Here are your chances in SC of being ‘abducted’ by space aliens, based on UFO reports
Here’s how a report on alien abductions in the United States begins: “Most alien abduction stories begin quietly — a strange light, a missing moment, something that feels off.”
Sounds like something from the “Twilight Zone” or worse.
It’s the Alien Abduction Odds Index 2026 and it looks at where abductions are reported and shows the pattern. They’re not necessarily making a prediction.
“The odds are low everywhere. But the takeaway is simple: these reports don’t appear everywhere — they appear somewhere,” the report says.
South Carolina has its own history with UFOs
Well, sort of.
As many know, South Carolina was the site of the UFO Welcome Center in Bowman for years, a saucer-shaped wooden structure built over a period of years by Jody Pendarvis. The ramshackle 48-foot-wide, 16-foot-tall structure was written up by any number of publications and heralded as a roadside attraction.
It was never reported whether any UFOs actually checked it out over the decades it existed, but Pendarvis was quoted as saying “Maybe another UFO came by and set the fire” when the place burned down in 2024 after a 30-year run.
What are the odds of South Carolina experiencing an alien abduction?
The study said South Carolina has a 1.03% chance with odds of 1 in 97.
South Carolina ranked 29th in the country — not too high, not too low.
Which states have the highest odds of an alien invasion?
New Hampshire - 2% or 1 in 50 odds.
“New Hampshire ranks #1 in the U.S. because people there report UFO sightings more often than anywhere else — about 24 sightings per 100,000 residents,” the report said.
Idaho - 1.9% or 1 in 53
Vermont - 1.79% or 1 in 56
Maine - 1.78% or 1 in 56
Oregon - 1.68% or 1 in 60
“In several top states, a large share of sightings involve close encounters. In Idaho, Vermont, Oregon, and Wyoming, roughly 1 in 5 reports includes claims like missing time or direct contact,” the report said.
How do other southern states rank?
Florida - 1 in 80 odds
Alabama - 1 in 99
Mississippi - 1 in 127
Tennessee - 1 in 96
Wyoming residents are more often reported abduction-style experiences.
California, meanwhile, recorded nearly 17,000 sightings since 2019, but the state’s large population leaves it outside the top 15.
Which state has the lowest odds of an alien invasion?
New Mexico with 1 in 431 odds. This despite the state being the site of the renowned Roswell, New Mexico, which launched UFO conspiracy theories about the United States military finding a crashed UFO.
The United States Army Air Forces said it had recovered a flying disc, headlines screamed around the world and the announcement was retracted within a day.
They said instead it was a weather balloon, but the UFO rumor never died, prompting books, movies and TV shows.
Maybe that’s why the aliens never came back.
This story was originally published January 16, 2026 at 5:30 AM with the headline "Here are your chances in SC of being ‘abducted’ by space aliens, based on UFO reports."