Cary Once Again Safest City in America
Cary, NC – Reports keep rolling in about the high standards of living and business opportunities in Cary. But one of the biggest accolades comes from an FBI report which shows Cary is the safest town of its population size.
Low Crime Town
According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, in 2015, Cary had 81 reported violent crimes. That’s the fewest number for any town or city in the population range of 100,000 to 500,000 in the United States.
By comparison, the FBI’s report says there are an estimated 372.6 violent crimes for every 100,000 people in the United States. And while the report shows that violent crime rose 3.1 percent nationwide between 2014 and 2015, mostly due to spikes in major cities such as Baltimore and Chicago, violent crime fell 17 percent in Cary in that same period of time, down from 98 reported violent crimes in 2014.
This also puts Cary above many other towns with smaller populations. For example, Carrboro had 42 reported violent crimes in 2015. But adjusting for population, Carrboro’s violent crime rate was .197 percent of its population while Cary’s was .051 percent of its population.
Cary has been labeled the safest town in years past and a recent report on cities for drivers had Cary scoring the best when it came to the risk of motor vehicle theft. Also, a report by ApartmentAdvisor found Cary to be one of the safest towns to live alone.
Contributing Factors
There are a variety of reasons why Cary is such a safe community. It has more economic opportunity than many other towns and cities, with a 3.8 percent unemployment rate, compared to North Carolina’s 5.5 percent rate according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Cary also has a 6.7 percent poverty rate compared to 17.2 percent statewide, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
This has been reflected in several other studies, whether it is the recent Money Magazine article that named Cary as the best place to live in North Carolina or one that named Cary as one of the most successful towns nationwide.
Another important factor is the Cary Police Department’s clearance rate for crimes. Starting in 2012, Cary’s clearance rate did not dip below 70 percent for violent crimes. By comparison, the FBI’s 2015 report shows a nationwide clearance rate of 46 percent for violent crimes.
Story by staff reports. Photos by Hal Goodtree.
