Charleston County Crime & Safety

Charleston County has a total crime rate of 2472.7 per 100,000 residents, based on FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data. This includes both violent crimes (376.0 per 100K) and property crimes (2096.7 per 100K).

Charleston County has a safety score of 14/100, rated "High Crime". A higher safety score indicates lower crime rates relative to other counties nationwide. It ranks #14 out of 46 counties in South Carolina for safety (1 = safest).

With a safety score of 96.1, Charleston County outperforms the state average of 95.4. It stands as one of the more secure coastal regions in South Carolina.

Violent crime stands at 376.0, very close to the national benchmark of 369.8. Property crime accounts for 2096.7 incidents per 100,000, representing the bulk of local safety concerns.

Crime data for Charleston County comes from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program. Local law enforcement agencies submit data on violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) and property crimes (burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft) to the FBI. Rates are calculated per 100,000 residents to allow fair comparison between counties of different sizes. The safety score (0-100) is derived from these rates, with higher scores indicating safer counties.

Charleston County has a safety score of 14/100, which is below the South Carolina average of 14/100. Many counties with above-average crime rates invest in community policing, crime prevention programs, neighborhood watch initiatives, and social services aimed at reducing crime over time.