Charleston, South Carolina Crime Rate
5 years of data (2020–2024) · Population: 156,898
Key Insights
- →Charleston has a safety grade of C with a violent crime rate of 357.6 per 100,000 residents (national avg: 359.1).
- →Violent crime dropped 11.1% from the previous year.
- →7 murders recorded in 2024 — a rate of 4.5 per 100K.
- →Crime trajectory: volatile — based on 5 years of data.
- →Safer than 21% of all cities in the OpenCrime database.
- →Violent-to-property crime ratio: 0.18 (near national average).
Violent Crime Rate
357.6
-11.1% YoY
Murder Rate
4.5
7 murders
Property Crime Rate
2021.7
3,172 total
vs National Avg
↓ -0%
National: 359.1
2024 Crime Breakdown
Violent Crime: 561
Murder7
Rape44
Robbery67
Aggravated Assault443
Property Crime: 3,172
Burglary219
Larceny-Theft2,599
Motor Vehicle Theft354
Arson16
Year-over-Year Comparison
| Year | Population | Violent Crime | Violent Rate | Murders | Property Crime | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 156,898 | 561 | 357.6 | 7 | 3,172 | 2021.7 |
| 2023 | 155,159 | 624 | 402.2 | 10 | 3,068 | 1977.3 |
| 2022 | 152,324 | 571 | 374.9 | 8 | 2,878 | 1889.4 |
| 2021 | 141,768 | 618 | 435.9 | 17 | 3,173 | 2238.2 |
| 2020 | 139,582 | 650 | 465.7 | 17 | 3,218 | 2305.5 |
Crime Rate Trends
Murder Rate Trend
C
Safety Grade for Charleston
Based on violent crime rate of 357.6 per 100K (national avg: 359.1)
Safety Percentile
Safer than 21% of cities
Similar Cities
Cities with similar population and crime profile (in different states):
National Arrest Demographics
The FBI does not publish per-city arrest demographic breakdowns. At the national level, arrest data shows significant racial disparities influenced by policing patterns, poverty concentration, and systemic factors.
Related Analysis
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer, Table 8 — Offenses Known to Law Enforcement by State by City. Rates per 100,000 residents.