 | 7.49 | 47.79 |
| 2015 | 1,507 | 10,918 | 6.24 | 45.18 |
School Shootings
Source: The Washington PostTotal Incidents
3
Total Killed
1
Total Injured
2
| Date | School | Killed | Injured | Type | Weapon |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 2024 | Parkland High School | 0 | 1 | accidental | nan |
| Sep 1, 2021 | Mount Tabor High School | 1 | 0 | targeted | nan |
| Aug 30, 2013 | Carver High School | 0 | 1 | targeted | .38 caliber handgun |
Data from The Washington Post, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.