The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in South Carolina: Crime Maps and Statistics

D-

Overall Crime Grade™

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

Which crimes are included?

$3.5 billion

Cost of Crime™ for South Carolina

In 2025, crime will cost $1,673 per household.

More cost data

On the map, green marks the parts of South Carolina 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 South Carolina Safe?

The D- overall grade blends the violent, property, and other grades shown above into one measure, set against the average US state, where South Carolina's combined rate is much higher than the norm. South Carolina sits in the 12th percentile, ahead of 12% of states and behind 88%. The grade covers only South Carolina's official city boundaries. See the table below for nearby states.

The overall crime rate in South Carolina is 44.18 per 1,000 residents in a typical year. Residents generally consider the north part of the state the safest. Your chance of being a victim ranges from 1 in 17 in the northeast cities to 1 in 29 in the north.

Counting total incidents instead of per-capita rates, the northwest parts of South Carolina report the most crime, about 59,020 cases per year. The northeast part reports the fewest, around 3,830 per year.

The Cost of Crime™ in South Carolina

Across all crime types, the projected cost of crime in South Carolina for 2025 is $3,527,241,469, about $666 per resident and $1,673 per household. That equals 1.7% of the median household income. These figures cover tangible costs, which include:

Criminal justice system costs (law enforcement, courts, and imprisonment): 54.8%
Direct costs to victims (damaged property, medical expenses, and lost wages): 33.7%
Lost economic contribution from offenders (time in prison or repeat offenses): 11.5%

How Much Does Crime Cost in South Carolina Compared to Other States?

South Carolina:	$666
New Mexico:	$835
New Jersey:	$240
USA:	$464

The overall cost of crime per resident in South Carolina is $666 per year, which is $201 more than the national average. The comparison below uses states similar to South Carolina:

In New Mexico, crime costs $835 per person, which is $169 more than in South Carolina.
In New Jersey, crime costs $240 per person, which is $426 less than in South Carolina

2025 Projected Cost by Type of Crime

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

Crime	Cost to South Carolina	Cost per South Carolina Resident
Murder	$1.1 billion	$206
Rape/Sexual Assault	$231.6 million	$44
Robbery	$67.7 million	$13
Assault	$608.4 million	$115
Kidnapping	$59.9 million	$11
Vehicle Theft	$212.1 million	$40
Burglary	$172.4 million	$33
Theft	$465.0 million	$88
Arson	$16.2 million	$3
Vandalism	$248.0 million	$47
Animal Cruelty	$3.83 million	$1
Drug Crimes	$321.5 million	$61
Identity Theft	$27.3 million	$5
Total Cost of Crime	$3,527,241,469	$666

The Intangible Cost of Crime in South Carolina

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 South Carolina totals $8,529,860,502 ($1,610 per resident), and all of it comes from violent crime rather than property loss. Added to the tangible costs, the full estimate reaches $12,057,101,971 ($2,275 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 northwest part of the state 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 South Carolina has 951, do the same, and of South Carolina's 5,298,759 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 South Carolina at ISP Reports.

South Carolina 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 South Carolina residents in a standard year.

Violent Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Assault	3.998
Robbery	0.4061
Rape	0.7210
Murder	0.1098
Total Violent Crime	5.235 (D)

Property Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Theft	16.94
Vehicle Theft	2.585
Burglary	3.587
Arson	0.1267
Total Property Crime	23.24 (D)

Other Crime Rates

Crime Type	Crime Rate
Kidnapping	0.1864
Drug Crimes	8.201
Vandalism	6.552
Identity Theft	0.6666
Animal Cruelty	0.0977
Total "Other" Rate	15.70 (D-)

Individual South Carolina Crime Maps & Stats

Crime Maps and Rates for Nearby States

Compared to surrounding states, the rate of crime in South Carolina is higher. The table below shows Crime Grades for states close to South Carolina.

Nearby State	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
North Carolina	C-	C-	C-
Georgia	B-	C+	B
Virginia	B-	B+	B-
Tennessee	D	D-	D
West Virginia	A-	B+	A
Alabama	C+	C+	B
Kentucky	B-	A-	B
Florida	A+	A-	A
District of Columbia	F	F	F
Maryland	C	C-	C+

Crime Maps and Rates for State with Similar Populations

South Carolina is higher versus other states of the same size for crime. The table below compares crime in states with comparable overall population in the state‘s boundaries.

Similar State	Overall Crime Grade	Violent Crime Grade	Property Crime Grade
Arizona	B-	C	C
Alabama	C+	C+	C+
Louisiana	D+	D-	D-
Kentucky	B-	A-	A-
Kansas	D+	C-	C-
Iowa	B+	B	B
Indiana	A-	B-	B-
Illinois	B	B+	B+
Idaho	A-	B	B
Hawaii	B	A	A

Considering only the crime rate, South Carolina is as safe as the national average.

Safety and school performance are separate topics, but both shape moving decisions. Using SchoolGrade data, schools in South Carolina average SchoolGrade of B-, with 41% actual proficiency versus 35% projected; overall, schools greatly exceed expectations. See South Carolina 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.