Crime & Safety in Charleston, SC
Violent and property crime rates, clearance data, and trends — 2024 Data
Crime Overview
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)Violent Crime Rate
3.58
per 1,000 residents
-20% vs national
Property Crime Rate
20.22
per 1,000 residents
-7% vs national
Total Crimes
3,733
2024
Violent Clearance
64%
cases solved
+50% vs national
Property Clearance
23%
cases solved
vs Similar Cities
-21%
vs 100K-250K avg
-21% vs 100K-250K
YoY Change
-11.7%
violent crime rate
improving vs 2023
How Charleston Compares
Source: FBI (2024)Charleston vs Similar Cities
Source: FBI (2024)Compared to cities with 100,000 - 250,000 residents. Charleston is highlighted in green.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Property Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Murder Rate (per 1,000)
Violent Crime Clearance Rate
Crime Rate Trends
Source: FBICrime Composition
Source: FBI (2024)Violent Crime Breakdown
Property Crime Breakdown
Crime Clearance (Solve) Rates
Source: FBI (2024)Charleston police solve 114% of murder cases but only 14% of rape cases. The national violent crime clearance rate is 42%.
Weapon Used in Violent Crime
Source: FBI (2024)Crime Breakdown
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)| Crime Type | Category | Count | Rate per 1K | Clearance % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murder | Violent | 7 | 0.04 | 114.3% |
| Rape | Violent | 44 | 0.28 | 13.6% |
| Robbery | Violent | 67 | 0.43 | 77.6% |
| Aggravated Assault | Violent | 443 | 2.82 | 65.9% |
| Burglary | Property | 219 | 1.40 | 36.1% |
| Larceny/Theft | Property | 2,599 | 16.56 | 22.7% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | Property | 354 | 2.26 | 20.1% |
Charleston, SC reported 561 violent crimes and 3,172 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 3.58 per 1,000 residents is 20.2% below the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 64% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 2,599 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 49.9% of aggravated assaults. Compared to similarly sized cities (100,000 - 250,000 population), Charleston's violent crime rate is 21% lower. Violent crime has been trending downward.
Crime History
Source: FBI| Year | Violent | Property | Violent Rate | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 561 | 3,172 | 3.58 | 20.22 |
| 2023 | 628 | 3,068 | 4.05 | 19.77 |
| 2022 | 574 | 2,882 | 3.77 | 18.92 |
| 2021 | 625 | 3,178 | 4.41 | 22.42 |
| 2020 | 657 | 3,232 | 4.71 | 23.15 |
| 2019 | 516 | 3,124 | 3.73 | 22.60 |
| 2018 | 414 | 2,854 | 3.02 | 20.82 |
| 2017 | 387 | 3,144 | 2.83 | 22.97 |
| 2016 | 411 | 3,360 | 3.04 | 24.86 |
| 2015 | 342 | 3,248 | 2.58 | 24.50 |