Hughes County Crime & Safety

Hughes County has a total crime rate of 1875.1 per 100,000 residents, based on FBI Uniform Crime Reporting data. This includes both violent crimes (409.8 per 100K) and property crimes (1465.3 per 100K).

Hughes County has a safety score of 25/100, rated "High Crime". A higher safety score indicates lower crime rates relative to other counties nationwide. It ranks #59 out of 66 counties in South Dakota for safety (1 = safest).

Hughes County’s crime rate of 1,875.1 is more than double the South Dakota average of 788.1. Its safety score of 97.0 is also lower than the state average of 98.8. As a regional hub, the county sees more law enforcement activity than its rural neighbors.

Violent crime in Hughes County stands at 409.8 per 100,000, slightly above the national average of 369.8. Property crime is more frequent, reaching ,1465.3 per 100,000 people. This suggests that while theft is common, physical safety requires more personal awareness.

Crime data for Hughes 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.

Hughes County has a safety score of 25/100, which is below the South Dakota average of 73/100. 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.