Safest Cities and Neighborhoods in South Carolina

With beautiful beaches, life-filled marshes, and the Blue Ridge Mountains, South Carolina is known for its natural beauty and varied terrain. Winters are mild here, and you still get to experience the four seasons. Myrtle Beach and Charleston are the two most well-known cities in South Carolina for tourism, but there are many other beautiful places to live.

As with every state, some best cities and neighborhoods have lower crime rates and are generally considered safer. According to law enforcement statistics, South Carolina had 134,333 property crimes in 2021. That reflects an overall rate of 25.88 crimes per 1,000 residents in this state of roughly 5.2 million people. The following are some of the safest communities in the Palmetto State.

Fort Mill

Fort Mill, a city of nearly 28,000 people, has a high number of workers in the computer and math industries—more than 95% of the places in the United States. Remote work is popular here with 17.53% of residents working from home. The city is family friendly as well. Fort Mill is one of the safest cities to live in South Carolina. Your chance of becoming the victim of a violent crime is 1 in 1,473. Nineteen violent crimes take place each year.

Some of the safest neighborhoods in Fort Mill are:

• Waterside at the Catawba, one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in South Carolina, sits on the peaceful Catawba River. Most of the homes here are medium-to-large single-family houses and apartment complexes. More than half of the residential properties in Waterside at the Catawba were built after 1999.
• Massey provides access to Fort Mill Highway at the northern end and Catawba River at the southern end. This neighborhood is more family friendly than 99.5% of the neighborhoods in South Carolina. It's home to top public schools and features a strong sense of community as well as low crime rates.
• Van Wyck is more retirement friendly than 97.8% of the neighborhoods in South Carolina. It has a large concentration of married couples too. Ninety-one percent of the homes were built in 2000 or later, giving the neighborhood a higher proportion of new homes than 99% of neighborhoods in the country.

Bluffton

This coastal city provides access to Hilton Head Island and Daufuskie Island. It's one of the safest cities in South Carolina with your chance of becoming a victim of a violent crime at 1 in 1,341. Only around one murder and 16 assaults happen in the year. Bluffton, a city of 32,000, is a family-friendly area with good public school districts and many families living here.

The safest neighborhoods in Bluffton include:

• As a rural coastal neighborhood, Palmetto Bluff attracts nature lovers and those who like a quiet home. A significant proportion of the homes are seasonally occupied. The residential properties consist of medium to large single-family homes and townhomes.
• Hampton Lake, where the lake is located, features a Lowcountry style and offers options in lakefront homes and properties with views of the preserve. Most of the real estate consists of medium to large single-family homes and townhomes. Hampton Lake is more family-friendly than 99% of the neighborhoods in South Carolina.
• Hampton Hall, located near Hampton Lake, has a below-average crime rate and good public schools. It's within the top 15% of family-friendly neighborhoods in South Carolina.

Mount Pleasant

Mount Pleasant is a large suburban town that's south of the Francis Marion National Forest and Ion Swamp. It's also on the coast with access to Sullivan's Island, Dewees Island, and Daniel Island. The violent crime rate is 1.02 per 1,000 residents, and the property crime rate is 11.57 per 1,000 residents. Both of these rates are lower than the state as a whole, making it one of the safest cities in South Carolina.

Neighborhoods with the lowest crime in Mount Pleasant include:

• Rivertowne is located on the Wando River and features lakes and wetlands in the neighborhood, too. The houses in this neighborhood are built with a Lowcountry style. Some properties have private docks and boat slips. Two community docks are in the neighborhood as well. Additional amenities include a swimming pool, tennis courts, and a golf course.
• The Wando Welch Terminal of the Port of Charleston is in Hobcaw Creek Plantation. This neighborhood also offers convenient access to the Mark Clark Expressway. Community amenities include tennis courts, a swimming pool, and a covered picnic area.
• Dunes West, another safe neighborhood on the Wando River, is a retirement-friendly neighborhood. Many of its residents are former executives and managers. There are medium to large single-family homes and row and attached houses in the neighborhood.

Tega Cay

Tega Cay is a small peninsula city of 13,000 near Lake Wylie. Your chance of becoming a victim of a violent crime is 1 in 1,897. Many of the city's residents work in the computer and math industries. Tega Cay is a family-friendly city where you can make connections with other families and send your kids to good public schools.

There are only two neighborhoods in Tega Cay:

• Anchorage is by the Tega Cay Golf Club and has a mixture of executives, farmers, foresters, and fishers. Most of the residences are medium to large single-family homes and apartments. Anchorage has one of the highest concentrations of married couples in the U.S. It's also a retirement-friendly neighborhood.
• City Center is by Fewell Island. Many of its residents are executives, but you'll also find managers, salespeople, and service workers. It has a higher concentration of married couples than 99.1% of neighborhoods in the U.S.

Hanahan

Hanahan, a city of 21,000, features wetlands and small-town charm. It's close to Charleston, Savannah, and Columbia. Major nature attractions are the Goose Creek Reservoir and the Hanahan Pond Wildlife Preserve. Hanahan has a large population of members of the military and employees in the computer and math industries.

The safest neighborhoods in Hanahan are:

• Laurel Hill, south of the Saint James Estates, has a higher proportion of active service members than 98.8% of neighborhoods in the US. Most of the residents are executives. Laurel Hill is also popular among families who have school-aged children. The real estate primarily consists of medium to large single-family homes and apartment complexes.
• Hanahan North is a neighborhood of executives, managers and other professionals. It has a mixture of homes that were built from 1970 to 1999 and from 2000 onward.
• Located near Trident Technical College, Berkeley Hills is a safe, college-friendly neighborhood. It's within the top 10% of college-friendly neighborhoods in South Carolina. You'll find some older residences here that were built from 1940 to 1969. Most of the homes are from 1970 to 1999.

Are a home security system and home automation necessary in South Carolina?

Even the safest cities in South Carolina have some property crimes. Installing a home security system would further reduce your chance of becoming a victim of a crime.

• Make your home undesirable to criminals: Security cameras are one of the biggest deterrents of criminals because they don't want to risk being caught, especially with today's advanced alert systems. You can receive notifications when the cameras detect motion on your property.
• Clearly see who's at the door: Doorbell cameras provide a much clearer picture of who's at your door than a peephole. They also scare off package thieves because they can alert you when someone is at the door. Our doorbell cameras light up a red LED light and inform the thief through audio that they've been caught.
• Always know that your doors are locked: You can remotely lock and unlock your doors with smart locks. This is convenient for those days when you can't remember if you locked the door. It also allows you to give temporary access to delivery personnel who need to go inside your home.

Maximize your security in South Carolina with a home security system

Regardless of where you live in South Carolina, a home security system maximizes your security and gives you more peace of mind. And home automation can simplify your life. Call us at 855.822.1220 for a free quote today.