County safety report
Custer County Crime & Safety Report
FBI UCR violent crime, property crime, total crime rate, and safety score for Custer County, South Dakota.
Primary safety signal
44
out of 100, higher means lower reported crime
Rating
Middle Range
Total crime
1268.4
State rank
#54
Violent crime
129.2
per 100K residents
Below national average
Property crime
1139.2
per 100K residents
Below national average
Total crime
1268.4
per 100K residents
Below national average
State rank
#54
of 66 scored counties
1 = safest in state
Crime Statistics
Safety score
44
Middle Range
Higher scores indicate lower reported county-level crime.
Total crime rate
FBI UCR incidents per 100,000 residents, compared with the national benchmark.
1268.4
Below national average
National total crime benchmark: 2335.1 per 100K
Violent crime
129.2
National avg 380.7
Property crime
1139.2
National avg 1954.4
State rank
#54
of 66 counties, 1 = safest
State average safety score: 73/100. State average total crime rate: 788.0 per 100K.
Local interpretation
What the crime data means for Custer County
These reads compare Custer County with South Dakota county averages and national FBI UCR benchmarks. They are county-level signals, not neighborhood-level guarantees.
Safety score
44/100
29 points below the South Dakota county average
State rank
#54
of 66 scored South Dakota counties, where #1 is safest
Safer than
18%
of scored counties in South Dakota by safety score
Reporting
Partial
1 agency in the current record
Benchmark table
Rates are incidents per 100,000 residents.
| Metric | Custer County | South Dakota avg | U.S. benchmark | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total crime | 1268.4 | 788.0 | 2335.1 | 46% below national benchmark. |
| Violent crime | 129.2 | 132.0 | 380.7 | 66% below national benchmark. |
| Property crime | 1139.2 | 657.0 | 1954.4 | 42% below national benchmark. |
Crime mix
Property crime drives the profile
Property crime accounts for the larger reported rate at 1139.2 per 100,000 residents, compared with 129.2 for violent crime.
Reporting quality
Partial reporting coverage
Some local agencies are represented, but the dataset may not include every agency serving the county.
1 reporting agency is 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.
Compare against nearby South Dakota counties
The county sits above the state county average on total reported crime, so peer counties can reveal whether this is a regional pattern or a local outlier.
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 Custer County, SD?
How does Custer County compare with the South Dakota average?
How does Custer County compare with the national benchmark?
What does the safety score mean for Custer County?
Is violent crime or property crime the larger signal in Custer County?
What does partial FBI coverage mean for Custer County?
Counties with Similar Safety Profile
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.