Crime Rate in Columbia, SC
Columbia, SC has a violent crime rate of 281.7 per 100,000 residents (23% below the U.S. average of 363.8) and a property crime rate of 1235.9 per 100,000 (33% below the U.S. average of 1832.3). All figures are per-capita rates, never raw counts.
Columbia Crime Rates per 100,000 vs National Average
| Crime Type | Columbia | National Avg | vs National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent Crime | 281.7 | 363.8 | -23% |
| Property Crime | 1235.9 | 1832.3 | -33% |
| Murder | 5.6 | 5.7 | -2% |
| Robbery | 45.1 | 73.0 | -38% |
| Aggravated Assault | 157.8 | 246.4 | -36% |
| Burglary | 160.7 | 269.8 | -40% |
| Larceny-Theft | 815.7 | 1401.9 | -42% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 111.2 | 318.3 | -65% |
| 5-Year Trend | +6.0% | ||
| Population | 136,632 | ||
All values are incidents per 100,000 residents (FBI UCR/NIBRS). Per-capita rates only — never raw counts.
Safety Context Score: 64/100 (Grade C)
CrimeContext scores Columbia on a 0-100 scale that weights per-capita violent crime against the national average (40%), per-capita property crime (30%), and the 5-year direction of total crime (30%). A grade of C means Columbia sits roughly in line with the typical U.S. city once population is taken into account. Crime has been trending upward over the past 5 years.
We never display raw crime counts. A large city will always log more total incidents than a small town; the only fair comparison is the rate per 100,000 residents, which is what every number on this page uses.
Frequently Asked Questions
Columbia, SC has a violent crime rate of 281.7 per 100,000 residents (23% below the U.S. average of 363.8) and a property crime rate of 1235.9 per 100,000 (33% below the U.S. average of 1832.3). All figures are per-capita rates, never raw counts.
Columbia, SC has a Safety Score of 64/100 (grade C). Violent crime is 23% below the national average. Crime has been trending upward over the past 5 years.
Columbia has a murder rate of 5.6 per 100,000 residents, compared with the national average of 5.7. Like every figure here, this is a per-capita rate — raw homicide counts without population context can badly mislead.
Crime has been trending upward over the past 5 years. Over the past 5 years, the total crime rate in Columbia has changed by +6.0%.
Violent crime in Columbia is 23% below the U.S. average and property crime is 33% below average. Columbia's overall Safety Context Score is 64/100 (grade C).
More about Columbia
Columbia, SC has a violent crime rate of 281.7 per 100,000 residents (23% below the U.S. average of 363.8) and a property crime rate of 1235.9 per 100,000 (33% below the U.S. average of 1832.3). All figures are per-capita rates, never raw counts.
This answer pulls from the FBI UCR/NIBRS dataset, the authoritative federal source for U.S. city and county crime rates. The headline number above is the direct answer; what follows is the additional context most readers need to use the answer for a real decision rather than just a fact lookup.
For readers turning this answer into action: cross-reference against the underlying the FBI UCR/NIBRS dataset record before acting on time-sensitive decisions. The site renders the data as it was published; subsequent revisions can shift the picture, and the live federal data is always the authoritative current reference.
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer, 2026.