According to NeighborhoodScout's analysis of FBI crime statistics, Salem is safer than 66% of the cities and towns in the US of all population sizes. In South Carolina, only on the order of 18% of the communities have a lower crime rate than Salem. If you live in Salem, your chance of becoming a victim of crime in the community is 1 in 40. The US average across communities from the largest to the smallest is 1 in 43.

However, when you compare Salem to other communities of similar population, then Salem crime rate (violent and property crimes combined) is quite a bit higher than average. Regardless of how Salem does relative to all communities in America of all sizes, when NeighborhoodScout compared it to communities of similar population size, its crime rate per thousand residents stands out as higher than most.

Now let us turn to take a look at how Salem does for violent crimes specifically, and then how it does for property crimes. This is important because the overall crime rate can be further illuminated by understanding if violent crime or property crimes (or both) are the major contributors to the general rate of crime in Salem.

Importantly, our analysis shows that Salem has one of the lowest violent crime rates in all of America, across cities and towns of all sizes. Murder, rape, armed robbery and aggravated assault happen far less frequently here than in most places. Your chance of becoming a victim? Just one in 10000. Salem's violent crime rate is just 0 per 1,000 residents.

NeighborhoodScout's analysis also reveals that Salem's rate for property crime is 25 per one thousand population. This makes Salem a place where there is an above average chance of becoming a victim of a property crime, when compared to all other communities in America of all population sizes. Property crimes are motor vehicle theft, arson, larceny, and burglary. Your chance of becoming a victim of any of these crimes in Salem is one in 40.