The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In South Carolina For 2022

The 10 Most Dangerous Places To Live In South Carolina For 2022

On the surface, Orangeburg has a lot going for it. It's nickname as "The Garden City" shows what locals like to think of their hometown. Meanwhile, the community also provides a home to multiple institutions of higher learning in South Carolina State University and Claflin University.

However, this city in the central part of the state has its less appealing side. That includes a high crime rate. In fact, Orangeburg endures the number 1 highest pace of violent crime in the state. This includes 177 assaults in a population of 12,529.

Ah, Myrtle Beach, a favorite of East Coast vacationers. While Myrtle Beach's violent crime rate has been steadily decreasing, its property crime rates remain the highest in South Carolina.

Folks in Myrtle Beach had a 1 in 11 chance of having their stuff stolen or damaged over 2020, making Broadway at the Beach one of the few places where it's not a bad idea to wear a wallet chain.

In fact, with the prevalence of property crime, Myrtle Beach has the highest overall crime rate in South Carolina, outstripping the national average by a whopping 365%.

Known for its tobacco farms and NASCAR races, Darlington ranks as South Carolina's third most dangerous city for 2022. Darlington saw a increase in property crime compared to last year, a big reason the city moved down 2 spots on this list.

Darlington averaged more than one car theft per month over the year, but fortunately, none were race cars from the Darlington Raceway. Good thing, or the carjacker would be mighty hard to catch up with.

Violent crime also ranked as the second highest in South Carolina, which includes the 29th highest rate of rape cases statewide. Overall, residents had a 1 in 62 chance of being attacked over 2020.

The core of the Pee Dee region in northeastern South Carolina, Florence comes in as the fourth least safe place to live. Florence recorded the eighth highest burglary rate statewide, averaging just over one break-in per day.

We just hope they have enough security at the Florence County Museum to stop any would-be heisters.

Violent crime is also all too prevalent in Florence, which experienced 562 such crimes over 2020. It's also one of the few places listed here that's seen a rise in both categories of crime.

This. Is. Spartansburg! Located in "The Upstate" of South Carolina's northwest, this city of 37,469 isn't quite as hardcore as the Sparta of yore, but it's still the fifth most dangerous place to live in South Carolina for 2022.

The city does a good job of preserving nature at the Hatcher Garden and Woodland Preserve, but we're pretty sure residents would like local leaders to preserve the safety of the human population as well.

More than one burglary a day goes down in Spartansburg on average, which gives the city the second highest burglary rate in South Carolina. And with 536 violent crimes recorded in data year 2020, no one will blame you for keeping your guard up in Spartansburg.

Greenwood hosts two festivals each year -- Festival of Discovery and the Festival of Flowers.

Those might sound like peaceful gatherings, but these festivals contribute to Greenwood's crazy high violent crime rate, which ranks as the sixth highest worst in South Carolina.

The rate of rape cases in Greenwood is the fifth highest statewide. And you can pretty much count on at least one violent crime happening each day In Greenwood.

As the third oldest city in South Carolina, you'd think Georgetown would have its act together by now. Located on the coast between Charleston and Myrtle Beach, Georgetown does get a lot of visitors passing through.

We just recommend you keep a close eye on your valuables when you're enjoying the harborwalk, or you might join the 407 people who had their stuff stolen in 2020.

Georgetown isn't just plagued by high rates of crime. A whole host of other issues landed the city near the top of our list of the worst places to live in South Carolina.

Hartsville held onto its #8 position on our list of South Carolina's most dangerous places for yet another year. Crime has stayed level in Hartsville, which is bad news when you've got the ninth highest property crime rate in the state.

There are about two burglaries a week in Hartsville, which is frequent enough to give the city the seventh highest burglary rate in South Carolina. We recommend padlocking your picnic basket if you're out at Kalmia Gardens, because ten thefts a week go down in Hartsville.

And while Hartsville didn't record a single murder in 2020, it still had the 13th highest rate of violent crime in South Carolina.

Marion is located in the northeastern part of South Carolina, about an hour inland from the coastal resort town of Myrtle Beach. The town prides itself on its history, including a picturesque courthouse and a historical district. Even its name points to history -- the moniker comes from a Revolutionary War general.

So the area has a notable past. What about the present? That's where things get a little shaky. Despite its small-time vibe, Marion suffers from a major crime problem. With high rates of burglaries and robberies, the community ranks as the number 9 most dangerous spot in South Carolina.

Columbia is the state capital of South Carolina. Cross the Congaree River and you'll find West Columbia, a community located about a 10 minute's drive from either the State House or the University of South Carolina.

So, in some ways, West Columbia represents a nice spot, with plenty of interesting amenities a short trip away. However, this comes at a cost. The crime rate in the area is exceptionally higher. Violence doesn't reach scary levels, but property crime represents a major problem. West Columbia suffers the number 2 highest level of property crime in South Carolina.

Most Dangerous Places To Live In South Carolina FAQs

Is South Carolina a dangerous state?

Yes, South Carolina is a dangerous state as it ranks as the #3 most dangerous state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in south carolina ranks seventh highest in the United States -- 36.84% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Palmetto State ranks fifth highest in the United States -- 38.96% worse than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2020.

Is Charleston, SC a dangerous city?

No, Charleston is not a dangerous city. Charleston ranks as the #148 safest out of 320 major cities over 100,000 people in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. Keep in mind that are always safe and dangerous parts of any city, so even though Charleston might be considered safe you still need to be aware of where you are.

Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Charleston ranks 156th highest in America -- 15.16% better than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 173rd highest in the United States -- 13.19% better than US average property crime rate. Note the latest reporting year from the FBI was 2020 and that no city in America is 'dangerous'. Despite the uptick in murders, it's nothing like you'd see in Tijuana or Caracas where the murder rate is 2x any American city.