The City of Myrtle Beach has previously been ranked the 3rd most dangerous city overall in America by multiple outlets using FBI data with compiled crime statistics. The Myrtle Beach crime rate in the city was high enough to be published by the Wall Street Journal.
This year, Southwest Journal ranks the city as the 5th most dangerous in S.C.
Despite a decline in violent crime in Myrtle Beach, the author Michael Rivera notes that property crime rates remain a cause for concern. According to 2020 statistics, Myrtle Beach was the city with the highest overall crime rate in South Carolina, a staggering 365% above the national average, with a 1 in 11 chance of being a victim of a Myrtle Beach crime of theft or damage.
Southwest Journal analyzed FBI statistics to determine Orangeburg’s status as South Carolina’s most dangerous city for 2023. Southwest Journal ranks the City of Myrtle Beach as #5.
Rivera has spent time in South Carolina and has seen more than nature preserves, beach vacations, and NASCAR.
“The Palmetto State isn’t all sweet tea and Southern hospitality. There’s a darker side to it that’s worth exploring,” he wrote.
“The reasons are many, but drug use plays a significant role,” he said.
The dangers in these areas are serious and life-threatening.
There were 1,731 violent crimes reported in Orangeburg per 100,000 residents. There were 6,560 property crimes, making Orangeburg the fourth most dangerous city for property crimes in the state.
There were 777 violent crimes and 8,014 property crimes reported among the 18,143 residents of West Columbia.
“The level of violence does not reach scary levels, but property crime is a major concern,” Rivera wrote. “West Columbia has the second highest property crime rate in South Carolina.”
Southwest Journal ranked six Pee Dee cities on its list – Darlington (2), Florence (3), Myrtle Beach (5), Georgetown (7), Hartsville (8), and Marion (9).
Rivera noted that Greenwood suffers an average of one violent crime a day, most notably rape.