Here Are The 10 Most Dangerous Places In South Carolina After Dark

There’s an old cliché: “Never judge a book by its cover.” It’s true. It’s always better to get the facts first. Ever wonder about the actual violent crime statistics of those seemingly questionable neighborhoods in your city, or a neighboring city? Neighborhood Scout uses actual violent crime statistics from the FBI and the U.S. Justice Department and interprets them applying their own algorithm to each city. Furthermore, the service breaks down those stats by neighborhood. Using this information, we’ve plucked out the absolute worst neighborhoods to be in after dark in the Palmetto State. These are the 10 most dangerous cities in South Carolina that you won’t want to be caught outside after dark!

This data is based solely on information from Neighborhood Scout. You can learn more about their evaluation methods, and of course, understand that there are other factors to take into consideration when seeing and contemplating the raw numbers. Here are the 10 cities with the worst neighborhoods for violent crime.

Dillon, SC 29536, USA

OZinOH/Flickr

In Dillon, the chances of you being hit with a violent crime are 1 in 39 making it one of the most dangerous places in SC. The data doesn't apply to all of Dillon, however. The area considered to be Newtown gets the lowest grade. While Dillon gets an "F" grade for safety, there are parts of Dillon that make it one of the most misunderstood cities in South Carolina.

Dillon, SC does have its charms, however. The Celebrate Main Street event is a positive way to support the community:

Lake City, SC 29560, USA

Google Maps [streetview]

The chances of a violent crime happening to you in Lake City are 1 in 56, based on data from Neighborhood Scout. But not all areas of Lake City have this high violent crime rate. The website attributes these numbers to what is considered the "city center" of Lake City, making it one of the worst places to live in South Carolina unfortunately. Make sure to follow along on the Lake City Facebook page to stay up to date.

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Spartanburg, SC, USA

Doug Gregory/Flickr

The figures presented by Neighborhood Scout peg your chances of becoming a victim of a violent crime in some Spartanburg areas at 1 in 66. The areas most dangerous are Duncan St./Caulder Ave., Howard St./Arch St., and Hilltop. The city is putting energy into a revitalization effort, and you can read more about the areas of Spartanburg worth visiting.

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Hartsville, SC 29550, USA

Orin Blomberg/Flickr

Neighborhood Scout's algorithm puts the 5th most dangerous area in the state in the City of Hartsville. The dangerous areas are in the Hartsville South neighborhood. According to Neighborhood Scout, your chances of becoming the victim of a violent crime in these Hartsville areas are 1 in 70. Read more about the positive things about living in Hartsville in our featured article.

Bishopville, SC 29010, USA

Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr

Bishopville gets the unfortunate distinction of having one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the state. Neighborhood Scout suggests the area of Browntown has a seriously high violent crime history. Overall in Bishopville, your chances of being a victim of a violent crime are 1 in 78. Even more scary is the legend of the Lizardman of Scape Ore Swamp that terrorized the town in the 1980s.

Take a look at a few of the positive things about Bishopville, SC in this video from SouthCarolinaETV:

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Marion, SC, USA

Jimmy Emerson, DVM/Flickr

The "city center" in Marion has the worst violent crime rate in the city. Here, your chances of becoming a victim of a violent crime are 1 in 79, based on data reported by Neighborhood Scout. If you are moving to Marion, be sure to check out the best places to live in the city.

Myrtle Beach, SC, USA

Blake Lewis/Flickr

The area of 21st Ave. N. and North Ocean Blvd. is the most dangerous place in the city. Here, your chances of becoming a victim of violent crime are 1 in 82. This is what makes it one of the most dangerous places in South Carolina. Myrtle Beach is still a very popular road trip destination in the state due to the white sand beaches.

Walterboro, SC 29488, USA

OZinOH/Flickr

The better part of the violent crimes in Walterboro happens in the "city center." In Walterboro, your chances of becoming the victim of what the F.B.I. calls a "violent crime" are 1 in 82. If you’re looking for more interesting facts about the history of Walterboro, our featured article is filled with great information about this city.

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Columbia, SC, USA

Akhenaton06 via Wikimedia Commons

The data suggests there are some spots in Columbia where your chances of being the victim of a violent crime are as much as 1 in 142. Those areas are Belmont, St. Andrews Terrace Road, Fairwold, the city center, Lorrick Avenue, Colonial Drive, and Old Manor Road/Melo Drive.

If you are visiting or moving to the Columbia, SC area here are a few things to know before you arrive:

Anderson, SC, USA

Bill Herndon/Flickr

In Anderson, the areas of Toxaway, Linley Park, Westview Heights, Caldwell Village, and City Center are considered the most dangerous in the city. Your chances of becoming a violent crime victim in Anderson are 1 in 165. While the rate is still higher than the state average, the violent crime rate in Anderson has improved considerably in the last few years going from number six to number 10. If you are thinking of visiting Anderson, make sure to read up about where to stay when you’re visiting.

Of course, not ALL areas in these cities are dangerous places. But based on the data from the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice compiled from local law enforcement agency reports and then analyzed by Neighborhood Scout, they have some of the most dangerous neighborhoods in the state.

Were you surprised by any of the cities on this list or by any of the cities that weren’t on this list? Do you think these places deserved a spot on the most dangerous cities in South Carolina list? Is there any we’ve missed? We’d love to hear your thoughts in our comments below!

If you’re interested in where to move to in the Palmetto State, you need to read more about these 12 charming small towns in South Carolina. And don’t forget to wear your South Carolina pride on your sleeve! Check out this unique apparel collection from Wear Your Roots.