North Carolina Sex Offender Statistics (2026)
As of August 2026, we index about 31,100 sex-offender registry records in North Carolina — the 8th-most of the 56 US jurisdictions, at 3.0 per 1,000 residents. These are counts of the records in our continuously updated index, rounded and dated — not North Carolina’s official figures.
North Carolina against the national average
Registrants we index, with the rate per 1,000 residents (2020 Census population). Neighboring jurisdictions are listed for scale; each links to its own statistics page.
| Jurisdiction | Registrants indexed (approx.) | Per 1,000 residents | Rank by count |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina | ≈ 31,100 | 3.0 | 8th |
| United States (all 58 registries) | ≈ 1,560,000 | 4.7 | — |
| Georgia | ≈ 41,500 | 3.9 | 6th |
| South Carolina | ≈ 18,200 | 3.6 | 15th |
| Tennessee | ≈ 27,900 | 4.0 | 10th |
| Virginia | ≈ 31,900 | 3.7 | 7th |
Cite this: ≈31,100 sex-offender registry records indexed in North Carolina (3.0 per 1,000 residents) — Offendersearch, North Carolina Sex Offender Statistics (August 2026). https://offendersearch.app/sex-offender-statistics/north-carolina#headline
North Carolina at a glance
- About 31,100 registry records indexed, the 8th-largest count of the 56 US jurisdictions.
- That is about 2% of the registrants we index nationwide.
- 3.0 per 1,000 residents, about 37% below the national average of 4.7.
- 23rd by rate per resident among jurisdictions with at least 1,000 indexed records.
- Largest local count among the cities we publish pages for: Raleigh, about 2,522.
- Largest county count among the counties we publish pages for: Mecklenburg County, about 1,338.
Against its neighbors
- North Carolina is about 23% below Georgia (3.0 vs 3.9 per 1,000).
- North Carolina is about 16% below South Carolina (3.0 vs 3.6 per 1,000).
- North Carolina is about 26% below Tennessee (3.0 vs 4.0 per 1,000).
- North Carolina is about 19% below Virginia (3.0 vs 3.7 per 1,000).
Where North Carolina ranks
North Carolina holds the 8th-largest count of registrants we index among the 56 US jurisdictions — just behind Virginia (≈31,900) and ahead of New York (≈28,300). North Carolina's rate of 3.0 registrants indexed per 1,000 residents ranks 23rd among the US jurisdictions with at least 1,000 indexed records, against a national average of about 4.7 per 1,000. North Carolina's rate is higher than 0 of its 4 neighboring jurisdictions in the table and lower than 4. Absolute size and per-capita rate order the states very differently — the full rankings are on the count ranking and the per-capita ranking.
Housing status (national estimate). No per-state housing figure is published here, because our housing data is a national sample estimate: across 6,668 sampled records nationwide, 5.7% of registrants with a known housing status were homeless or had no fixed address as of August 2026. That figure describes the country, not North Carolina — the breakdown is on the national statistics page.
Where North Carolina’s registrants live
The largest local counts among the North Carolina cities and counties we publish pages for, with the rate per 10,000 residents so places of different size compare fairly.
| City | Indexed | Per 10,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Raleigh | ≈ 2,522 | 53.9 |
| Charlotte | ≈ 1,402 | 16 |
| Fayetteville | ≈ 692 | 33.2 |
| Greensboro | ≈ 678 | 22.7 |
| Durham | ≈ 527 | 18.6 |
| High Point | ≈ 293 | 25.7 |
| Concord | ≈ 273 | 25.9 |
| Wilmington | ≈ 245 | 21.2 |
| County | Indexed | Per 10,000 |
|---|---|---|
| Mecklenburg County | ≈ 1,338 | 12 |
| Guilford County | ≈ 1,131 | 20.9 |
| Wake County | ≈ 1,072 | 9.5 |
| Cumberland County | ≈ 903 | 27 |
| Forsyth County | ≈ 742 | 19.4 |
| Durham County | ≈ 553 | 17 |
| Buncombe County | ≈ 495 | 18.4 |
| Cabarrus County | ≈ 444 | 19.7 |
What these North Carolina numbers measure
Every figure on this page is a count of the registry records in our continuously updated index that carry a North Carolina address, rounded to three significant figures and dated to August 2026. Rates divide that rounded count by the 2020 Census population, so they describe scale, not precision to the last person. Local counts cover the cities and counties we publish pages for, not every town in the state.
Registry sizes are not a direct measure of risk. States set their own rules on who must register, for how long, and which registrants are shown to the public, so two states with similar populations can carry very different counts. Use the comparison for context, and a search for any question about a specific person or address.
North Carolina's registry publishes a full date of birth, so if you know the person's birthday a match can be confirmed precisely. With a common name, a matching date of birth is the fastest way to tell two people apart.
How to search North Carolina’s registry
North Carolina’s own public search is North Carolina Sex Offender Registry (SBI), which covers North Carolina only. A search here covers North Carolina and every other US registry in one pass, returns photographs and the official record link for each result, and can be narrowed to a city, county or ZIP — or run outward from a street address.
North Carolina registry search guide · Search by address · Alerts when someone moves in
North Carolina city figures
Cities where we publish a local count, largest first:
North Carolina statistics, answered
How many registered sex offenders live in North Carolina?
As of August 2026, we index about 31,100 sex-offender registry records in North Carolina — the 8th-most of the 56 US jurisdictions. That is a count of the records in our continuously updated index, not North Carolina's official figure: registries add, remove and amend records all the time, so the live answer for a specific person comes from a search, not a table.
How many sex offenders does North Carolina have per capita?
About 3.0 registrants indexed per 1,000 residents, using the 2020 Census population as the denominator. North Carolina's rate of 3.0 registrants indexed per 1,000 residents ranks 23rd among the US jurisdictions with at least 1,000 indexed records, against a national average of about 4.7 per 1,000. A rate describes the size of a registry relative to population — jurisdictions differ in who must register, for how long, and which registrants they publish, so it is a scale comparison rather than a safety measure.
Which North Carolina city has the most registered sex offenders?
Among the North Carolina cities we publish local pages for, Raleigh has the most registrants we index, at about 2,522, followed by Charlotte (about 1,402). Big cities lead on raw counts because they have more people; the per-10,000 column is the fairer comparison.
Which North Carolina county has the most registered sex offenders?
Among the North Carolina counties we publish pages for, Mecklenburg County has the most registrants we index, at about 1,338. Each county page breaks that figure down by city.
How does North Carolina compare with neighboring states?
North Carolina's rate is higher than 0 of its 4 neighboring jurisdictions in the table and lower than 4. Rates differ partly because states set different rules for who must register, for how long, and which registrants are shown publicly, so a neighbor comparison describes registry size relative to population rather than relative risk.
Where can I search North Carolina's sex offender registry?
North Carolina's own public search is North Carolina Sex Offender Registry (SBI), which covers North Carolina only. A search here covers North Carolina and every other US registry at once, with photographs and links to each official record, and can be narrowed to a North Carolina city, county or ZIP.
Are these North Carolina's official registry numbers?
No — they are approximate counts of the registrants we index for North Carolina, rounded to three significant figures and dated to August 2026. Jurisdictions count different things (people, registrations, addresses) and publish on their own terms, so no single official national table exists. For a legal or research purpose that requires North Carolina's official figure, request it from the state registry authority.
Registry data is not a consumer report, and decisions made on it are regulated in that use.
Embed this figure on your site
Free to use on any site. Paste the HTML below — the badge stays current automatically, and the link back to this page must remain intact. All badges and terms
<a href="https://offendersearch.app/sex-offender-statistics/north-carolina"><img src="https://offendersearch.app/badge/state/nc.svg" alt="North Carolina registered sex offenders — Offendersearch" height="40"></a>The live answer beats the table
Statistics describe North Carolina’s registry as a population; a search answers for a person — across every US registry at once. Your first 25 are free.