registered sex offenders live in North Carolina — that's 1 in every 403 residents, or 24.8 per 10,000, 3% above the national average.
Registered sex offender counts for the 12 largest cities in North Carolina, with each city's rate per 10,000 residents. Raw counts track population — the per-capita column is the fair comparison, and the spread is dramatic: Raleigh's rate is 16× Cary's. Click a city for its full breakdown, or a column header to sort.
| # | City | Registered offenders | Population | Per 10,000 residents |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raleigh | 467,911 | 53.9 | |
| 2 | Charlotte | 874,687 | 15.9 | |
| 3 | Fayetteville | 208,472 | 37.7 | |
| 4 | Greensboro | 299,190 | 25.3 | |
| 5 | Durham | 283,827 | 20.9 | |
| 6 | Asheville | 94,725 | 32.5 | |
| 7 | Winston-Salem | 249,567 | 12.1 | |
| 8 | High Point | 114,115 | 26.4 | |
| 9 | Greenville | 89,273 | 33.0 | |
| 10 | Concord | 105,329 | 26.5 | |
| 11 | Wilmington | 115,459 | 23.0 | |
| 12 | Cary | 174,799 | 3.4 |
Counts as of July 2026, compiled from official registry records. City populations from the 2020 U.S. Census. red = 1.5× the state rate or more · green = well below the state rate.
Every North Carolina city we track has its own page with neighborhood-level numbers, risk levels, and recent registrations:
Statewide numbers only tell you so much — what matters is who lives near your home, your kids' school, or the places your family spends time. The free Predator Map app searches any U.S. address and shows every registered offender around it on an interactive map, with photos, offense details, and registered addresses from official government registries. You can also search the official North Carolina Sex Offender Registry (SBI) directly.
30-year and lifetime registration. North Carolina registers offenders for 30 years (with petition for removal after 10) or life for aggravated offenses, recidivists, and sexually violent predators. All registrants appear on the SBI's public site.
1,000-foot rule. North Carolina bars registrants from residing within 1,000 feet of a school or childcare center, with additional presence restrictions at places where minors gather.
Registration & verification. Registrants must keep their address, employment, and schooling current with the registry, and verify in person on a recurring schedule — more frequently for higher-risk or higher-tier registrants. Failure to register or verify is itself a crime and commonly appears as a listed offense on registry records.
Current risk-level breakdown in North Carolina:
As of July 2026, there are 25,906 registered sex offenders in North Carolina — about 24.8 for every 10,000 residents, 3% above the national average. Counts change as offenders register, move, or are removed from the registry.
Raleigh has the most registered sex offenders in North Carolina with 2,522. Raw counts track population, so the fairer comparison is per capita: adjusted for population, Raleigh has the highest rate among major cities at 53.9 per 10,000 residents, while Cary has the lowest at 3.4.
Use the free Predator Map app to search any North Carolina address and see registered offenders around it on a map, with photos and offense details from official registry records. You can also search the official North Carolina Sex Offender Registry (SBI) website directly.
Public registry websites only show what the state chooses to publish. North Carolina publishes all registrants on the public site. Statistics on this page are compiled from aggregated official registry records, so they can differ from — and often exceed — what a manual search of the public site returns.
1,000-foot rule. North Carolina bars registrants from residing within 1,000 feet of a school or childcare center, with additional presence restrictions at places where minors gather. Address-level monitoring matters more than assumptions about "safe" neighborhoods.
Statistics on this page are compiled from official state registry records and refreshed monthly. This page was last updated in July 2026. Always verify individual records with the official state registry.
Yes. Predator Map Pro monitors up to 5 addresses daily and sends push and email alerts when a registered offender moves in nearby, a new offender registers, or someone moves away.
Yes. Registry information is public record under federal and state law (Megan's Law), and anyone may search it to protect themselves and their family. What the law prohibits is using registry information to harass, threaten, or commit a crime against a registrant — misuse can be prosecuted.
Free search for any North Carolina address — and daily monitoring with instant alerts when something changes.
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Methodology: Statistics are compiled from aggregated official state registry records and refreshed monthly. City figures count the city listed on each registry record. Per-capita rates use 2020 U.S. Census populations. Aggregated counts can exceed what public registry websites display because some classification levels are excluded from public searches. Figures are estimates and change daily as registries update — always verify individual records with the official state registry.