crimebycounty

County safety report

Charleston County Crime & Safety Report

FBI UCR violent crime, property crime, total crime rate, and safety score for Charleston County, South Carolina.

Primary safety signal

14

out of 100, higher means lower reported crime

Rating

Elevated Reported Crime

Total crime

2472.7

State rank

#14

Violent crime

376.0

per 100K residents

Near national average

Property crime

2096.7

per 100K residents

Near national average

Total crime

2472.7

per 100K residents

Near national average

State rank

#14

of 46 scored counties

1 = safest in state

Crime Statistics

Safety score

14

Elevated Reported Crime

Higher scores indicate lower reported county-level crime.

Total crime rate

FBI UCR incidents per 100,000 residents, compared with the national benchmark.

2472.7

Near national average

National total crime benchmark: 2335.1 per 100K

Violent crime

376.0

National avg 380.7

Property crime

2096.7

National avg 1954.4

State rank

#14

of 46 counties, 1 = safest

State average safety score: 14/100. State average total crime rate: 2921.0 per 100K.

Local interpretation

What the crime data means for Charleston County

These reads compare Charleston County with South Carolina county averages and national FBI UCR benchmarks. They are county-level signals, not neighborhood-level guarantees.

Safety score

14/100

0 points below the South Carolina county average

State rank

#14

of 46 scored South Carolina counties, where #1 is safest

Safer than

70%

of scored counties in South Carolina by safety score

Reporting

Partial

18 agencies in the current record

Benchmark table

Rates are incidents per 100,000 residents.

MetricCharleston CountySouth Carolina avgU.S. benchmarkRead
Total crime2472.72921.02335.16% above national benchmark.
Violent crime376.0581.0380.7Within 5% of national benchmark.
Property crime2096.72340.01954.47% above national benchmark.

Crime mix

Property crime drives the profile

Property crime accounts for the larger reported rate at 2096.7 per 100,000 residents, compared with 376.0 for violent crime.

Property crime share85%
Violent crime share15%

Reporting quality

Partial reporting coverage

Some local agencies are represented, but the dataset may not include every agency serving the county.

18 reporting agencies are represented for 2022. Use the rates as a directional county benchmark and verify city-level police data before making a decision.

How to use this county report

Verify neighborhood property risk

County-level property crime is not a block-level measure. Check city or sheriff incident maps for the specific address area.

Read violent crime as a county benchmark

The violent-crime rate is useful for county comparison, but it does not replace neighborhood-level data or recent local incident trends.

Use the state rank as a first filter

The state rank helps screen counties quickly. Pair it with housing, schools, health, and risk data before making a move or investment decision.

Account for reporting limits

Some local agencies are represented, but the dataset may not include every agency serving the county.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the reported crime rate in Charleston County, SC?
Charleston County reports a total crime rate of 2472.7 incidents per 100,000 residents in the available FBI UCR dataset. The record is marked partial coverage with 18 reporting agencies for 2022.
How does Charleston County compare with the South Carolina average?
Charleston County's total crime rate is 2472.7 per 100,000 residents, compared with an unweighted South Carolina county average of 2921.0. It is 15% below south carolina county average.
How does Charleston County compare with the national benchmark?
Charleston County's total crime rate is 6% above national benchmark. Violent crime is within 5% of national benchmark. and property crime is 7% above national benchmark.
What does the safety score mean for Charleston County?
Charleston County has a safety score of 14/100, labeled Elevated reported crime. It ranks #14 out of 46 scored counties in South Carolina, where #1 is the safest reported county. The score is a comparative index derived from reported county-level crime rates, not a promise that every neighborhood has the same risk profile.
Is violent crime or property crime the larger signal in Charleston County?
Property crime accounts for the larger reported rate at 2096.7 per 100,000 residents, compared with 376.0 for violent crime.
What does partial FBI coverage mean for Charleston County?
Some local agencies are represented, but the dataset may not include every agency serving the county. 18 reporting agencies are represented for 2022. Use the rates as a directional county benchmark and verify city-level police data before making a decision.

Counties with Similar Safety Profile

By Evan Brooks, Data EditorUpdated Reviewed by Evan Brooks, Data Editor

Data Sources

Crime data sourced from the FBI Crime Data Explorer (UCR) and County Health Rankings. Safety scores are derived composite metrics.

Data is informational only. Not legal or security advice. Coverage varies by county and reporting year.