Crime in Lake City, South Carolina

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Lake City, however, property crimes account for only about 72% of all offenses.

Despite accounting for a smaller than average share of total offenses, property crime is much more prevalent in Lake City than it is nationwide. There were 283 property crimes in Lake City in 2019, or 4,327 for every 100,000 residents. Meanwhile, the national property crime rate is 2,110 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 Lake City. There were 212 larcenies reported in Lake City in 2019, or 3,241 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 49 break-ins reported in Lake City in 2019, or 749 for every 100,000 residents. For reference, there were 341 reported burglaries for every 100,000 people nationwide in 2019.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Across the United States, the annual motor vehicle theft rate is 220 for every 100,000 people. In Lake City, meanwhile, there were 22 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 336 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 nearly 8.2 million offenses reported across the U.S. in 2019. In Lake City, however, violent offenses account for a larger 28% share of all reported crime.

At 1,712 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Lake City is well above the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Lake City reported a total of 112 violent crimes in 2019.

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 Lake City. There were 98 aggravated assaults reported in Lake City in 2019, or 1,498 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is far lower, standing at 250 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people.

Robbery

Robbery is the second most common type of violent crime in America. There were 9 robberies reported in Lake City in 2019, a rate of 138 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 4 rapes reported in Lake City in 2019, or 61 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There was one homicide reported in the city in 2019. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Lake City is 15.3 for every 100,000 people, more than triple the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.