Bellingham vs Columbia Crime Comparison
Is Bellingham or Columbia Safer?
Columbia is the safer city, with a total crime rate 3% lower than Bellingham based on 2024 FBI data. Bellingham has lower rates in 5 of 7 crime categories.
The biggest difference is in murder, where Bellingham has a 78% lower rate.
Bellingham, WA
Safety Score
25/100
Population
95,717
Total Crime Rate
4,107.9
Category Wins
5/7
Columbia, SC
Safety Score
27/100
Population
144,559
Total Crime Rate
4,002.5
Category Wins
2/7
Detailed Crime Rate Comparison
| Crime Type | Bellingham | Columbia | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Crime Rate | 4,107.9 | 4,002.5 | +105.4 |
| Violent Crime Rate | 351.0 | 769.9 | -418.9 |
| Murder Rate | 2.1 | 9.7 | -7.6 |
| Rape Rate | 20.9 | 61.6 | -40.7 |
| Robbery Rate | 77.3 | 108.6 | -31.3 |
| Aggravated Assault Rate | 249.7 | 590.1 | -340.4 |
| Property Crime Rate | 3,756.9 | 3,232.6 | +524.3 |
| Burglary Rate | 491.0 | 496.7 | -5.7 |
| Larceny-Theft Rate | 3,113.3 | 2,356.8 | +756.5 |
| Motor Vehicle Theft Rate | 152.5 | 379.1 | -226.6 |
All rates per 100,000 residents. Source: FBI UCR 2024.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bellingham or Columbia safer?
Columbia is safer with a total crime rate of 4,003 per 100K vs 4,108 for Bellingham — a 3% difference.
How do violent crime rates compare?
Bellingham has a violent crime rate of 351.0 per 100K while Columbia has 769.9. Bellingham has lower violent crime.