The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Swain County, NC: Crime Maps and Statistics

D-

Overall Crime Grade™

Violent Crime Grade	D-
Property Crime Grade	D
Other Crime Grade	D

Which crimes are included?

$9.15 million

Cost of Crime™ for Swain County, NC

In 2025, crime will cost $1,564 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of Swain County with the least crime overall and red marks the most. Each area is weighted by the type and severity of every offense, so a place with rare but serious violent crime can grade differently from one with frequent petty theft. The Interpreting the Crime Maps section below explains how to read the colors.

Is Swain County, NC Safe?

The D- overall grade blends the violent, property, and other grades shown above into one measure, set against the average US county, where Swain County's combined rate is much higher than the norm. Swain County sits in the 14th percentile, ahead of 14% of counties and behind 86%. The grade covers only Swain County's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby counties.

The overall crime rate in Swain County is 48.15 per 1,000 residents in a typical year. Residents generally consider the southeast part of the county the safest. Your chance of being a victim ranges from 1 in 17 in the southwest areas to 1 in 33 in the southeast.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the northeast parts of Swain County, NC report the most crime, about 277 cases per year. The northwest part reports the fewest, around 0 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in Swain County, NC

Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in Swain County for 2025 is $9,151,823, about $646 per resident and $1,564 per household. That equals 2.1% of the median household income. These figures cover tangible costs, which include:

Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 58.1%
Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 30.2%
Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 11.6%

How Much Does Crime Cost in Swain County Compared to Other Counties?

Swain County, NC:	$646
Cumberland County, NC:	$756
Henderson County, NC:	$351
North Carolina:	$538
USA:	$464

The overall cost of crime per resident in Swain County is $646 per year, which is $182 more than the national average and $108 more than North Carolina's state average. The comparison below uses counties similar to Swain County:

In Cumberland County, NC, crime costs $756 per person, which is $110 more than in Swain County.
In Henderson County, NC, crime costs $351 per person, which is $295 less than in Swain County

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

The table below shows the total cost of crime to the residents of Swain County for the year 2025 along with the projected cost per resident.

Crime	Cost to Swain County	Cost per Swain County Resident
Murder	$1.74 million	$123
Rape/Sexual Assault	$513,059	$36
Robbery	$372,134	$26
Assault	$2.34 million	$165
Kidnapping	$157,584	$11
Vehicle Theft	$288,182	$20
Burglary	$819,976	$58
Theft	$1.31 million	$92
Arson	$70,230	$5
Vandalism	$829,803	$59
Animal Cruelty	$8,727	$1
Drug Crimes	$644,124	$45
Identity Theft	$59,619	$4
Total Cost of Crime	$9,151,823	$646

The Intangible Cost of Crime in Swain County, NC

The totals above count tangible costs only. Violent crime also carries a human cost, the pain and trauma borne by victims and their families, which research-based methods estimate so it can be compared across places. That intangible cost in Swain County totals $14,778,796 ($1,043 per resident), and all of it comes from violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $23,930,618 ($1,689 per resident). All Cost of Crime figures come from scholarly research on the cost of crime. Read more about our methodology here.

Interpreting the Crime Maps

Crime rates on the map are measured per resident, so areas with heavy visitor traffic can read high because crime follows crowds, even where few people live. The northeast part of the county holds more retail establishments, which lifts recorded crime around those blocks. A red area does not always mean the neighborhood is unsafe for residents.

Airports, parks, and transit hubs create the same effect. Major airports draw large crowds with few residents nearby, so they read as high-crime spots. Parks and recreational areas, of which Swain County has 9, do the same, and of Swain County's 14,171 residents few live beside them. Before assuming an area is unsafe, weigh both the per-capita rate and the total number of incidents, and note what sits nearby.

The interactive maps load faster on a strong connection. Compare high speed internet in Swain County, NC at ISP Reports.

Swain County Crime Breakdown

The tables below show which crimes are used to calculate the Crime Grades above. All crime rates are shown as the number of crimes per 1,000 Swain County residents in a standard year.

Violent Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Assault	5.746
Robbery	0.8349
Rape	0.5971
Murder	0.0653
Total Violent Crime	7.243 (D-)

Property Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Theft	17.86
Vehicle Theft	1.313
Burglary	6.380
Arson	0.2052
Total Property Crime	25.76 (D)

Other Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Kidnapping	0.1834
Drug Crimes	6.145
Vandalism	8.197
Identity Theft	0.5436
Animal Cruelty	0.0833
Total "Other" Rate	15.15 (D)

Individual Swain County Crime Maps & Stats

Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Counties

Compared to surrounding counties, the rate of crime in Swain County is higher. The table below shows Crime Grades for counties close to Swain County.

Nearby County	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Jackson County, NC	D+	C	D+
Macon County, NC	C-	B-	D+
Graham County, NC	D+	C-	D+
Haywood County, NC	B-	B-	B+
Sevier County, TN	D+	D+	C-
Clay County, NC	C+	C-	B
Cocke County, TN	D-	D	D-
Blount County, TN	B+	C-	A
Towns County, GA	B+	B+	A-
Transylvania County, NC	B-	B-	B

Crime Maps and Rates for County with Similar Populations

Swain County is higher versus other counties of the same size for crime. The table below compares crime in counties with comparable overall population in the county‘s boundaries.

Similar County	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Cheyenne County, NE	D	C-	C-
Trimble County, KY	B+	A	A
Teton County, WY	D+	B-	B-
Tattnall County, GA	C+	C+	C+
Sumner County, KS	C-	C	C
Chowan County, NC	D	D-	D-
Choctaw County, OK	D	D	D
Childress County, TX	F	F	F
Chicot County, AR	F	F	F
Chickasaw County, IA	A-	D+	D+

Considering only the crime rate, Swain County is less safe than the North Carolina state average and less safe than the national average.

Safety and school performance are separate topics, but both shape moving decisions. Using SchoolGrade data, schools in Swain County, NC average SchoolGrade of C+, with 39% actual proficiency versus 32% projected; overall, schools greatly exceed expectations. See Swain County schools on SchoolGrade

About the Data

CrimeGrade.org provides highly detailed and accurate crime data, used by insurance companies, home security firms, and other industries. Our data is available for licensing—learn more about our USA crime data and licensing.

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All maps and statistics above are projections, not certainties, and provided without guarantee free of charge. Verify all info before making any decisions based on the data.