Crime
Charleston's crime rate by year
Police in Charleston, SC reported about 281 violent crimes per 100,000 people they serve in 2025 (U.S.: 329), down from a high of 1,687 in 1996, and 6.3 murders in 2025 (U.S.: 4.3), down from a high of 21.2 in 2006. Rates count only crimes police reported to the FBI.
Violent crime rate, 2025
281
per 100,000 people (U.S.: 329)
Murder rate, 2025
6.3
per 100,000 people (U.S.: 4.3)
Violent crime rate in Charleston and the U.S., each year
The interactive chart needs JavaScript. The numbers are in the table below.
No figure for Charleston in 1991: its police didn't report a full year to the FBI. The line breaks there.
Murder rate in Charleston and the U.S., each year
The interactive chart needs JavaScript. The numbers are in the table below.
No figure for Charleston in 1991: its police didn't report a full year to the FBI. The line breaks there.
Property crime rate in Charleston and the U.S., each year
The interactive chart needs JavaScript. The numbers are in the table below.
No figure for Charleston in 1991: its police didn't report a full year to the FBI. The line breaks there.
Car theft rate in Charleston and the U.S., each year
The interactive chart needs JavaScript. The numbers are in the table below.
No figure for Charleston in 1991: its police didn't report a full year to the FBI. The line breaks there.
Burglary rate in Charleston and the U.S., each year
The interactive chart needs JavaScript. The numbers are in the table below.
No figure for Charleston in 1991: its police didn't report a full year to the FBI. The line breaks there.
Robbery rate in Charleston and the U.S., each year
The interactive chart needs JavaScript. The numbers are in the table below.
No figure for Charleston in 1991: its police didn't report a full year to the FBI. The line breaks there.
Violent crime and murder each year
Crimes per 100,000 people, as police reported them to the FBI, newest first.
| Year | Violent, Charleston | Violent, U.S. | Murder, Charleston | Murder, U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 280.5 | 329.3 | 6.3 | 4.3 |
| 2024 | 358.8 | 363.4 | 4.5 | 5.2 |
| 2023 | 405.4 | 385.6 | 5.8 | 6.1 |
| 2022 | 374.9 | 398.2 | 5.3 | 6.9 |
| 2021 | 438.7 | 360.9 | 12.0 | 6.9 |
| 2020 | 470.0 | 399.3 | 12.2 | 6.8 |
| 2019 | 373.2 | 381.0 | 5.8 | 5.2 |
| 2018 | 301.3 | 384.8 | 7.3 | 5.2 |
| 2017 | 282.8 | 397.5 | 4.4 | 5.4 |
| 2016 | 301.9 | 399.5 | 8.1 | 5.4 |
| 2015 | 257.2 | 384.6 | 12.1 | 5.0 |
| 2014 | 210.2 | 373.7 | 6.9 | 4.5 |
| 2013 | 183.2 | 378.2 | 5.5 | 4.6 |
| 2012 | 239.0 | 390.7 | 9.7 | 4.8 |
| 2011 | 329.3 | 390.1 | 9.1 | 4.8 |
| 2010 | 355.6 | 408.1 | 8.3 | 4.8 |
| 2009 | 525.2 | 436.8 | 7.9 | 5.1 |
| 2008 | 718.3 | 463.7 | 12.5 | 5.5 |
| 2007 | 831.0 | 477.9 | 13.7 | 5.8 |
| 2006 | 868.3 | 486.9 | 21.2 | 5.9 |
| 2005 | 950.1 | 483.0 | 11.3 | 5.9 |
| 2004 | 1,025.8 | 478.6 | 8.8 | 5.7 |
| 2003 | 910.2 | 493.7 | 18.0 | 5.9 |
| 2002 | 873.2 | 512.9 | 14.1 | 5.9 |
| 2001 | 755.0 | 529.5 | 14.3 | 5.9 |
| 2000 | 742.9 | 534.4 | 8.3 | 5.8 |
| 1999 | 1,028.7 | 545.8 | 2.3 | 5.9 |
| 1998 | 1,302.5 | 603.8 | 9.6 | 6.6 |
| 1997 | 1,539.3 | 644.9 | 12.7 | 7.2 |
| 1996 | 1,687.1 | 658.8 | 11.6 | 7.8 |
| 1995 | 1,555.0 | 720.6 | 15.6 | 8.7 |
| 1994 | 1,156.3 | 740.4 | 18.1 | 9.2 |
| 1993 | 1,214.1 | 764.1 | 14.6 | 9.8 |
| 1992 | 1,128.8 | 785.4 | 8.4 | 9.7 |
| 1990 | 1,002.3 | 749.8 | 8.7 | 9.7 |
| 1989 | 825.3 | 680.5 | 7.3 | 8.9 |
| 1988 | 933.7 | 630.2 | 12.5 | 8.5 |
| 1987 | 979.1 | 624.9 | 10.0 | 8.4 |
| 1986 | 1,072.9 | 633.6 | 14.6 | 8.7 |
| 1985 | 1,087.9 | 570.3 | 9.5 | 8.1 |
Property crime, car theft, burglary and robbery each year
Crimes per 100,000 people in Charleston, with the U.S. rate after each, newest first.
| Year | Property crime, Charleston | Property crime, U.S. | Car theft, Charleston | Car theft, U.S. | Burglary, Charleston | Burglary, U.S. | Robbery, Charleston | Robbery, U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,613 | 1,552 | 143 | 200 | 108 | 195 | 40 | 50 |
| 2024 | 2,035 | 1,767 | 227 | 258 | 140 | 232 | 43 | 62 |
| 2023 | 1,992 | 1,951 | 312 | 326 | 165 | 254 | 53 | 68 |
| 2022 | 1,897 | 1,999 | 330 | 290 | 150 | 276 | 48 | 70 |
| 2021 | 2,255 | 1,762 | 332 | 240 | 181 | 264 | 63 | 54 |
| 2020 | 2,329 | 1,955 | 326 | 247 | 233 | 309 | 73 | 74 |
| 2019 | 2,268 | 2,109 | 359 | 221 | 212 | 334 | 69 | 83 |
| 2018 | 2,088 | 2,207 | 239 | 231 | 263 | 373 | 65 | 87 |
| 2017 | 2,306 | 2,372 | 221 | 239 | 292 | 427 | 73 | 99 |
| 2016 | 2,492 | 2,469 | 192 | 240 | 309 | 467 | 79 | 104 |
| 2015 | 2,452 | 2,495 | 213 | 223 | 360 | 490 | 68 | 103 |
| 2014 | 2,302 | 2,592 | 136 | 217 | 270 | 538 | 59 | 103 |
| 2013 | 2,511 | 2,759 | 127 | 224 | 241 | 611 | 56 | 111 |
| 2012 | 2,734 | 2,881 | 190 | 232 | 302 | 673 | 84 | 115 |
| 2011 | 3,102 | 2,926 | 221 | 232 | 434 | 702 | 133 | 115 |
| 2010 | 3,289 | 2,963 | 182 | 241 | 491 | 702 | 124 | 121 |
| 2009 | 3,522 | 3,077 | 236 | 264 | 495 | 722 | 192 | 136 |
| 2008 | 4,091 | 3,252 | 370 | 321 | 649 | 738 | 258 | 149 |
| 2007 | 3,901 | 3,316 | 408 | 372 | 682 | 731 | 246 | 152 |
| 2006 | 3,943 | 3,397 | 482 | 410 | 627 | 740 | 213 | 154 |
| 2005 | 4,493 | 3,518 | 454 | 434 | 763 | 741 | 274 | 147 |
| 2004 | 5,365 | 3,599 | 498 | 437 | 915 | 741 | 239 | 142 |
| 2003 | 5,056 | 3,704 | 566 | 455 | 890 | 757 | 248 | 150 |
| 2002 | 6,245 | 3,738 | 883 | 453 | 1,034 | 762 | 262 | 154 |
| 2001 | 6,061 | 3,802 | 628 | 456 | 1,068 | 766 | 269 | 159 |
| 2000 | 6,313 | 3,752 | 703 | 437 | 863 | 751 | 262 | 156 |
| 1999 | 7,100 | 3,873 | 719 | 446 | 1,124 | 790 | 290 | 160 |
| 1998 | 9,234 | 4,213 | 1,163 | 493 | 1,375 | 895 | 338 | 180 |
| 1997 | 9,249 | 4,495 | 904 | 542 | 1,300 | 952 | 479 | 203 |
| 1996 | 9,340 | 4,553 | 901 | 554 | 1,597 | 954 | 516 | 219 |
| 1995 | 8,851 | 4,797 | 1,159 | 596 | 1,393 | 1,025 | 448 | 239 |
| 1994 | 6,086 | 4,752 | 578 | 615 | 1,027 | 1,053 | 282 | 251 |
| 1993 | 6,946 | 4,814 | 624 | 628 | 1,330 | 1,108 | 420 | 269 |
| 1992 | 7,065 | 5,089 | 743 | 661 | 1,467 | 1,200 | 333 | 279 |
| 1990 | 6,367 | 5,227 | 578 | 677 | 1,244 | 1,253 | 313 | 267 |
| 1989 | 4,463 | 5,212 | 308 | 649 | 1,041 | 1,298 | 179 | 243 |
| 1988 | 5,441 | 5,046 | 329 | 596 | 1,210 | 1,283 | 196 | 222 |
| 1987 | 5,899 | 5,090 | 345 | 544 | 1,527 | 1,356 | 273 | 221 |
| 1986 | 6,493 | 5,015 | 331 | 522 | 1,504 | 1,373 | 240 | 234 |
| 1985 | 5,723 | 4,780 | 373 | 473 | 1,191 | 1,310 | 267 | 216 |
Source and notes
FBI Crime Data Explorer, Uniform Crime Reporting Program (Public domain (U.S. government work); source FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program).
These are the crimes the Charleston police reported to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program, per 100,000 people the department serves. Violent crime is murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; murder includes nonnegligent manslaughter. Property crime is burglary, theft and car theft. A year counts only when the department reported violent crimes in all 12 months, and not when its rate is far out of line with the years either side (under a quarter, or over 1.75 times, of both), which means it sent only part of its reports or some twice. In 2021 the FBI took only reports from its newer system (NIBRS), and many departments hadn't switched yet, so that year is often missing or less certain. NIBRS counts every crime in an incident, not just the most serious, so a jump or drop when a department switched can come from the change in counting rather than in crime. The FBI widened its definition of rape in 2013. A city's rate depends on where its borders fall, so compare cities with care. The U.S. rates count only the agencies that reported, so they differ a little from the FBI's national estimates.