Black Mountain among safest cities in state

Black Mountain residents can once again say they live in one of the safest towns in the state, according to safety review and comparison website SafeWise.

The annual study, in which analysts with the site review FBI crime statistic as well as population data, ranked Black Mountain number 20 on a list of the safest towns in North Carolina.

With a reported population of 8,368, Black Mountain registered 1.43 violent crimes per 1,000 citizens, according to SafeWise. Property crimes occurred at the rate of 14.82 per 1,000 citizens, the report stated.

Black Mountain was not the only Buncombe County town featured on the list. Woodfin, with a population of 6,411, was ranked number 12 on the report. The town just north of Asheville experienced violent crime at the rate of 1.25 per 1,000 residents, SafeWise reported, and property crime at the rate of 14.04 per 1,000.

The Town of Fletcher, located in Henderson County, was the third Western North Carolina town to make the list. Ranked number 8 on the list, Fletcher boasts a population of 7,660 and violent crime occurs at a rate of .91 per 1,000 people, SafeWise reported. Property crime takes place a rate of 13.30 per 1,000.