110
Classified Tier 3, Quarterly Reviews — the highest-risk designation in South Carolina registry records
968
Listed as absconders — whereabouts currently unverified by the registry
399
South Carolina cities & towns with at least one registered offender
125.5
Per 10,000 residents in Spartanburg — highest rate of the major cities (4.1× the state average)
+26%
South Carolina's rate vs. the national average of ~24 per 10,000
City breakdown

Sex offenders by city in South Carolina

Registered sex offender counts for the 12 largest cities in South Carolina, with each city's rate per 10,000 residents. Raw counts track population — the per-capita column is the fair comparison, and the spread is dramatic: Spartanburg's rate is 23× Mount Pleasant's. Click a city for its full breakdown, or a column header to sort.

Key facts
  • Columbia has 560% more registered offenders than Charleston, despite having 1.1× fewer residents.
  • Columbia, Greenville, Spartanburg account for 54% of the registered offenders across the 12 cities tracked.
  • Adjusted for population, living in Spartanburg means 23× more registered offenders per resident than Mount Pleasant.
  • Registered sex offenders live in 399 different South Carolina cities and towns — no community is exempt.
#CityRegistered offendersPopulationPer 10,000 residents
1 Columbia
1,360
136,805 99.4
2 Greenville
683
71,110 96.0
3 Spartanburg
486
38,727 125.5
4 North Charleston
450
114,885 39.2
5 Sumter
384
43,488 88.3
6 Rock Hill
322
74,366 43.3
7 Summerville
298
50,841 58.6
8 Florence
294
40,109 73.3
9 Charleston
206
150,599 13.7
10 Goose Creek
113
45,972 24.6
11 Mount Pleasant
49
90,987 5.4
12 Hilton Head Island
32
37,662 8.5

Counts as of July 2026, compiled from official registry records. City populations from the 2020 U.S. Census. red = 1.5× the state rate or more · green = well below the state rate.

City-by-city breakdowns

Every South Carolina city we track has its own page with neighborhood-level numbers, risk levels, and recent registrations:

Every South Carolina municipality with registered offenders (top 60 shown)
Columbia 1,360Greenville 683Spartanburg 486North Charleston 450Anderson 389Sumter 384Myrtle Beach 352Conway 323Rock Hill 322Summerville 298Florence 294Lexington 217Charleston 206Aiken 206Greenwood 192Easley 177York 166Gaffney 165Orangeburg 160West Columbia 150Piedmont 142Moncks Corner 122Bennettsville 118Goose Creek 113Lancaster 111Bishopville 106North Augusta 106Seneca 105Walterboro 104Georgetown 102Greer 102Loris 99Union 98Gaston 92Simpsonville 88Westminster 87Ridgeland 85Hopkins 84Darlington 81Hartsville 80Elgin 80Manning 79Chester 79Ladson 77Ridgeville 76Inman 76Blacksburg 75Pickens 75Laurens 74Clover 72Camden 70Taylors 69Fort Mill 69Belton 68Liberty 67Kingstree 66Newberry 66Kershaw 65Clinton 64Marion 63
The rules in South Carolina

South Carolina sex offender laws & risk levels

Lifetime registration, biannual verification. South Carolina historically required lifetime registration for all sex offenders (a 2021 court ruling opened removal petitions for some tiers). SLED publishes all registrants on the public site.

1,000-foot rule for child-victim offenses. South Carolina bars offenders convicted of certain offenses against minors from residing within 1,000 feet of a school, daycare, or children's recreational facility.

Registration & verification. Registrants must keep their address, employment, and schooling current with the registry, and verify in person on a recurring schedule — more frequently for higher-risk or higher-tier registrants. Failure to register or verify is itself a crime and commonly appears as a listed offense on registry records.

Current risk-level breakdown in South Carolina:

Registered
424
Not Leveled
182
Level 2
133
Sexual Offender
101
Level 3
89
Common questions

South Carolina sex offender registry FAQ

How many registered sex offenders live in South Carolina?

As of July 2026, there are 15,524 registered sex offenders in South Carolina — about 30.3 for every 10,000 residents, 26% above the national average. Counts change as offenders register, move, or are removed from the registry.

Which city in South Carolina has the most sex offenders?

Columbia has the most registered sex offenders in South Carolina with 1,360. Raw counts track population, so the fairer comparison is per capita: adjusted for population, Spartanburg has the highest rate among major cities at 125.5 per 10,000 residents, while Mount Pleasant has the lowest at 5.4.

How do I find sex offenders near my address in South Carolina?

Use the free Predator Map app to search any South Carolina address and see registered offenders around it on a map, with photos and offense details from official registry records. You can also search the official South Carolina Sex Offender Registry (SLED) website directly.

Why is this number different from the official South Carolina registry website?

Public registry websites only show what the state chooses to publish. South Carolina publishes all registrants on SLED's public site. Statistics on this page are compiled from aggregated official registry records, so they can differ from — and often exceed — what a manual search of the public site returns.

Does South Carolina restrict where sex offenders can live?

1,000-foot rule for child-victim offenses. South Carolina bars offenders convicted of certain offenses against minors from residing within 1,000 feet of a school, daycare, or children's recreational facility. Address-level monitoring matters more than assumptions about "safe" neighborhoods.

How current is this data?

Statistics on this page are compiled from official state registry records and refreshed monthly. This page was last updated in July 2026. Always verify individual records with the official state registry.

Can I get alerts when a sex offender moves near me in South Carolina?

Yes. Predator Map Pro monitors up to 5 addresses daily and sends push and email alerts when a registered offender moves in nearby, a new offender registers, or someone moves away.

Is it legal to look up sex offenders near me?

Yes. Registry information is public record under federal and state law (Megan's Law), and anyone may search it to protect themselves and their family. What the law prohibits is using registry information to harass, threaten, or commit a crime against a registrant — misuse can be prosecuted.

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Methodology: Statistics are compiled from aggregated official state registry records and refreshed monthly. City figures count the city listed on each registry record. Per-capita rates use 2020 U.S. Census populations. Aggregated counts can exceed what public registry websites display because some classification levels are excluded from public searches. Figures are estimates and change daily as registries update — always verify individual records with the official state registry.