Crime in South Charleston, West Virginia

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2018. In South Charleston, however, property crimes account for about 92% of all offenses.

Property crime is much more prevalent in South Charleston than it is nationwide. There were 577 property crimes in South Charleston in 2018, or 4,669 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 South Charleston. There were 503 larcenies reported in South Charleston in 2018, or 4,071 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,595 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 52 break-ins reported in South Charleston in 2018, or 421 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 South Charleston, meanwhile, there were 22 motor vehicle thefts in 2018, or 178 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 South Charleston, however, violent offenses account for a smaller 8% share of all reported crime.

At 380 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in South Charleston is about the same as the national violent crime rate of 381 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in South Charleston reported a total of 47 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 South Charleston. There were 33 aggravated assaults reported in South Charleston in 2018, or 267 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is slightly 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 4 robberies reported in South Charleston in 2018, a rate of 32 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 86 per 100,000 in 2018.

Rape

There were 10 rapes reported in South Charleston in 2018, or 81 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,380 rapes in 2018, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

While there were 16,214 murders nationwide in 2018, none were reported in South Charleston in 2018.