In 2025, Charleston police reported 445 violent crimes (279 per 100,000 residents), including 10 murders, 63 robberies and 341 aggravated assaults, plus 2,559 property crimes, according to FBI data.
Population covered: 159,360. Violent-crime rate rank: 3 of 3 large South Carolina cities on this site (1 = highest rate). Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer, agency SC0100100, January–December 2025.
| City | Violent / 100k | Violent | Murders | Property / 100k | Map |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia | 791 | 1,163 | 21 | 3,144 | Totals |
| North Charleston | 668 | 860 | 14 | 3,444 | Totals |
| Charleston | 279 | 445 | 10 | 1,606 | Totals |
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer agency counts for 2025 (all 12 months reported unless noted), retrieved October 7, 2026. Rates use the population the FBI lists for each police agency.
Charleston's violent-crime rate of 279 per 100,000 people in 2025 was 26% lower than the South Carolina rate (375) and 13% lower than the U.S. rate (320). That works out to one reported violent crime for every 358 residents, or about 8.6 a week.
Among the 362 cities with full-year FBI numbers on CityCrimeMap, Charleston ranks 249th for violent crime, in the lower half, and 112th for murder (10 murders, 6.3 per 100,000).
Aggravated assaults made up 77% of Charleston's violent crimes and robberies 14%, close to the national robbery share of 15%.
Property crime ran 1,606 per 100,000, about even with South Carolina overall. Charleston police logged 228 vehicle thefts (143 per 100,000, 252nd of 351; South Carolina: 159) and 172 burglaries (108 per 100,000, less than half the state).
The closest city we cover is North Charleston, 8 miles northwest; its violent-crime rate (668) is 2.4 times Charleston's.
Out-of-state cities near Charleston's size (159,360 residents): Alexandria, VA at 142 violent crimes per 100,000 and Salinas, CA at 516.
By the FBI's 2025 numbers, Charleston had 279 violent crimes per 100,000 residents, 26% lower than the statewide 375. It is 3rd highest of the 3 South Carolina cities on this site; Columbia is highest at 791. A city-wide rate does not tell you about a single block.
Charleston police reported 10 murders for 2025, a rate of 6.3 per 100,000 residents. The South Carolina rate was 6.3 and the national rate 4.1.
228 vehicles were reported stolen in Charleston in 2025, 143 per 100,000 residents. That is 26% lower than the national rate of 195 and ranks 252nd of 351 cities on this site.