Most Dangerous & Safest Counties in South Carolina

South Carolina has 46 counties with crime data. The county with the highest homicide rate is Dillon County at 37.8 per 100K , while the safest is Pickens County at 4.6 per 100K .

34 of 46 counties (74%) have a homicide rate above the national average of 8 per 100K. All rates are per 100,000 residents and come from County Health Rankings, which compiles data from the CDC, FBI, and other federal sources.

Metric

Most Dangerous Counties in South Carolina

Top 10 counties ranked by homicide rate.

# County Homicides
1 Dillon County 37.8 per 100K +373.0%
2 Allendale County 32.0 per 100K +299.8%
3 Colleton County 26.8 per 100K +234.4%
4 Lee County 25.4 per 100K +217.5%
5 Marlboro County 24.4 per 100K +205.3%
6 Barnwell County 23.2 per 100K +189.9%
7 Hampton County 21.1 per 100K +164.3%
8 Fairfield County 20.9 per 100K +161.1%
9 Orangeburg County 20.2 per 100K +152.1%
10 Darlington County 20.0 per 100K +150.3%

Safest Counties in South Carolina

Bottom 10 counties ranked by homicide rate.

# County Homicides
46 Pickens County 4.6 per 100K -42.5%
45 York County 5.7 per 100K -28.2%
44 Beaufort County 6.6 per 100K -17.6%
43 Kershaw County 6.7 per 100K -16.2%
42 Lexington County 6.8 per 100K -15.2%
41 Horry County 7.0 per 100K -12.9%
40 Greenville County 7.1 per 100K -11.5%
39 Saluda County 7.2 per 100K -10.5%
38 Edgefield County 7.5 per 100K -6.8%
37 Oconee County 7.6 per 100K -4.7%

All 46 Counties Ranked

Every county in South Carolina ranked by homicide rate. Click any county for its full profile.

# County Homicides
1 Dillon County 37.8 per 100K +373.0%
2 Allendale County 32.0 per 100K +299.8%
3 Colleton County 26.8 per 100K +234.4%
4 Lee County 25.4 per 100K +217.5%
5 Marlboro County 24.4 per 100K +205.3%
6 Barnwell County 23.2 per 100K +189.9%
7 Hampton County 21.1 per 100K +164.3%
8 Fairfield County 20.9 per 100K +161.1%
9 Orangeburg County 20.2 per 100K +152.1%
10 Darlington County 20.0 per 100K +150.3%
11 Marion County 19.8 per 100K +147.5%
12 Jasper County 18.1 per 100K +126.3%
13 Williamsburg County 17.3 per 100K +115.8%
14 Florence County 16.5 per 100K +106.0%
15 McCormick County 16.4 per 100K +105.1%
16 Bamberg County 15.4 per 100K +93.0%
17 Calhoun County 14.8 per 100K +84.7%
18 Chesterfield County 13.9 per 100K +74.1%
19 Chester County 13.8 per 100K +72.0%
20 Richland County 13.3 per 100K +66.6%
21 Charleston County 13.0 per 100K +62.3%
22 Sumter County 12.5 per 100K +56.5%
23 Aiken County 11.6 per 100K +44.5%
24 Lancaster County 11.3 per 100K +41.3%
25 Georgetown County 11.1 per 100K +39.3%
26 Cherokee County 10.3 per 100K +28.9%
27 Clarendon County 10.0 per 100K +24.6%
28 Union County 10.0 per 100K +24.5%
29 Newberry County 9.7 per 100K +21.1%
30 Anderson County 9.5 per 100K +18.9%
31 Abbeville County 9.3 per 100K +16.5%
32 Greenwood County 8.9 per 100K +11.9%
33 Spartanburg County 8.8 per 100K +9.5%
34 Berkeley County 8.7 per 100K +8.1%
35 Laurens County 7.8 per 100K -2.0%
36 Dorchester County 7.6 per 100K -4.7%
37 Oconee County 7.6 per 100K -4.7%
38 Edgefield County 7.5 per 100K -6.8%
39 Saluda County 7.2 per 100K -10.5%
40 Greenville County 7.1 per 100K -11.5%
41 Horry County 7.0 per 100K -12.9%
42 Lexington County 6.8 per 100K -15.2%
43 Kershaw County 6.7 per 100K -16.2%
44 Beaufort County 6.6 per 100K -17.6%
45 York County 5.7 per 100K -28.2%
46 Pickens County 4.6 per 100K -42.5%

About This Data

All figures are estimates from the County Health Rankings & Roadmaps (CDC, FBI, NCHS), published by the U.S. Census Bureau. Values are subject to sampling variability and margin of error.

Rankings are within South Carolina only and may differ from national rankings. For more information, see our methodology.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most dangerous county in South Carolina?
The county with the highest homicide rate in South Carolina is Dillon County, at 37.8 per 100,000 residents. This is 373% above the national rate of 8 per 100K.
What is the safest county in South Carolina?
The county with the lowest homicide rate in South Carolina is Pickens County, at 4.6 per 100,000 residents.
How does South Carolina's crime rate compare to the national average?
34 of 46 counties in South Carolina (74%) have a homicide rate above the national average of 8 per 100,000 residents.
Which county in South Carolina has the most firearm fatalities?
Dillon County has the highest firearm fatality rate in South Carolina at 44.8 per 100,000 residents.
Which county in South Carolina has the most drug overdose deaths?
Dillon County has the highest drug overdose death rate in South Carolina at 68.5 per 100,000 residents.