South Carolina
Data sources: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Last updated: 01/08/2026
Safest Cities in South Carolina for Property Crime: Burglary, Larceny, Motor Vehicle Theft, and Robbery
South Carolina, in the southeastern US, is known as the ‘Palmetto State’. With over 180 miles of Atlantic coastline, it’s famed for its beaches and coastal resorts. North-west, you’ll find the Blue Ridge Mountains, a picture-perfect scene, which highlights the state’s southern charm and natural beauty. It’s also home to iconic spots like Myrtle Beach, Fort Sumter and Congaree National Park. Venture into civilization, and you’ll find historic cities like Columbia and idyllic spots like Hilton Head Island.
But, when it comes to those who call the state home, how is it affected by property crime? And which are the safest cities in South Carolina? For people moving to the state, we’ll also explore the safest places to live in South Carolina, and the South Carolina crime rate.
Our analysis of FBI data shows how South Carolina is affected by property crime, and helps you get a clearer picture of your local area.
01.
Understanding Property Crime
We have used FBI data on property crime across 2022 and 2023, the most recent available, to write this content. Our focus has been on burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft – what the FBI defines as property crime and ‘theft-type offences’. These include property being taken from someone without their consent – and without the use of force. We also include data for robbery, which the FBI classes as a type of violent crime, which uses force.
| Crime | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burglary / breaking entering | 19,345 | 17,624 | 15,533 |
| Larceny/theft offenses | 90,809 | 88,224 | 80,888 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 13,342 | 13,951 | 11,869 |
Data sources: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Across the state, reported cases of burglary decreased by 1,940 between 2023 and 2024, while cases of larceny decreased by 8,107. Motor vehicle thefts, meanwhile, fell by 2,215 over the 12-month period. These figures suggest that South Carolina is safer than it was in 2023.
Charleston
Charleston is the largest city in South Carolina by population, with over 155,000 residents. It’s a coastal city, in the southeastern part of the state. Nicknamed the ‘Holy City’ due to its numerous historic churches, it’s known for being a cultural melting pot, with its famous City Market attracting people across the state. You’d also recognize its iconic, colorful architecture anywhere – it’s a real picture-perfect place!
Even though it’s the largest city by population, Charleston still doesn’t have the highest crime numbers in the state. The most common offence in 2024 was larceny, with a total 2,602 cases recorded. Meanwhile there were only 68 cases of robbery – out of a population of over 155,000.
Reflecting this are the crime rate statistics, which measure crimes per 100,000 people. Charleston has the lowest number of property crimes committed across burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, and robbery – despite having the largest population.
Columbia
Columbia is in central South Carolina, around 140 miles west of the coastal city of Myrtle Beach. Columbia is South Carolina’s capital city, though it has a marginally smaller population than neighboring Charleston – just over 142,000. In the city, you’ll find a host of political and educational landmarks, with the University of South Carolina and the South Carolina State House both located here. Because of this, there’s a rich history and many museums and galleries to explore.
As the state capital, it’s expected that crime numbers may be a little higher here due to sheer footfall. And it’s true; Columbia has the highest numbers across the state, with the most common crime being larceny with 3,426 cases in 2024. However, burglary and motor vehicle theft offences sit comfortably at 718, while cases of robbery hit 155.
When looking at crime rate data, Columbia has considerably more burglaries, larcenies, motor vehicle thefts and robberies per 100,000 people than Charleston – despite having a similar-sized population.
Greenville
Greenville is a thriving "New South" city located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Upstate region of South Carolina. The clue’s in the location with Greenville. This city is home to a unique award-winning downtown, centered around the natural waterfalls of Falls Park on the Reedy and the iconic pedestrian Liberty Bridge. With a vibrant arts scene in the West Greenville district and over 120 locally owned restaurants, it’s the place to be for foodies and culture lovers.
As one of the mid-sized cities in South Carolina with a population of approximately 75,106 people, the crime numbers reflect its urban status. In 2024, the city recorded 2,772 property crimes and 450 violent crimes. Good news for residents—the Greenville Police Department reported that overall crime dropped by 16 percent in the first half of 2025, with property crimes like burglary and theft decreasing by 18 percent.
When it comes to crime rate data, the statistics for Greenville are interesting. At around 75,000, its population is roughly half the size of Charleston, but its property crime rate per 1,000 residents is roughly 38 offenses, which is higher than Charleston's rate. This means while its raw numbers are lower than the state's largest cities, its crime rates per capita are higher than both the state and national averages.
Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach is a resort city on the Atlantic coast in northeastern South Carolina, around 100 miles north of Charleston. The clue’s in the name with Myrtle Beach. This city is home to a 60-mile stretch of beautiful sandy beaches, boardwalks and lively attractions. With an agreeable climate and numerous entertainment options, such as golf courses, water parks and shopping malls, it’s the place to be for fun-seekers.
As one of the smaller cities by population in South Carolina, the crime numbers reflect this. Cases of larceny reached only 1,980 in 2024, while motor vehicle theft is next in the running with 162 incidents. Good news for residents – there were only 185 cases of burglary, and just 27 robberies.
When it comes to crime rate data, the statistics for Myrtle Beach are interesting. At around 40,000, its population is a third of the size of Charleston, but the number of property crimes isn’t vastly different. This means its crime rates per 100,000 people are the highest in our South Carolina analysis.
South Carolina crime rate by city
Crime rate data is another key metric for understanding crime numbers in a state or city. It works by establishing the number of crimes per 100,000 people, and is based on the same FBI dataset. The numbers below are from 2024.
| City | Burglary | Larceny | Motor Vehicle Theft | Robbery |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston | 139 | 2,602 | 226 | 43 |
| Columbia | 4496 | 2,366 | 378 | 107 |
| Myrtle Beach | 456 | 4,885 | 400 | 67 |
Data sources: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Safest cities in SC – our methodology
Want to find the safest place to live in South Carolina? Or would you like to know where your city ranks in the list of the safest cities in SC? Our analysis of FBI data from 2024 should help.
Keep in mind, we’ve only included data for the locations that CPI Security serves. But it still provides useful context for crime across the state.
| City | Population | Burglary | Larceny | Motor Vehicle Theft | Robbery |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston | 155,369 | 219 | 2,602 | 356 | 68 |
| Columbia | 142,416 | 718 | 3,426 | 548 | 155 |
| Myrtle Beach | 39,697 | 185 | 1,980 | 162 | 27 |
Data sources: FBI Crime Data Explorer
Also, as the cities in the state vary in size, from a population of 155,00 in Charleston down to 40,000 in Myrtle Beach, judging which is the safest city in South Carolina is nuanced. So, when reviewing the numbers of reported cases of various property crimes, consider this alongside the size of the city in question.
Crime rate data, which looks at the number of crimes per 100,000 people, perhaps offers a more accurate view on the most dangerous and safest cities in South Carolina.
02.
What is the safest city in South Carolina?
Charleston has the lowest numbers of crimes per 100,000 people across all four types of property crime – burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft and robbery. With this in mind, it’s likely that the safest city in South Carolina is Charleston.
What city has the lowest crime rate in South Carolina?
If you’re looking for the city with the lowest crime rate in South Carolina, we have a crime type-by-crime-type breakdown of each city. We can see that Charleston has the lowest crime rate across burglaries, larceny, motor vehicle theft and robberies. In 2024, there were 139 burglaries per 100,000 people and 1,650 larcenies per 100,000 people.
For motor vehicle theft, there were 226 incidents per 100,000 people and, for robbery, there were just 43 per 100,000 people.
03.
What is the most dangerous city in South Carolina?
With Myrtle Beach having the highest crime rate per 100,000 people across three of the four crime types – larceny, motor vehicle theft, and robbery – it would suggest that Myrtle Beach is one of the most dangerous cities in North Carolina per 100,000 people.
What city has the highest crime rate in South Carolina?
If you’re looking for the city with the highest crime rate in South Carolina, we have a crime type-by-crime-type break down of each city. For burglary the city with the highest crime rate is Columbia, with 456 per 100,000 people. For larceny, it is Myrtle Beach with 4,885 per 100,000 people. Myrtle Beach also has the highest rate of motor vehicle theft, with 400 per 100,000 people, and robbery, with 67 per 100,000 people.
04.
How to protect your home against property crime
Homeowners can take steps to protect their property against crimes such as burglary, motor vehicle theft and larceny with a South Carolina home security system. Systems comprise cameras, motion sensors and alarms – all controlled via a central hub and smartphone app.
More crime data
South Carolina
Tennessee
Georgia
| Date | Details |
|---|---|
| 08/20/2025 | All crime data statistics updated |
| 12/30/2025 | All crime data statistics updated |
| 01/08/2026 | Greenville crime statistics added |
* This website is not affiliated with or endorsed by any government agency. The data on this website is aggregated from publicly available sources. We cannot guarantee the completeness or reliability of the information. The data is provided "as is" without any warranties, express or implied. We are not responsible for any errors, omissions, or damages arising from the use of this information. Users should verify data with original sources.