Crime in Charleston, West Virginia

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2018. In Charleston, however, property crimes account for about 90% of all offenses.

Property crime is much more prevalent in Charleston than it is nationwide. There were 2,853 property crimes in Charleston in 2018, or 6,010 for every 100,000 residents. Meanwhile, the national property crime rate is 2,200 incidents per 100,000 people.

Larceny

Larceny is by far the most common type of property crime in the U.S. It is also the most commonly committed type of property crime in Charleston. There were 1,947 larcenies reported in Charleston in 2018, or 4,102 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,595 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 660 break-ins reported in Charleston in 2018, or 1,390 for every 100,000 residents. For reference, there were 327 reported burglaries for every 100,000 people nationwide in 2018.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Across the United States, the annual motor vehicle theft rate is 229 for every 100,000 people. In Charleston, meanwhile, there were 246 motor vehicle thefts in 2018, or 518 for every 100,000 people.

Violent crime

Violent crime accounts for a relatively small share of crimes nationwide. These offenses, which are generally more egregious than property crimes, account for about 15% of the more than 8.4 million offenses reported across the U.S. in 2018. In Charleston, however, violent offenses account for a smaller 10% share of all reported crime.

At 697 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Charleston is well above the national violent crime rate of 381 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Charleston reported a total of 331 violent crimes in 2018.

Aggravated Assault

Aggravated assault is by far the most common type of violent crime reported in the U.S. It is also the most commonly reported violent offense in Charleston. There were 223 aggravated assaults reported in Charleston in 2018, or 470 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is far lower, standing at 247 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people.

Robbery

Robbery is the second most common type of violent crime in America. There were 48 robberies reported in Charleston in 2018, a rate of 101 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 86 per 100,000 in 2018.

Rape

There were 50 rapes reported in Charleston in 2018, or 105 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,380 rapes in 2018, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There were 10 homicides committed in the city in 2018. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Charleston is 21.1 murders for every 100,000 people, many times higher than the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.