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

C+

Overall Crime Grade™

Violent Crime Grade	C
Property Crime Grade	B-
Other Crime Grade	C-

Which crimes are included?

$133,251

Cost of Crime™ for Unaka, NC

In 2025, crime will cost $893 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of Unaka 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 Unaka, NC Safe?

The C+ overall grade blends the violent, property, and other grades shown above into one measure, set against the average US city, where Unaka's combined rate is about the same as the norm. Unaka sits in the 49th percentile, ahead of 49% of cities and behind 51%. The grade covers only Unaka's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby cities.

The overall crime rate in Unaka is 24.31 per 1,000 residents in a typical year.

The Cost of Crime™ in Unaka, NC

Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in Unaka for 2025 is $133,251, about $386 per resident and $893 per household. That equals 1.3% of the median household income. These figures cover tangible costs, which include:

Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 55.2%
Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 32.6%
Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 12.2%

How Much Does Crime Cost in Unaka Compared to Other Cities?

Unaka, NC:	$386
Enfield, NC:	$1641
St. James, NC:	$251
North Carolina:	$538
USA:	$464

The overall cost of crime per resident in Unaka is $386 per year, which is $78 less than the national average and $151 less than North Carolina's state average. The comparison below uses cities similar to Unaka:

In Enfield, NC, crime costs $1,641 per person, which is $1,255 more than in Unaka.
In St. James, NC, crime costs $251 per person, which is $136 less than in Unaka

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

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

Crime	Cost to Unaka	Cost per Unaka Resident
Murder	$39,139	$113
Rape/Sexual Assault	$11,025	$32
Robbery	$4,785	$14
Assault	$21,647	$63
Kidnapping	$2,728	$8
Vehicle Theft	$6,445	$19
Burglary	$8,070	$23
Theft	$12,753	$37
Arson	$1,999	$6
Vandalism	$10,738	$31
Animal Cruelty	$122	$0
Drug Crimes	$13,139	$38
Identity Theft	$658	$2
Total Cost of Crime	$133,251	$386

The Intangible Cost of Crime in Unaka, 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 Unaka totals $319,952 ($927 per resident), and all of it comes from violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $453,202 ($1,314 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 city holds few 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 do the same, and of Unaka's 345 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 Unaka, NC at ISP Reports.

Unaka 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 Unaka residents in a standard year.

Violent Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Assault	2.185
Robbery	0.4410
Rape	0.5271
Murder	0.0604
Total Violent Crime	3.213 (C)

Property Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Theft	7.138
Vehicle Theft	1.206
Burglary	2.579
Arson	0.2399
Total Property Crime	11.16 (B-)

Other Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Kidnapping	0.1304
Drug Crimes	5.149
Vandalism	4.357
Identity Theft	0.2466
Animal Cruelty	0.0480
Total "Other" Rate	9.931 (C-)

Individual Unaka Crime Maps & Stats

Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby Cities

Compared to surrounding cities, the rate of crime in Unaka is lower. The table below shows Crime Grades for cities close to Unaka.

Nearby City	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Ogreeta, NC	C-	C-	C-
Violet, NC	D+	C-	D+
Grape Creek, NC	B	C+	A
Vests, NC	D+	D-	C+
Cokercreek, TN	B	B-	A+
Oak Park, NC	D+	B	D
Letitia, NC	D+	F	A-
Murphy, NC	D	C	D
Smithfield, TN	B	B-	A+
Regal, NC	D-	D-	D-

Crime Maps and Rates for City with Similar Populations

Unaka is similar versus other cities of the same size for crime. The table below compares crime in cities with comparable overall population in the city‘s boundaries.

Similar City	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Powellsville, OH	B	D	D
Norway Center, SD	D+	C	C
Oak Bowery, MS	A+	A+	A+
Oakland, AL	C+	A	A
Oakview, MO	D	B-	B-
Oakville, PA	A	A+	A+
Ocean Springs, FL	B+	A+	A+
Ohkay Owingeh, NM	F	F	F
Ormsby, MN	B-	B	B
Palmer, PA	A+	A+	A+

Considering only the crime rate, Unaka is safer than the North Carolina state average and safer than the national average.

Safety and school performance are separate topics, but both shape moving decisions. Using SchoolGrade data, schools in Unaka, NC average SchoolGrade of A-, with 57% actual proficiency versus 55% projected; overall, schools exceed expectations. See Unaka 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.