The Most Safest and Dangerous Cities in Texas

Statewide Crime Trends in Texas

Texas cities overall don't have a higher violent crime rate than the state average for California and Alaska, but the Lone Star state's violent crime rate of 432 per 100,000 residents annually is higher than the national average of 381 per 100,000 people.

As a result, Texas ranks 12th for violent crime among the 50 U.S. states. Meanwhile, with a property crime rate of 2,300 per 100,000 residents per year, Texas ranks 14th for property crimes in the United States.

But crime does seem to be improving in some areas of Texas in 2024. In Austin, for example, new statistics recently revealed crime levels decreased in the first quarter of 2024 for the first time since 2020. This suggests the social ecosystem is beginning to heal from the pandemic’s disruptions.

Property Crime in Texas

Texas residents and visitors, especially those living or staying in certain cities, may want to take extra precautions for personal safety and home security.

Property crime in Texas puts the state in the top 28% of states for burglary, larceny theft, and automotive vehicle theft. With 2,300 property crimes reported per 100,000 people per year, Texas has a property crime rate 18% higher than the national average.

The burglary rate statewide is 334 per 100K, while the larceny-theft rate is 1,634, and the motor vehicle theft rate is 331.

The least safest cities in Texas for property crime are South Padre Island (14,063 per 100K), Humble (10,811 per 100K), and Balcones Heights (10,410 per 100K). The safest cities in Texas for property crime are Collinsville, Edgewood, Stratford, Hico, and Woodbranch (0 per 100K).

Violent Crime in Texas

Violent crime in Texas ranks the state 12th nationwide, with a violent crime rate of 432 per 100K annually, which is 13 percent higher than the national average.

The rate of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter per 100,000 residents per year is 7, the rate of rape is 50, robbery is 71, and aggravated assault is 305.

The most violent cities in Texas are Balcones Heights (1,587 violent crimes reported per 100K people per year), South Padre Island (1,563), and Gonzales (1,481). The least violent cities in Texas are Argyle, Josephine, Melissa, and Northeast.

Our Data

Our data comes from comprehensive reporting compiled by the FBI and accessed via the Crime Data Explorer website. Property and violent crime state figures were drawn from Table 5 of the 2022 Crime in the U.S. Report. Metropolitan figures were found in Table 6, Crime in the U.S. by Metropolitan Statistical Area. City-level figures were drawn from Table 8, Offenses Known to Law Enforcement by State by City. The population figures in that table are U.S. Census Bureau provisional estimates as of July 1, 2020.

Limitations: According to the FBI, the data in the publication tables may differ from those released on the Explorer Pages of the CDE. These variations are due to the difference in methodologies between the publication tables and data displayed on the CDE. Please note that crime statistics are not the sole measure of a city’s safety.