Highest Crime in South Carolina

Top 100 cities ranked by highest crime

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All Countries · United States · South Carolina

Highest Crime — South Carolina

1 Lake City 1,712.3 per 1K

2 Chester 1,527.6 per 1K

3 Greenwood 1,494.0 per 1K

4 Darlington 1,478.1 per 1K

5 Hartsville 1,435.4 per 1K

6 Carolina Forest 1,428.3 per 1K

7 Red Hill 1,428.3 per 1K

8 Little River 1,428.3 per 1K

9 Forestbrook 1,428.3 per 1K

10 Dillon 1,409.1 per 1K

11 Georgetown 1,225.2 per 1K

12 Myrtle Beach 1,190.5 per 1K

13 Florence 1,187.6 per 1K

14 Camden 1,187.5 per 1K

15 Spartanburg 1,186.6 per 1K

16 Cheraw 1,091.4 per 1K

17 Sumter 1,057.0 per 1K

18 Union 987.8 per 1K

19 Cayce 971.1 per 1K

20 Anderson 969.4 per 1K

21 Homeland Park 969.4 per 1K

22 Centerville 969.4 per 1K

23 North Charleston 966.1 per 1K

24 Valley Falls 965.7 per 1K

25 Laurens 906.7 per 1K

26 Marion 863.0 per 1K

27 Gaffney 814.2 per 1K

28 Taylors 810.7 per 1K

29 Wade Hampton 810.7 per 1K

30 Gantt 810.7 per 1K

31 Parker 810.7 per 1K

32 Welcome 810.7 per 1K

33 York 807.8 per 1K

34 Lugoff 799.7 per 1K

35 Clinton 784.6 per 1K

36 Columbia 775.1 per 1K

37 Hardeeville 749.1 per 1K

38 Woodfield 748.6 per 1K

39 Burton 741.0 per 1K

40 Laurel Bay 741.0 per 1K

41 St. Andrews 734.2 per 1K

42 Seven Oaks 734.2 per 1K

43 Oak Grove 734.2 per 1K

44 Hollywood 731.1 per 1K

45 Dentsville 717.1 per 1K

46 Blythewood 717.1 per 1K

47 West Columbia 706.1 per 1K

48 Newberry 696.8 per 1K

49 Bennettsville 686.0 per 1K

50 Orangeburg 662.9 per 1K

51 Rock Hill 661.0 per 1K

52 Lyman 655.6 per 1K

53 Forest Acres 620.2 per 1K

54 Seneca 586.5 per 1K

55 Greenville 575.7 per 1K

56 Aiken 575.6 per 1K

57 Moncks Corner 458.9 per 1K

58 Easley 458.2 per 1K

59 James Island 439.6 per 1K

60 Fountain Inn 433.7 per 1K

61 Greer 433.7 per 1K

62 Beaufort 430.1 per 1K

63 Conway 424.9 per 1K

64 North Myrtle Beach 419.1 per 1K

65 Lancaster 402.9 per 1K

66 Walterboro 386.8 per 1K

67 Charleston 373.2 per 1K

68 Summerville 351.7 per 1K

69 Powdersville 337.1 per 1K

70 Piedmont 337.1 per 1K

71 Lexington 324.9 per 1K

72 Irmo 311.6 per 1K

73 Hilton Head Island 306.4 per 1K

74 Port Royal 299.2 per 1K

75 Ladson 297.0 per 1K

76 Sangaree 297.0 per 1K

77 Clover 289.0 per 1K

78 Goose Creek 240.0 per 1K

79 North Augusta 230.4 per 1K

80 Mauldin 223.9 per 1K

81 Boiling Springs 206.4 per 1K

82 Hanahan 204.2 per 1K

83 Simpsonville 194.2 per 1K

84 Bluffton 185.4 per 1K

85 Clemson 182.4 per 1K

86 Clemson University 181.1 per 1K

87 Five Forks 181.0 per 1K

88 Socastee 167.1 per 1K

89 Garden City 167.1 per 1K

90 Murrells Inlet 167.1 per 1K

91 Litchfield Beach 167.1 per 1K

92 Red Bank 143.9 per 1K

93 White Knoll 143.9 per 1K

94 Belvedere 129.2 per 1K

95 Mount Pleasant 113.6 per 1K

96 Fort Mill 103.7 per 1K

97 Travelers Rest 93.7 per 1K

98 Lake Wylie 46.4 per 1K

99 Tega Cay 44.2 per 1K

100 Berea 40.8 per 1K

Cities with the highest crime rates in South Carolina face public safety challenges that affect residents' quality of life and economic development. Lake City has 1,712.3 violent crimes per 1,000 residents.

High crime rates are often linked to economic factors including poverty, unemployment, income inequality, and limited access to education and social services. Addressing crime effectively requires tackling these underlying root causes alongside traditional law enforcement approaches.

Many cities on this list are actively implementing comprehensive safety strategies including community policing, violence intervention programs, youth mentorship, and economic development initiatives aimed at reducing the conditions that contribute to criminal activity.

Did You Know?

1. The violent crime rate in Lake City is 428.1x the national average.
2. Crime rates have been declining nationally for decades — even cities on this list have generally seen improvements over time.
3. Violent crime is heavily concentrated in specific neighborhoods — most areas within these cities are considerably safer than the citywide statistics suggest.

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