These are the 6 safest places in SC to live in 2026, new report shows See if you live in one

South Carolina’s safest cities are considered suburbs and are also on the list of best places to live, a new report by Niche found.

They are located across the state and the safety scores are based on FBI crime analysis of robbery, murder, assault, burglary and vehicle theft rates. Niche also looked at excessive drinking and drug and weapon related deaths as reported by the Centers for Disease Control.

Niche is a website that analyzes school rankings, college planning, and scholarship information and has in-depth profiles on every school and college in America.

The cities considered safest in South Carolina range from Central with a population of 5,320 to Mount Pleasant with 93,993.

Two are suburbs of Charlotte — Tega Cay and Fort Mill.

There is a high percentage of home ownership in the safest cities and schools are highly rated.

The top six safest cities are:

Tega Cay in York County beside Lake Wylie with a population of 13,615 was deemed the safest city.

“Living in Tega Cay offers residents a rural feel,” Niche said.

It is an affluent area. and by some measures is considered the richest city in South Carolina. with a median household income around $140,000.

Central, at No. 2, is in Pickens County and has a dense suburban feel. Four miles from Clemson University, the town is home to many young professionals.

No. 3 Fort Mill has a population of 30,775 and is one of the fastest growing cities in the state, according to the U.S. Census. It is considered to have a “sparse suburban feel” with many parks, including 3-mile-long Riverwalk Park along the Catawba River.

No. 4 Clemson has a population of 18,072 and has a dense suburban feel with many renters, Niche said. Home to Clemson University, it has many bars, restaurants, coffee shops, and parks, including the 230-acre South Carolina Botanical Garden on the campus.

No. 5 Lexington, with a population of 24,585, is high on homeownership as well as lots of things to do, including restaurants, coffee shops, and parks such as Virginia Hylton Park and Fourteen Mile Creek Trail.

No. 6 is Mount Pleasant with a dense suburban feel and for a long time the fastest growing city in the state. It is South Carolina’s fourth largest city, after Columbia, Charleston and North Charleston.

Located across the Ravenel Bridge from Charleston, city leaders call it a city in size, a town in attitude.

It is a city of neighborhoods, most notably Old Village with its 18th-century homes and plantation houses. Equally attractive is its proximity to Sullivans Island and Isle of Palms beaches.