River Bend is a town of 2,850 in Craven County, about 7 miles west of downtown New Bern · Updated November 2026
Is River Bend, NC safe?
Yes, crime in River Bend is low, with an overall CrimeGrade™ of A-. Because most US neighborhoods are safe as well, River Bend sits near the middle: safer than the neighborhoods where 44% of Americans live. Property crime grades better than violent crime here, A against B+.
A-
Overall CrimeGrade™
Safety score 803 of 1,000About as safe as the typical US neighborhoodi What this means
44% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more crime than River Bend as a whole, and 56% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a safety score of 838, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. River Bend scores 803.
Crime is concentrated in a small share of places, so most neighborhoods score high on the 0 to 1,000 scale. That is why a score in the 800s can still mean more crime than most US neighborhoods.
How to read the map: each area's color compares its crime with the people, homes and cars there, on one national scale, from green for the least crime to red for the most. Each area gets its own color, so a busy shopping center can show red while the homes beside it stay green. The interactive maps load faster on a strong connection. Compare high speed internet in River Bend, NC at ISP Reports.
Who this page is for: homeowners and renters in River Bend, and anyone thinking about buying or renting a home there.
Business and enterprise customers: this free map shows neighborhood areas. CrimeGrade™ business reports map crime at about 66-meter detail and estimate it for one address and type of business. See business reports
What stands out in River Bend
Crime per resident runs lower than the grade suggests. Few people come to River Bend to work or shop: it has only 14 jobs for every 100 residents, against 45 for the US as a whole. With few visitors, its crime per resident looks lower than its CrimeGrade™ suggests. The CrimeGrade™ weighs each crime against the people, homes and parked cars actually here.
Crime rates and types in River Bend
CrimeGrade™ estimates River Bend has about 14 reported crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, 63% less than the US as a whole and 66% less than North Carolina.
Overall crime
Violent crime
Property crime
Reported crimes a year, per 1,000 residents. These figures include simple assaults and vandalism, which the FBI's violent and property crime rates leave out.
Assault is the most common crime in River Bend, about 42% of everything reported.
Each CrimeGrade™ compares a crime with what it affects: people for assaults and robbery, homes for burglary, parked cars for vehicle theft. Rates count crimes per 1,000 residents.
The River Bend Police Department sent the FBI no 2024 count of simple assault and no recent year to build on, so CrimeGrade™ made its own estimate.
Select a crime's name to see its map above. CrimeGrade™ business reports map each crime at about 66-meter detail.
How River Bend compares with nearby cities
River Bend has the most crime of its 4 nearest cities.
Two things set River Bend apart: it has 3.2 stores and restaurants for every 1,000 residents, against 10.5 nationally, and a Walk Grade of F (3 of 100) on BestNeighborhood, against 21 for the US as a whole. Places like that tend to report less theft, and it runs low here.
Stores and restaurantsShops and restaurants draw crowds and parked cars. Places with many stores tend to report more theft.3.2 per 1,000 residentsUS: 10.5Lower than for 97% of US city residents
Walk GradeBestNeighborhood's grade for getting through daily life on foot, traced along real walking routes to shops, schools and parks. Walkable places tend to report more theft and assault. 100% of residents here live in car-dependent areas.F (3 of 100)US: 21Lower than for 96% of US city residents
JobsJobs draw daytime crowds. Places with many jobs tend to report more theft and robbery.14 for every 100 residentsUS: 45Lower than for 94% of US city residents
Show all 6
Residents in dense blocksBlocks of 10,000 or more people per square mile. Dense neighborhoods tend to report more robbery and car theft.1% of residentsUS: 24%Lower than for 92% of US city residents
Lit at nightSatellite images show which neighborhoods are lit at night, a sign of busy streets and businesses. Brightly lit places tend to report more theft and vandalism.46% where people liveUS: 78%Lower than for 89% of US city residents
Empty homesSeasonal and vacation homes are left out. Places with many empty homes tend to report more burglary, vandalism and arson.9.9% of homesUS: 7.1%Higher than for 85% of US city residents
These traits tend to go with more or less crime; none of them causes it on its own. Sources: Census job counts and housing figures, OpenStreetMap and Overture business listings, CrimeGrade™ parking estimates, NASA night-light imagery, US Forest Service tree cover, EPA transit data and BestNeighborhood's Walk Grade.
What crime costs River Bend
Crime costs River Bend about $570 a year per household, counting police, courts and prisons as well as victims' losses, 53% less than the US figure of $1,205.
Cost of crime per resident, per year
Counting the pain and suffering of victims, which comes almost entirely from violent crime, the full cost comes to about $3.8 million a year, or $1,343 per resident.
How the cost breaks down
Crime
Cost a year
Per resident
Murder
$460,000
$161
Rape
$16,000
$6
Robbery
$4,000
$1
Assault
$150,000
$53
Burglary
$22,000
$8
Theft
$52,000
$18
Vehicle theft
$30,000
$11
Arson
$1,500
$1
Vandalism
$51,000
$18
Total
$790,000
$276
How CrimeGrade™ works
A CrimeGrade™ shows how much crime an area has compared with the rest of the country, from A+ for the least crime to F for the most. Every neighborhood in the US is graded on the same scale, so a B in River Bend means the same as a B anywhere else.
CrimeGrade™ starts from the crimes people report to police and measures each kind of crime against what it affects: people for assaults, homes for burglaries, parked cars for car thefts.
The rates on this page count crimes for every 1,000 people who live here, the way police departments report them.
Comparisons with US neighborhoods use the Census Bureau's block groups, small areas of about 1,400 residents, and count the people who live in each. The figures count crimes reported to police; many crimes, shoplifting above all, never are. Behind the grades, CrimeGrade™ tested 21,607 factors from 125 data families. For business owners, paid CrimeGrade™ location reports estimate crime at a single address for each type of business.
Where the numbers come from
Crime reports that police departments file with the FBI
State crime records and city crime data, where they are published
Published research on what crime costs victims and communities
These are estimates of reported crime for whole areas, not a record of what happened on any one street. CrimeGrade™ updates them once a year and provides them free and without guarantee. Check local sources before you rely on them for a decision.
Schools in River Bend, NC average a SchoolGrade of C: 51% of students test proficient, against 51% projected for schools like them. Overall, they don't meet expectations. See schools in River Bend on SchoolGrade
