South Carolina’s 20 Safest Cities of 2025

See crime rates for the safest cities.

Our latest State of Safety survey suggests that all types of crime are decreasing across South Carolina, with property crime taking the biggest plunge. Many of the the state's safest cities also saw steep declines in crime rates. However, South Carolinians' fears tend to remain high.

We didn't have enough viable data to accurately calculate statewide crime rates for this year's report. However, our annual State of Safety survey sheds some light on crime experiences and concerns across The Palmetto State.

The percentage of people who feel safe living in South Carolina increased from 35% to 44%. Despite this positive trend, the average American still feels safer than the average South Carolinian (US 48%). 

Our survey participants are also more inclined to believe crime is decreasing compared to the previous year, but 63% think it's on the rise. Half of the South Carolinians we surveyed said they feel a high level of overall concern for their safety and security, which is slightly higher than the previous year's report of 48% and the national average of 47%.   

According to our State of Safety survey, South Carolinians experienced fewer property crimes and package thefts than the year before. They feel less worried about package theft than they did last year, and their level of concern about property crime remains unchanged.

• 23% of South Carolinians said they experienced a property crime in the 8 months prior to our survey, down from 35% the year before (US 27%). 
• Respondents reported no change in their concern about property crime compared to the previous year. At 60%, it remains higher than the national average of 54%. 
• 30% said they experienced a package theft in the 8 months prior to our survey, down from 34% the year before (US 37%). 
• Concern about package theft fell from 61% to 50% year over year (US 52%). 
• Only residents of Vermont were less likely to experience package theft than South Carolinians (VT 29%). 
• South Carolina residents prefer to protect their property with security cameras (42%), guard dogs (40%), and firearms (32%).
• 33% told us they added security or safety measures in the 8 months prior to our survey, down from 36% the previous year (US 37%). 

• 60% of South Carolinians worry about hurricanes, which is the third highest percentage in the nation behind Louisiana (79%) and Florida (76%). 
• South Carolina residents report the lowest levels of concern about fires and smoke nationwide (SC 26%, US 42%). 
• The percentage of South Carolina residents who evacuated due to a natural disaster fell from 15% to 13% year over year (US 9%).
• South Carolinians were the seventh most likely to have evacuated due to a natural disaster during the 8 months prior to our survey.

South Carolinians reported almost 50% 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 saw a spike in violent crime concerns year over year. 

• 9% of South Carolinians said they experienced a violent crime in the 8 months prior to our survey, down from 17% the year before (US 14%).
• South Carolina residents were less likely to experience a violent crime than people living in neighboring states. 
• Concern about violent crime increased from 53% to 65% year over year (US 59%).
• 42% of South Carolinians said they use some kind of personal protection.
• South Carolina residents prefer to protect themselves with firearms (20%), pepper spray (16%), and pocket knives (15%). 

• 9% of South Carolina residents said they had a personal experience with gun violence in the 8 months prior to our survey, down from 17% the previous year (US 11%).
• Concern about gun violence increased from 52% to 58% year over year (US 57%).
• South Carolina saw 6 mass shooting events 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.

• 64 cities met the criteria for ranking this year. 
• Lexington jumped 11 positions to become this year's safest city.
• 3 cities reported no murders, rapes, or robberies: Lexington, Tega Cay, and Lyman.
• Larceny/theft is usually the most common property crime, but Lexington reported more than 5 times as many motor vehicle thefts as larcenies/thefts. 
• Lexington, Tega Cay, and Port Royal have seen decreases in property crime and violent crime for 2 years in a row. 
• 6 cities saw decreases in both property crime and violent crime in the last year: Hanahan, Hardeeville, Goose Creek, Surfside Beach, Fountain Inn, and Abbeville. 
• Lexington's violent crime rate decreased by 92% year over year, while its property crime rate decreased an even more impressive 94%. 
• Surfside Beach's property crime rate fell by 44% year over year. Hardeeville's dropped by 30%.

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