MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Violent crime in South Carolina — including murder and sexual battery — decreased in 2024, according to the state Law Enforcement Division’s crime report.
The Palmetto State’s violent crime rate decreased 8.4% from 2023 to 2024, marking the fourth consecutive yearly decrease, according to the report. The murder rate also decreased significantly, by 15.8%, with the overall number of murders decreasing by 14.1%.
2025 SLED crime reportDownload
In total, South Carolina also saw drops in the following crimes:
- Sexual battery rate by 2.9%
- Robbery rate by 11.7%
- Aggravated assault by 8.4%
- Property crime by 11.8%
- B&E by 13.1%
- Motor vehicle theft by 17%
- Larceny by 10.7%
- Arson by 15.8%
- Weapons law violations by 30.4%
- Drug law violations by 12.5%
- Assaults by intimate partners by 7.6%
- Physical assault of law enforcement officers by 1.4%
Locally, three Pee Dee counties — Dillon (No.1), Marlboro (No.4), and Marion (No.5) — ranked in the top five for the highest violent crime rates in 2024. In 2023, the violent crime rate again featured three Pee Dee counties, with Dillon being No.3, Darlington at No.4 and Marlboro at No.5.
Horry County near top in state for number of assaults, murders and robberies in 2023, SLED data shows
On the Grand Strand, Horry County — with a population of 413,391 — saw 16 murder/nonnegligent manslaughter arrests in 2024, one more than the previous year. Marion County (28,368 population) saw two, Marlboro County (25,498) saw two, Darlington County (62,425) saw 17, Dillon County (27,577) saw seven, while Florence County (138,049) saw six.
In terms of total arrests, Horry County saw a 2.2% increase from 2023, Marion County saw a 8.8% decrease, Marlboro County saw a 8.5% decrease, Darlington County saw a 20.8% increase, Dillon County saw a 6.7% increase, while Florence County had a 5.4% decrease…