10 Most Dangerous Cities in Texas (2024)
- Houston
- San Antonio
- Lubbock
- Beaumont
- Dallas
- Mesquite
- Austin
- Corpus Christi
- Waco
- Pasadena
1. Houston
The most dangerous city in Texas is Houston. Out of a population of 2.33 million, Houston’s violent crime rate is 2.67 per 1,000 residents, while property crime stands at 10.70 per 1,000 residents. In 2022 alone, there were 6,241 violent crimes reported, including 399 murders. Property crime is also a problem, with 95,926 incidents reported in 2022. The most dangerous neighborhoods in Houston are Sunnyside, MacGregor, Sharptown, and Greenspoint.
Houston has the highest crime rate in Texas and the overall chance of becoming the victim of a property crime 1 in 23 while the chance of becoming the victim of a violent crime 1 in 78.
If safety and affordability are priorities for you, explore our article on the cheapest places to live in Texas.
2. San Antonio
San Antonio is also one of the most dangerous cities in Texas. Out of a population of 1.59 million, San Antonio had 2,918 reported incidents of violent crime in 2022. The violent crime rate stands at 1.83 incidents per 1,000 people, while property crime stands at 10.83 incidents per 1,000 people. In 2016, San Antonio experienced a 20-year high homicide rate of 151 murders. The murder rate has increased over the years to hit a 30-year high of 195 for the year 2022. Much of the violent crime in San Antonio can be attributed to gang activity, with most murders being drug-related or domestic incidents.
The worst neighborhoods in San Antonio are Pecan Valley, East Terrell Hills, Arena District, Villa De San Antonio, and Westwood Village.
3. Lubbock
Another one of the worst cities in Texas for crime is Lubbock, which has a population of 327,424 and a violent crime rate of 2.23 per 1,000 persons. This makes the city of Lubbock 121% more dangerous than the US average. Between 2021 and 2022 Lubbock’s crime rate has grown by ten percent. From 2019 to 2020, there was a 182% increase in homicides from 11 to 31. The local homicide rate of 9.5 incidents per 100,000 people in 2022 is now well above the 6.5 per 100,000 national rate. Although Lubbock is a dangerous place to live, it's one of the cheapest cities in Texas.
4. Beaumont
Beaumont is also one of the most dangerous cities in Texas. The city has a population of 112,556. The violent crime in Beaumont is 2.5 per 1,000 people making the city 93% higher than the national average. Overall violent crime rates in the Beaumont metro area are up by nearly 12% from 2019 to 2022. The district attorney for Jefferson County, Texas, which covers both the cities of Beaumont and Port Arthur, has pointed to pandemic-related delays in criminal trials leading to a backlog of cases and resulting in violent offenders remaining on the street longer than they otherwise would.
5. Dallas
With a population of 1,304,379, Dallas is one of the largest cities in Texas. It’s also one of the worst cities in Texas for crime, as it has a crime rate of 4,291 per 100,000 people making the city 83% more dangerous than the national average. The chances of becoming the victim of a violent crime in Dallas is 1 in 113. In 2020 there were 11,534 violent crimes, including 235 murders, 3,296 robberies, and 7,428 robberies. Shootings are common in Dallas, which can often be attributed to gang activity.
The most dangerous neighborhoods in Dallas are South Boulevard Park Row, Cedar Crest, South Dallas, Convention Center District, and Northwest Dallas.
6. Mesquite
Mesquite is also one of the most dangerous cities in Texas. It has a population of 147,691 and a local crime rate that is 69% higher than the national average. In 2020 there were 617 incidents of violent crime, including 11 murders, 149 robberies, and 390 assaults. Property crime in 2020 was 5,000 incidents, with 735 cases of burglary and 854 cases of vehicle theft. There were also 5,000 incidents of property crime, with theft and burglary being the most common.
The most dangerous neighborhoods in Mesquite are in the Northwest and Southeast parts of the city.
7. Austin
Austin is another one of the most dangerous cities in Texas. The number of total violent crimes reported in Austin is also increasing, from 1,139 reported cases in 2021 to 1,282 in 2022. The violent crime rate is 1.24 per 1000 persons, while the property crime rate is 8.36 per 1000 people. Austin’s violent crime rate per 100,000 residents has it ranked 28th among the 30 largest US cities.
Some of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Austin are Riverside, Rosewood, Bouldin, and MLK.
8. Corpus Christi
Crime in Corpus Christi is 686 cases in 2021 and 619 in 2022. Violent crime at 1.88 per 1000 persons and property crime at 7.52 per 1000 people. There were 2,824 incidents of violent crime in 2021, making the chances of becoming the victim of a violent crime 1 in 133. 75% higher than the US average. Your chance of being a victim of crime in Corpus Christi can be as high as 1 in 12 in the northern areas of the city or as low as 1 in 67 in the southwest part of the city.
9. Waco
Waco is also one of the top 10 most dangeruos cities in Texas. Waco has a population of 138,486, and a crime rate of 7.18 per 1000 people making the city 74% more dangerous than the national average. In 2023 there were 911 violent crimes, including 14 murders, 143 robberies, and 671 assaults. In addition, there were over 5,000 property crimes, including 882 burglaries and 422 incidents of vehicle theft.
10. Pasadena
Out of a population of 135,732, Pasadena has a crime rate of 2,428 per 100,000 people making the city 5% more dangerous than the US average. Residents have a 1 in 332 chance of becoming a victim of a violent crime. In 2020 there were 7 murders, 119 robberies, and 241 assaults. Property crimes were reported at 3,000 incidents in 2022, with 678 burglaries, 2,038 thefts, and 361 incidents of motor vehicle theft.
Most Dangerous Cities in Texas Bottom Line
There are many reasons to move to Texas, including the cheaper cost of living, great Tex-Mex food, and warm winters. However, you’ll want to know where you’re moving to and might want to reconsider living in one of the most dangerous cities in Texas. However, even though many of these cities have high crime rates, that doesn’t necessarily mean they are all bad places. Cities like Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio are economic and cultural hubs, and there are safe neighborhoods in pretty much every city in Texas.
Most Dangerous Cities in Texas Methodology
To come up with our list of the top 10 most dangerous cities in Texas, we used data from various local, state, and federal sources including the FBI’s 2021-22 Uniform Crime Report as well as numerous State and Local crime databases from 2022 and 2023. To help rank the worst cities in Texas we looked at property and violent crime rates per 1,000 people, or per capita.