Asheville, North Carolina
Data sources: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Date all data was sourced: 01/08/2026
How safe is Asheville, NC
01.
What is property crime?
The FBI categorizes property crime as including burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft. It defines these as ‘theft-type offenses’, i.e. property stolen from a victim unlawfully but without force or threat of force. The FBI categorizes robbery as a violent crime, but it’s also included in the property crime dataset we’re utilizing.
Before we get to Asheville, what’s happening at state level?
| Crime | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burglary / breaking entering | 38,873 | 37,075 | 34,639 |
| Larceny / theft offenses | 157,066 | 154,591 | 149,498 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 20,873 | 28,222 | 27,455 |
Data sources: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Reported cases of burglary fell by 2,436 between 2023 and 2024, while cases of larceny fell by 5,093 Motor vehicle theft also trended downward by 767 cases over the 12-month period.
Burglary
Burglary is the unlawful entry to someone’s property to commit a felony or theft. This generally happens in someone’s home or on business premises.
Reported burglary cases
Reported burglary cases were 531 in Asheville in 2023 compared with 579 cases in 2024. This is a year-on-year increase of 48.
The Asheville crime rate for burglary in 2023 was 559 per 100,000 people. This compares with 610 per 100,000 people in 2024.
Larceny
Larceny is illegally taking, moving, or carrying away someone else's property without permission. Though if being taken from someone’s home the person must have entered lawfully.
Reported larceny cases
Reported cases of larceny were 3,237 in Asheville in 2023 compared with 2,835 cases in 2024. This is a year-on-year decrease of 402.
The Asheville crime rate for larceny in 2023 was 3,408 per 100,000 people. This compares with 2,984 per 100,000 people in 2024.
Motor vehicle theft
Motor vehicle theft is stealing or attempting to steal a motor vehicle, such as an automobile or pickup.
Reported motor vehicle theft cases
Reported cases of motor vehicle theft reached 472 in Asheville in 2023 compared with 324 cases in 2024. This is a year-on-year decrease of 148.
The Asheville crime rate for motor vehicle theft in 2023 was 497 per 100,000 people, compared to 341 per 100,000 people in 2024.
Robbery
Robbery is the taking of, or trying to take, something valuable from another person using force, threats, or intimidation.
Reported robbery cases
Reported cases of robbery were 135 in Asheville in 2023 compared with 108 cases in 2024. This is a year-on-year decrease of 27.
The Asheville crime rate for robbery in 2023 was 142 per 100,000 people, compared to with 114 per 100,000 people in 2024.
Between March 2020 and December 2023, we can see a total of:
14,927
total larcenies in Asheville
Data sources: FBI Crime Data Explorer
3,513
accounted for auto
3,423
accounted for other
4,796
accounted for shoplifting
1,221
accounted for auto accessories
1,463
accounted from buildings
407
accounted from bicycles
When it comes to burglary during that same three-year period, we can see a total of:
2,633
cases of burglary in Asheville
Data sources: FBI Crime Data Explorer
598
happened at residences during the day
575
happened at residences at night
599
happened at non-residences during the day
917
happened at non-residences at night
The impact of being a victim in property crime
The research discovered that the trauma is connected to the intrusion of a space where someone should feel protected. A study from Portsmouth University in the UK found that following a burglary, one in 10 people move house. Victims of street robbery can also be left with serious psychological distress, according to another study. Sadly, many people fall victim to these crimes in Asheville and North Carolina.
How is property crime affecting people in Asheville?
While Ashville offers an abundance of incredible sites to explore in the city center and beyond in places like Pisgah National Forest – many comforts are right there in your home. So, you’ll likely be concerned about keeping your home not only comfortable but safe and secure.
But how common are crimes like burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft in Asheville, and are they rising or declining? We compared FBI data from 2022 and 2023 to get the answers.
02.
How Asheville Police Department is Working to Prevent Property Crime
Want to know more about Asheville crime news and general police safety measures to tackle crime in your neighborhood? We’ve grouped some some recent initiatives from the Asheville Police.
Crime Prevention Unit
Asheville Police Department Recruitment Drive
Putting more police on the streets is the plan at Asheville Police Department as part of a recruitment drive for new officers. In September 2024, it announced plans to recruit 30 new officers and put them through law-enforcement training in the coming months.
Single officer can pilot Asheville police drone
Asheville Police Department has been using drones to help fight crime since 2022. But that is expected to get easier now with less demand on resources after the APD became the first police force in the country to receive a waiver allowing them to pilot the drone with just one officer rather than two.
Violent crime falls in Asheville
In recent years, police in Asheville have launched various initiatives to tackle violent crime – and they appear to be working. In 2023, Asheville saw violent crime fall 18% year on year. APD officials cited the ‘implementation of data-driven strategies’.
03.
How does Asheville’s crime rate compare to other cities in North Carolina?
To give you an idea of how Asheville stacks up against other cities across the state, we’ve compiled the data for the different types of property crime in 2023.
| City | Population | Burglary | Larceny | Motor Vehicle Theft | Robbery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asheville | 94,992 | 579 | 2,835 | 324 | 108 |
| Charlotte | 943,476 | 4,285 | 25,252 | 7,614 | 1,307 |
| Raleigh | 499,825 | 1,362 | 10,088 | 2,355 | 424 |
| Greensboro | 307,381 | 1,471 | 7,042 | 1,802 | 528 |
Populations data: United States Census Bureau
Data sources: FBI Crime Data Explorer
- Dan Hochstaetter, Head of Digital Customer Experience, CPI Security
04.
Emergency Services in Asheville
Asheville Police Department
Michael Lamb
05.
How to protect your home against property crime
More crime data
South Carolina
Tennessee
Georgia
| Date | Details |
|---|---|
| 9/03/2025 | All crime data statistics updated |
| 01/08/2026 | All crime data statistics updated |
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