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SCSouth Carolina rankings

Safest towns in South Carolina

Ranked by crime reported to police per 1,000 residents, averaged over 2023–2025, with violent crimes counted four times as heavily as property crimes. Lower is safer. 84 towns with 2,500+ residents whose police reported every year.

U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year

Map of Tega Cay 1 Tega Cay 7.7 Violent 0.4 per 1,000 Fort Mill 2 Fort Mill 7.8 Violent 0.5 per 1,000 Pine Ridge 3 Pine Ridge 10.0 Violent 0.6 per 1,000
#TownWeighted crime rateViolentProperty
1 Map of Tega Cay Tega Cay13,615 people 7.7 0.4 per 1,000 6.0 per 1,000
2 Fort Mill Fort Mill30,775 people 7.8 0.5 per 1,000 5.8 per 1,000
3 Pine Ridge Pine Ridge2,596 people 10.0 0.6 per 1,000 7.7 per 1,000
4 Burnettown Burnettown3,135 people 11.4 0.3 per 1,000 10.1 per 1,000
5 Bluffton Bluffton33,157 people 11.7 0.9 per 1,000 8.3 per 1,000
6 Lexington Lexington24,585 people 13.5 1.0 per 1,000 9.4 per 1,000
7 Map of Lyman Lyman6,547 people 13.8 1.1 per 1,000 9.4 per 1,000
8 Clover Clover7,234 people 14.7 1.5 per 1,000 8.6 per 1,000
9 Walhalla Walhalla4,157 people 16.7 2.3 per 1,000 7.6 per 1,000
10 Map of Central Central5,320 people 17.0 0.7 per 1,000 14.2 per 1,000
11 Map of Mount Pleasant Mount Pleasant93,993 people 17.0 1.4 per 1,000 11.6 per 1,000
12 Map of Port Royal Port Royal15,579 people 18.1 1.4 per 1,000 12.6 per 1,000
13 Map of Fountain Inn Fountain Inn12,020 people 19.2 2.1 per 1,000 10.7 per 1,000
14 Hardeeville Hardeeville10,871 people 20.5 1.5 per 1,000 14.4 per 1,000
15 Hanahan21,452 people 20.7 2.2 per 1,000 12.0 per 1,000
16 Landrum Landrum2,620 people 21.5 2.3 per 1,000 12.4 per 1,000
17 Isle of Palms Isle of Palms4,362 people 21.9 2.4 per 1,000 12.4 per 1,000
18 Mauldin Mauldin27,055 people 22.9 1.8 per 1,000 15.6 per 1,000
19 Map of Clemson Clemson18,072 people 23.0 1.3 per 1,000 17.7 per 1,000
20 Map of New Ellenton New Ellenton2,837 people 23.1 2.1 per 1,000 14.6 per 1,000
21 Saluda Saluda3,055 people 23.3 3.0 per 1,000 11.5 per 1,000
22 Map of Ninety Six Ninety Six2,521 people 23.4 3.4 per 1,000 9.9 per 1,000
23 Goose Creek Goose Creek48,078 people 24.3 2.6 per 1,000 14.0 per 1,000
24 Duncan Duncan4,310 people 25.6 2.9 per 1,000 14.0 per 1,000
25 Surfside Beach4,270 people 26.3 2.1 per 1,000 17.8 per 1,000
26 Easley24,841 people 26.7 2.3 per 1,000 17.4 per 1,000
27 Inman Inman3,166 people 27.0 2.3 per 1,000 17.8 per 1,000
28 Abbeville Abbeville4,872 people 27.9 3.3 per 1,000 14.7 per 1,000
29 Pendleton Pendleton3,594 people 30.6 3.0 per 1,000 18.7 per 1,000
30 Moncks Corner Moncks Corner15,485 people 31.9 3.2 per 1,000 19.2 per 1,000
31 Charleston Charleston154,338 people 32.5 3.5 per 1,000 18.7 per 1,000
32 Map of Travelers Rest Travelers Rest8,370 people 33.3 2.5 per 1,000 23.4 per 1,000
33 Conway Conway27,263 people 33.7 3.8 per 1,000 18.5 per 1,000
34 Simpsonville Simpsonville26,144 people 33.8 2.2 per 1,000 24.8 per 1,000
35 Ridgeland Ridgeland3,764 people 35.4 2.4 per 1,000 25.9 per 1,000
36 Seneca Seneca8,993 people 35.4 4.9 per 1,000 15.7 per 1,000
37 McCormick McCormick2,506 people 39.4 2.7 per 1,000 28.6 per 1,000
38 Rock Hill Rock Hill75,259 people 41.9 4.5 per 1,000 24.0 per 1,000
39 Map of Loris Loris2,645 people 42.7 4.5 per 1,000 24.8 per 1,000
40 Map of Williamston Williamston4,170 people 44.3 5.5 per 1,000 22.5 per 1,000
41 Forest Acres Forest Acres10,530 people 47.7 3.7 per 1,000 32.8 per 1,000
42 Beaufort Beaufort13,747 people 49.5 4.9 per 1,000 30.1 per 1,000
43 Map of Pickens Pickens3,155 people 49.7 4.2 per 1,000 32.9 per 1,000
44 Springdale Springdale2,742 people 50.2 6.4 per 1,000 24.8 per 1,000
45 Newberry Newberry10,790 people 51.4 5.9 per 1,000 27.9 per 1,000
46 North Myrtle Beach North Myrtle Beach19,855 people 51.7 3.7 per 1,000 36.9 per 1,000
47 Map of Honea Path Honea Path3,739 people 52.8 6.6 per 1,000 26.4 per 1,000
48 Aiken Aiken32,521 people 53.9 4.5 per 1,000 36.0 per 1,000
49 York York8,969 people 54.6 5.9 per 1,000 31.1 per 1,000
50 Denmark Denmark3,117 people 55.2 7.0 per 1,000 27.3 per 1,000
51 Greenville Greenville72,935 people 56.3 5.7 per 1,000 33.5 per 1,000
52 Batesburg-Leesville Batesburg-Leesville4,941 people 56.6 7.7 per 1,000 25.9 per 1,000
53 Greenwood Greenwood22,536 people 57.1 5.5 per 1,000 35.0 per 1,000
54 Bishopville Bishopville2,910 people 62.7 6.6 per 1,000 36.4 per 1,000
55 Columbia Columbia139,643 people 63.6 7.7 per 1,000 32.8 per 1,000
56 Map of Laurens Laurens9,336 people 63.7 8.3 per 1,000 30.3 per 1,000
57 Map of Williston Williston2,870 people 64.2 5.4 per 1,000 42.7 per 1,000
58 Hampton Hampton2,636 people 67.6 9.5 per 1,000 29.8 per 1,000
59 West Columbia West Columbia17,963 people 68.9 6.5 per 1,000 43.1 per 1,000
60 Sumter Sumter43,053 people 70.5 9.0 per 1,000 34.6 per 1,000
61 North Charleston North Charleston119,913 people 71.9 8.0 per 1,000 40.0 per 1,000
62 Bennettsville Bennettsville7,751 people 73.3 9.3 per 1,000 36.2 per 1,000
63 Camden Camden8,267 people 73.4 8.7 per 1,000 38.7 per 1,000
64 Anderson Anderson30,051 people 73.6 5.8 per 1,000 50.5 per 1,000
65 Andrews Andrews3,485 people 74.7 8.6 per 1,000 40.3 per 1,000
66 Barnwell Barnwell4,613 people 75.3 9.4 per 1,000 37.9 per 1,000
67 Florence Florence40,408 people 77.6 8.6 per 1,000 43.2 per 1,000
68 Clinton Clinton7,676 people 78.0 9.5 per 1,000 40.1 per 1,000
69 Lancaster Lancaster8,921 people 93.8 10.0 per 1,000 53.7 per 1,000
70 Marion Marion6,206 people 97.3 10.4 per 1,000 55.6 per 1,000
71 Myrtle Beach Myrtle Beach38,371 people 99.1 10.7 per 1,000 56.3 per 1,000
72 Cheraw Cheraw4,960 people 99.9 10.4 per 1,000 58.5 per 1,000
73 Map of Darlington Darlington6,120 people 103.9 12.3 per 1,000 54.7 per 1,000
74 Map of Kingstree Kingstree3,132 people 104.3 10.0 per 1,000 64.2 per 1,000
75 Bamberg Bamberg2,996 people 105.2 13.3 per 1,000 52.1 per 1,000
76 Map of Walterboro Walterboro5,480 people 106.1 12.0 per 1,000 58.2 per 1,000
77 Orangeburg Orangeburg13,253 people 108.9 13.2 per 1,000 56.2 per 1,000
78 Mullins Mullins3,914 people 109.4 14.8 per 1,000 50.2 per 1,000
79 Map of Allendale Allendale2,653 people 110.8 19.5 per 1,000 32.7 per 1,000
80 Map of Union Union8,079 people 111.9 10.7 per 1,000 69.3 per 1,000
81 Hartsville Hartsville7,419 people 112.3 15.2 per 1,000 51.4 per 1,000
82 Lake City Lake City5,988 people 115.1 18.2 per 1,000 42.3 per 1,000
83 Map of Manning Manning3,863 people 115.5 11.0 per 1,000 71.5 per 1,000
84 Dillon Dillon6,354 people 137.4 19.8 per 1,000 58.3 per 1,000

How this ranking works

For each town we add up the violent and property crimes its police reported to the FBI over 2023–2025 and divide by the population they served, giving a rate per 1,000 residents. Violent crimes (homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault) count four times as much as property crimes (burglary, theft, vehicle theft and arson), because they weigh more on how safe a place feels. The lowest weighted rate ranks #1.

These are crimes reported to police, not convictions, and towns with a campus, highway, beach or shopping center also count incidents involving visitors. A town is ranked only if its police department reported a full year in every one of these years; towns patrolled by a county sheriff or state police don't have their own figures. There is no “most dangerous” list, on purpose.

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, offenses known to law enforcement by city. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

Same ranking in other states

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