South Carolina’s 20 Safest Cities of 2024

See crime rates for the safest cities.

South Carolina residents share similar levels of concern about crime as the rest of the country in our State of Safety survey, and its safest cities collectively boast crime rates below national averages. But statewide, there’s more crime reported in The Palmetto State than much of the rest of the US.

Violent crime in South Carolina increased this year, from 5.2 incidents per 1,000 people to 5.5. Property crime continued a downward trend, falling from 25.9 crimes per 1,000 people to 23.9.

South Carolina's crime rates are higher than the national rate. Across the states that met reporting requirements this year, South Carolina is seventh for violent crime and tenth for property crime.

South Carolinians experienced less property crime this survey year. Still, the statewide ranks in the top ten for most property crime.

• 60% of respondents said they were concerned about property crime (US 52%).
• 35% of survey participants reported an experience with property crime in the 12 months prior to the survey, compared to 27% nationwide.
• Reported experiences with property crime rose by 25% year over year.
• Burglaries are 31% less common in the safest cities.
• 81% of respondents said they used some form of home protection. The most popular type is  security cameras.
• 34% of survey respondents in South Carolina reported experiencing package theft in the last 12 months, which is just below the US average of 35%.

People in South Carolina are more worried about violent crime than the average American, though reports of violent crime experiences fell 29% year over year. 

• 35% of South Carolinians say they feel safe in their state—that's a 30% drop from the last year.
• Respondents' experiences with violent crime incidents rank 12% higher than the nation.
• 53% of respondents said they were worried about violent crime (US 50%).
• Aggravated assault is the most common violent crime in South Carolina, making up 75% of all reported incidents—5% higher than the national average.
• 15% of reported violent crimes were robberies, just below the national average (US 16%).
• 37% say they use some form of personal protection (US 36%).
• The most common forms of personal protection in the state are pocket knives, concealed weapons, and pepper spray. These tied for first place at 41%.

• 52% are most worried about a gun violence incident happening to them (US 51%).
• Survey respondents say their gun violence experiences dropped 23% year over year—from 22% to 17%.
• The 16 mass shooting incidents in South Carolina. There were 20 for each of the two years before.
• South Carolina ranks eighth in its experience with gun violence.

For the purposes of this report, the terms “dangerous” and “safest” refer explicitly to crime rates as calculated from FBI crime data—no other characterization of any community is implied or intended.

• 75 cities met the criteria to be considered for ranking.
• Bluffton reached the number one spot this year after ranking second the year before.
• Seven cities in the top ten reported zero murders.
• Ridgeland was the only city to report zero motor vehicle thefts.
• Travelers Rest was the only city to report zero murders, rapes, and robberies. 
• Eight cities in the top 15 were new to the safest cities list.
• The violent crime rate in the safest cities is 3.9 incidents per 1,000 people, less than the state rate (5.5).
• The property crime rate in the safest cities is 24.2 incidents per 1,000 people.

• Best Home Security Systems
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• Burglary Stats & Facts
• Over 50% Of All Burglaries Are Residential—How To Protect Your Family
• The Best Personal Safety Devices for Every Situation

Find all endnotes and sources in our full methodology.

FBI Crime Data Explorer, "Documents & Downloads." Accessed March 18, 2024.

• 2022 and 2021 Crime in the United States Annual Reports
  • Offenses Known to Law Enforcement
• 2022 NIBRS Estimation Tables

Bureau of Justice Statistics, "National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)." Accessed March 18, 2024.

Gun Violence Archive, "Mass Shootings." Accessed March 18, 2023.