County safety report
Pennington County Crime & Safety Report
FBI UCR violent crime, property crime, total crime rate, and safety score for Pennington County, South Dakota.
Primary safety signal
5
out of 100, higher means lower reported crime
Rating
Elevated Reported Crime
Total crime
3417.1
State rank
#65
Violent crime
586.1
per 100K residents
Above national average
Property crime
2831.0
per 100K residents
Above national average
Total crime
3417.1
per 100K residents
Above national average
State rank
#65
of 66 scored counties
1 = safest in state
Crime Statistics
Safety score
5
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.
3417.1
Above national average
National total crime benchmark: 2335.1 per 100K
Violent crime
586.1
National avg 380.7
Property crime
2831.0
National avg 1954.4
State rank
#65
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 Pennington County
These reads compare Pennington County with South Dakota county averages and national FBI UCR benchmarks. They are county-level signals, not neighborhood-level guarantees.
Safety score
5/100
68 points below the South Dakota county average
State rank
#65
of 66 scored South Dakota counties, where #1 is safest
Safer than
2%
of scored counties in South Dakota by safety score
Reporting
Partial
3 agencies in the current record
Benchmark table
Rates are incidents per 100,000 residents.
| Metric | Pennington County | South Dakota avg | U.S. benchmark | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total crime | 3417.1 | 788.0 | 2335.1 | 46% above national benchmark. |
| Violent crime | 586.1 | 132.0 | 380.7 | 54% above national benchmark. |
| Property crime | 2831.0 | 657.0 | 1954.4 | 45% above national benchmark. |
Crime mix
Property crime drives the profile
Property crime accounts for the larger reported rate at 2831.0 per 100,000 residents, compared with 586.1 for violent crime.
Reporting quality
Partial reporting coverage
Some local agencies are represented, but the dataset may not include every agency serving the county.
3 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
Prioritize property-crime prevention
Compare burglary, theft, and vehicle-theft patterns with local police dashboards before choosing a neighborhood or security setup.
Check violent-crime concentration
Violent crime often concentrates in small areas. Review city precinct, sheriff, or state incident maps before treating the county rate as uniform.
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 Pennington County, SD?
How does Pennington County compare with the South Dakota average?
How does Pennington County compare with the national benchmark?
What does the safety score mean for Pennington County?
Is violent crime or property crime the larger signal in Pennington County?
What does partial FBI coverage mean for Pennington 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.