Crime in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Chapel Hill, however, property crimes account for about 94% of all offenses.

Despite accounting for a higher than average share of total offenses, property crime is less prevalent in Chapel Hill than it is nationwide. There were 926 property crimes in Chapel Hill in 2019, or 1,507 for every 100,000 residents. Meanwhile, the national property crime rate is 2,110 incidents per 100,000 people.

Larceny

Larceny is by far the most common type of property crime in the U.S. It is also the most commonly committed type of property crime in Chapel Hill. There were 706 larcenies reported in Chapel Hill in 2019, or 1,149 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 184 break-ins reported in Chapel Hill in 2019, or 299 for every 100,000 residents. For reference, there were 341 reported burglaries for every 100,000 people nationwide in 2019.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Across the United States, the annual motor vehicle theft rate is 220 for every 100,000 people. In Chapel Hill, meanwhile, there were 36 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 59 for every 100,000 people.

Violent crime

Violent crime accounts for a relatively small share of crimes nationwide. These offenses, which are generally more egregious than property crimes, account for about 15% of the nearly 8.2 million offenses reported across the U.S. in 2019. In Chapel Hill, however, violent offenses account for a much smaller 6% share of all reported crime.

At 94 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Chapel Hill is well below the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Chapel Hill reported a total of 58 violent crimes in 2019.

Aggravated Assault

Aggravated assault is by far the most common type of violent crime reported in the U.S. It is also the most commonly reported violent offense in Chapel Hill. There were 31 aggravated assaults reported in Chapel Hill in 2019, or 50 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is far higher, standing at 250 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people.

Robbery

Robbery is the second most common type of violent crime in America. There were 17 robberies reported in Chapel Hill in 2019, a rate of 28 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 10 rapes reported in Chapel Hill in 2019, or 16 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

While there were 16,425 murders nationwide in 2019, none were reported in Chapel Hill.