South Carolina’s Safest Cities of 2026

See crime rates for the safest cities.

For the second year in a row, our latest State of Safety survey suggests that all types of crime are decreasing across South Carolina. Many of the the state's safest cities also saw steep declines in crime rates.

Official FBI data confirms that violent crime is down across the state, but it reveals the total property crime rate has increased in recent years despite fewer experiences reported by our survey participants. 

The violent crime rate in South Carolina is 5.34 incidents per 1,000 people, which is higher than the national average of 4.43. We weren't able to report a statewide violent crime rate last year due to insufficient data, but in our 2024 report, South Carolina reported a slightly higher violent crime rate of 5.5.

In contrast, property crime in The Palmetto State has increased in recent years, rising from 23.9 incidents per 1,000 people in 2024 to 28.28 incidents in this year's report. That's higher than the national property crime rate of 22.89. 

The percentage of people who feel safe living in South Carolina increased from 44% to 51%, which is slightly lower than the national sentiment of 52%. About 46% of South Carolinians worry about crime on a daily basis, which matches the national average.

According to our State of Safety survey, South Carolinians experienced fewer property crimes and package thefts than the year before, and they're feeling less concerned about these crimes on a daily basis.

• 15% of South Carolinians said they experienced a property crime in the 12 months prior to our survey, down from 23% the year before (US 21%). 
• The percentage of South Carolinians who worry about property crime on a daily basis feel from 60% to 49% year over year (US 46%). 
• 24% said they experienced a package theft in the 12 months prior to our survey, down from 30% the year before (US 31%). That's the sixth lowest percentage in the nation.
• Concern about package theft fell from 50% to 40% year over year (US 44%). 
• South Carolina residents prefer to protect their property with security cameras (59%), firearms (39%), and security systems (33%).
• 33% told us they added security or safety measures in the 12 months prior to our survey, which is the same percentage as the year before (US 32%).

• 56% of South Carolinians worry about hurricanes, which is the fifth highest percentage in the nation.
• The percentage of South Carolina residents who evacuated due to a natural disaster fell from 13% to 12% year over year (US 9%).
• South Carolinians were the tenth most likely to have evacuated due to a natural disaster during the 12 months prior to our survey.

South Carolinians reported fewer violent crime experiences year over year, making them some of the least likely Americans to experience a violent crime. But their worries haven't caught up—South Carolina residents continue to feel more concerned about violent crime than the average American. 

• 7% of South Carolinians said they experienced a violent crime in the 12 months prior to our survey, down from 9% the year before (US 12%).
• South Carolina residents were less likely to experience a violent crime than people living in neighboring states. 
• Residents in only four other states were more likely to have first-hand experience with violent crime than South Carolinians: Iowa (6%), Arizona (5%), South Dakota (5%), and Kansas (4%).
• Concern about violent crime fell from 65% to 60% year over year (US 55%).
• 32% of South Carolinians said they use some kind of personal protection.
• South Carolina residents prefer to protect themselves with firearms (56%), pepper spray (38%), and pocket knives (38%). 

• 7% of South Carolina residents said they had a personal experience with gun violence in the 12 months prior to our survey, down from 9% the previous year (US 9%).
• Concern about gun violence decreased from 58% to 49% year over year (US 55%).
• 12 mass shooting incidents occurred in South Carolina in 2025, which is double the amount that occurred in 2024.

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 for ranking this year. 
• Tega Cay is this year's safest city in South Carolina.
• Violent crime in Tega Cay has decreased for the last 3 years, resulting in a 50% decrease during that time period. Meanwhile, property crime has decreased for the last 4 years, resulting in an 84% decrease. 
• In Fountain Inn, violent crime has fallen every year for the past 4 years, resulting in an 84% decline. Its property crime rate has fallen every year for the past 3 years, resulting in a 57% decrease.
• Walhalla's property crime rate has fallen each year for the past two years, resulting in a 52% decrease. This city also saw a 36% decrease in violent crime year over year.
• Central decreased its property crime by about 37% year over year.
• Mount Pleasant, the largest city on this year's list, has seen its property crime rate decline over the past two years. It also saw a year-over-year decrease in violent crime.
• 2 murders were reported in South Carolina's safest cities. They both occurred in Bluffton. 
• Fountain Inn and Wellford reported zero rapes.
• No robberies were reported in Wellford, Lyman, Central, and Walhalla. 

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