Greensboro, North Carolina
Data sources: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Date all data was sourced: 01/08/2026
How safe is Greensboro, NC
But if you live in Greensboro, or are planning on moving there, it’s important to understand crime in the local area. Our analysis of FBI data on property crime shows that reported cases of burglaries and motor vehicle theft increased between 2022 and 2024, while larceny cases fell.
Read on to learn more about how property crime is affecting Greensboro, 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 Greensboro, 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 cases of burglary reached 1,686 in Greensboro in 2023 compared with 1,471 cases in 2024. This is a year-on-year decrease of 215.
The Greensboro crime rate for burglary in 2023 was 550 per 100,000 people. This compares with 480 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 8,166 in Greensboro in 2023 compared with 7,042 cases in 2024. This is a year-on-year decrease of 1,124.
The Greensboro crime rate for larceny in 2023 was 2,662 per 100,000 people. This compares with 2,296 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 1,506 in Greensboro in 2023 compared with 1,802 cases in 2024. This is a year-on-year increase of 296.
The Greensboro crime rate for motor vehicle theft in 2023 was 491 per 100,000 people. This compares with 587 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 reached 500 in Greensboro in 2023 compared with 529 cases in 2024. This is a year-on-year increase of 29.
The Greensboro crime rate for robbery in 2023 was 163 per 100,000 people. This compares with 172 per 100,000 people in 2024.
Between March 2020 and December 2023, we can see a total of:
31,753
total larcenies in Greensboro
Data sources: FBI Crime Data Explorer
8,453
accounted for auto
5,080
accounted for other
10,496
accounted for shoplifting
3,270
accounted for auto accessories
4,104
accounted from buildings
134
accounted from bicycles
When it comes to burglary during that same three-year period, we can see a total of:
7,662
cases of burglary in Greensboro
Data sources: FBI Crime Data Explorer
2,479
happened at residences during the day
2,094
happened at residences at night
1,057
happened at non-residences during the day
1,887
happened at non-residences at night
The impact of being a victim in property crime
A UK study by Portsmouth University revealed that one in 10 people move house after a burglary at their property. Meanwhile, another study reported that street robbery can cause victims serious psychological distress. Sadly, people throughout Greensboro and North Carolina fall victim to such crimes.
How is property crime affecting people in Greensboro?
Whether you live in Downtown Greensboro, Sedgefield or Old Irving Park, keeping your home safe and secure should be a priority. So, how common are crimes like burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft in Greensboro – and are they rising or falling? We compared FBI data from 2022 and 2023 to get the answers.
02.
How Greensboro Police Department is Working to Prevent Property Crime
Want to know more about Greensboro crime news and general police safety measures to tackle crime in your neighborhood? We’ve grouped some some recent initiatives from the Greensboro Police.
Crime Prevention Unit
The Greensboro Police Department (GPD) works diligently to help prevent property crime across the city. It also encourages the local community to get involved.
Neighborhood Watch
GPD encourages each resident to look out for their neighbors. It believes strong communities with active Neighborhood Watch programs can help to deter criminals. By being the police department’s eyes and ears, the community can help establish a safe place to live and work.
Crime Stoppers
Using the community, law enforcement, and the media, Crime Stoppers is a program developed to fight crime in Greensboro. A phone number is given to residents to give anonymous information on any criminal activity they’ve spotted. If an arrest is made, or property or drugs recovered, as a result of the information they’re eligible for a reward of up to $5,000.
Ride along with us
Through this program, Greensboro Police Department allows residents to ride in police vehicles as passengers to observe operations. It aims to provide a better understanding of the department’s mission and operations. Each resident gets to complete one six-hour ride-along per 12 months, between 7am and 2am.
Neighborhood Oriented Policing
The Greensboro Police Department has implemented the Neighborhood Oriented Policing scheme to ensure geography, officers and workload are all aligned to better serve the community. Areas are served by the same officers to establish trust and better relationships between the public and law enforcement.
03.
How does Greensboro’s crime rate compare to other cities in North Carolina?
To give you an idea of how Greensboro 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greensboro | 307,381 | 1,471 | 7,042 | 1,802 | 528 |
| Charlotte | 943,476 | 4,285 | 25,252 | 7,614 | 1,307 |
| Raleigh | 499,825 | 1,362 | 10,088 | 2,355 | 424 |
| Fayetteville | 209,496 | 824 | 4,963 | 757 | 219 |
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 Greensboro
Greensboro Police Department
Danny Rogers
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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