Everything might be bigger in Texas, including crime in Texas’s most dangerous cities. These cities are dealing with high unemployment, low wages, and higher-than-average poverty rates.
We turned to the data to identify the most dangerous cities in Texas. Using Saturday Night Science, we compared the FBI data for violent and property crimes rates in the 368 cities with a population of 5,000.
Texas has over 200 police officers for every 100,000 residents, but they can’t be everywhere, so the areas around cities like Houston and Beaumont are starting to feel the effects of higher crime.
Now, grab some Tex-Mex and review our results.
983 violent crimes /100k · 10,320 property crimes /100k · #5 most violent in Texas
Located in
Harris County, TexasIt’s good to be humble, but it’s dangerous to live in Humble, Texas, a city 20 miles north of Houston. While Humble took the top spot on this list thanks to its egregious amount of violent crime, Humble actually has the second highest overall crime rate statewide, outstripping the national average by over 300%.
That’s mostly due to a crazy high rate of property crime, with a typical resident facing a 1 in 9 chance of having their possessions damaged or stolen.
Sadly, the bad news doesn’t end there. Humble also has the third highest frequency of rape cases in all of Texas, as well as the highest murder rate of any place on this list. If you need a moment to get away from the anxiety of high crime, the Mercer Botanic Gardens make for a good sanctuary.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
1,758 violent crimes /100k · 4,302 property crimes /100k · #1 most violent in Texas
Located in
Hidalgo County, TexasLocated near the Mexico border in Hidalgo County, Donna ranks as the second most dangerous city in Texas.
Property crime ranks as the second worst in Texas, with over 722 cases recorded in 2024. So while you can find a steal at the Don West Flea Market, you can also probably find some folks who are perfectly willing to steal.
Violent crime in Donna could be worse, considering the city didn’t have a single murder over the year. However, 265 aggravated assaults sounds pretty high for a city of just 16,781.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
1,148 violent crimes /100k · 4,293 property crimes /100k · #3 most violent in Texas
Located in
Montgomery County, TexasHouston, we have a problem: namely, crime. As far as the Houston-Dallas rivalry goes, Houston is the definite loser in terms of criminal activity, seeing as Dallas isn’t even in the top fifty most dangerous cities statewide. Violent crime is the major problem in Houston, with 26,628 cases of people being killed, attacked, or raped in 2024. That adds up to a 1 in 87 chance of being the victim of such a crime — not great.
You can still definitely have a nice day out at Discovery Green, downtown Houston’s public urban park, but we do recommend buddying up after dark. That, and doing your best to avoid Houston’s worst neighborhoods.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers | Compare
897 violent crimes /100k · 3,492 property crimes /100k · #7 most violent in Texas
Located in
Hidalgo County, TexasLocated about as far south as you can get without crossing into Mexico, the city of Alamo comes in as the fourth most dangerous place to live in Texas. There’s some good news for residents of Alamo; the city is down three ranks from last year, so things seem to be getting gradually safer here. Also, it’s the least violent place on this list, making life here a far cry from the Battle of the Alamo we remember.
On the other hand, Alamo residents faced a 1 in 28 chance of being the victim of a property crime in 2024, so it’s not exactly the sort of place you want to leave your door unlocked or your Amazon packages out on the porch for very long. But if you go bird-watching at the nearby Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge, you should be safe from any would-be thieves (unless there are magpies around).
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
1,137 violent crimes /100k · 3,302 property crimes /100k · #4 most violent in Texas
Located in
Jefferson County, TexasThe next stop on our tour of the most dangerous places in Texas is Beaumont, a city about 85 miles east of Houston. To give you some perspective of just how violent Beaumont is, you have a much greater chance of being attacked by a human being than an alligator in Gator Country. Seriously, there’s a 1 in 87 chance of being assaulted, raped, or killed each year in Beaumont. Yikes.
So while Beaumont might have the lowest property crime rate of any city on this list, we think that a fourth highest place ranking in violent crime makes it a whole lot scarier.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
923 violent crimes /100k · 3,173 property crimes /100k · #6 most violent in Texas
Data | Movers
594 violent crimes /100k · 4,624 property crimes /100k · #26 most violent in Texas
Located in
Medina County, TexasTexas’ second-biggest city and home to the Alamo, San Antonio isn’t quite the war zone it was back in 1836. Still, the city had 127 murders in 2024, and 8,998 violent crimes overall.
You’d also be well-advised to watch your pockets and purses when you’re at the River Walk because San Antonio also had a whopping 49,853 larceny cases over the year. That’s a lot of stolen phones and wallets.
Your car isn’t all that safe in San Antonio either, seeing as more than 20 cars a day are stolen in the city.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers | Compare
537 violent crimes /100k · 5,995 property crimes /100k · #33 most violent in Texas
Located in
Harris County, TexasWebster was originally named Gardentown when it was first founded in the late 19th century. “Urbanland” probably would make more sense today. The community now sits within the city sprawl surrounding Houston, with Webster located about a half hour southeast of the center of country’s fourth largest city.
Being part of a major metropolis has its upsides, of course. But there are challenges involved as well. Unfortunately, crime represents one of the major issues facing this community. Violence is relatively rare around town. However, property crime has reached epidemic proportions, including the state’s number 3 highest pace of larcenies.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
658 violent crimes /100k · 3,352 property crimes /100k · #23 most violent in Texas
Located in
Rockwall County, TexasDallas represents one of the country’s largest metropolitan areas. Also, one of its most iconic — in many ways, when people outside of Texas think of the state, their minds turn to Dallas.
Given its size and rich history, the city offers its residents wide ranging amenities. From professional sports teams to botanical gardens to art museums, whatever your taste in recreational activities, you can likely find something to do in Dallas.
However, like most big cities, Dallas also faces down a sizable crime problem. Violent crime represents a particular concern. The city reported 180 murders and 475 sexual assaults in a year. Dallas also faces a high rate of car thefts and robberies.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers | Compare
864 violent crimes /100k · 3,011 property crimes /100k · #10 most violent in Texas
Located in
San Patricio County, TexasCorpus Christi, colloquially Corpus, is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio Counties. It is 130 miles southeast of San Antonio. Its political boundaries encompass Nueces Bay and Corpus Christi Bay. Its zoned boundaries include small land parcels or water inlets of three neighboring counties.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers | Compare
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is Texas’s statewide median.
On the map
Where crime hits hardest in Texas
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the most dangerous cities in Texas for 2026?
Every year the FBI release two crime datasets on cities in Texas. First a preliminary dataset limited to the biggest cities in Texas, followed by a more detailed release at the end of the year.
For our analysis, we focused on the 2024 data, specifically the 2024 Crime In The United States Report for Texas.
So what criteria did we use? Have a look:
- Violent Crimes Per Capita
- Property Crimes Per Capita
In order to make the analysis as apples to apples as possible, we only considered Texas cities over 5,000 in population. That left us with 368 cities in Texas.
We then ranked each city from 1 to 368 for the two criteria with a #1 ranking being the most dangerous for the particular criteria.
Next, we averaged the two rankings into one “Dangerous Index”.
Finally, we ranked every city on the “Dangerous Index” with the lowest index being the most dangerous in Texas — Humble. Any ties went to the smaller city.
This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. It is our eleventh time ranking the most dangerous places to live in Texas and is updated for 2026. Property crime in Texas runs about 16 percent above the national rate — worth a minute to compare home security systems before you sign a lease.
The full plate
Crime By City In Texas
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Dangerous Index | Population | Total Crimes Per 100K | Violent Crimes Per 100K | Property Crimes Per 100K | Murders |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Humble | 3.50 | 16,076 | 11,303 | 983 | 10,320 | 2 |
| 2 | Donna | 4.00 | 16,781 | 6,060 | 1,758 | 4,302 | 0 |
| 3 | Houston | 5.50 | 2,319,160 | 5,442 | 1,148 | 4,293 | 320 |
| 4 | Alamo | 9.50 | 20,734 | 4,389 | 897 | 3,492 | 1 |
| 5 | Beaumont | 10.50 | 111,320 | 4,439 | 1,137 | 3,302 | 14 |
| 6 | Crandall | 16.00 | 5,420 | 4,096 | 923 | 3,173 | 0 |
| 7 | San Antonio | 16.00 | 1,514,458 | 5,218 | 594 | 4,624 | 127 |
| 8 | Webster | 18.00 | 12,094 | 6,532 | 537 | 5,995 | 2 |
| 9 | Dallas | 19.00 | 1,321,502 | 4,010 | 658 | 3,352 | 180 |
| 10 | Corpus Christi | 19.50 | 316,108 | 3,875 | 864 | 3,011 | 27 |
| 11 | Alice | 26.50 | 17,487 | 3,757 | 555 | 3,202 | 0 |
| 12 | Big Spring | 27.50 | 21,249 | 3,548 | 762 | 2,786 | 3 |
| 13 | Hutchins | 29.50 | 6,441 | 3,975 | 497 | 3,478 | 0 |
| 14 | Bay City | 30.50 | 17,405 | 3,424 | 580 | 2,844 | 0 |
| 15 | Leon Valley | 31.50 | 11,269 | 5,573 | 461 | 5,111 | 0 |
| 16 | Lubbock | 31.50 | 269,900 | 3,450 | 821 | 2,629 | 14 |
| 17 | Paris | 33.50 | 25,126 | 3,327 | 621 | 2,706 | 0 |
| 18 | Livingston | 34.50 | 5,753 | 3,772 | 469 | 3,303 | 0 |
| 19 | Amarillo | 34.50 | 203,039 | 3,346 | 691 | 2,656 | 17 |
| 20 | Weslaco | 35.00 | 43,898 | 3,916 | 467 | 3,449 | 0 |
| 21 | Mesquite | 37.50 | 148,803 | 3,478 | 501 | 2,976 | 6 |
| 22 | Austin | 38.50 | 984,613 | 3,709 | 467 | 3,242 | 65 |
| 23 | Bellmead | 42.00 | 10,657 | 3,641 | 460 | 3,181 | 1 |
| 24 | Bastrop | 44.00 | 12,388 | 3,665 | 436 | 3,229 | 1 |
| 25 | Henderson | 46.00 | 13,531 | 3,163 | 495 | 2,668 | 1 |
| 26 | Pasadena | 46.00 | 145,199 | 2,918 | 566 | 2,352 | 6 |
| 27 | Gonzales | 47.00 | 7,239 | 3,384 | 1,395 | 1,989 | 0 |
| 28 | Galveston | 47.00 | 53,100 | 2,917 | 537 | 2,380 | 3 |
| 29 | La Marque | 49.00 | 20,004 | 2,799 | 540 | 2,260 | 2 |
| 30 | South Houston | 49.50 | 15,696 | 2,873 | 694 | 2,179 | 1 |
| 31 | Center | 50.00 | 5,153 | 2,950 | 505 | 2,445 | 2 |
| 32 | Port Isabel | 50.50 | 5,150 | 4,194 | 369 | 3,825 | 0 |
| 33 | Baytown | 50.50 | 83,639 | 3,241 | 440 | 2,801 | 6 |
| 34 | Mercedes | 51.00 | 16,893 | 3,611 | 403 | 3,208 | 0 |
| 35 | Raymondville | 52.00 | 10,100 | 2,851 | 881 | 1,970 | 1 |
| 36 | Addison | 52.00 | 17,367 | 5,862 | 363 | 5,499 | 1 |
| 37 | Fort Worth | 52.00 | 997,476 | 3,158 | 458 | 2,700 | 74 |
| 38 | Lancaster | 52.50 | 40,486 | 3,537 | 410 | 3,127 | 6 |
| 39 | Arlington | 54.00 | 399,840 | 2,896 | 483 | 2,413 | 17 |
| 40 | Balch Springs | 55.00 | 26,819 | 3,233 | 418 | 2,815 | 0 |
| 41 | Lampasas | 56.00 | 8,045 | 3,381 | 398 | 2,983 | 2 |
| 42 | Lufkin | 57.00 | 34,218 | 2,724 | 529 | 2,195 | 2 |
| 43 | Windcrest | 59.50 | 5,723 | 11,515 | 332 | 11,183 | 0 |
| 44 | Corsicana | 61.00 | 25,849 | 2,727 | 468 | 2,259 | 1 |
| 45 | Brenham | 62.00 | 19,775 | 2,569 | 531 | 2,038 | 0 |
| 46 | Robstown | 66.00 | 10,401 | 3,048 | 394 | 2,654 | 0 |
| 47 | Beeville | 66.50 | 13,069 | 3,130 | 367 | 2,762 | 0 |
| 48 | Pampa | 69.00 | 16,445 | 2,451 | 553 | 1,897 | 1 |
| 49 | Texarkana | 70.50 | 35,581 | 2,892 | 388 | 2,504 | 0 |
| 50 | Cleveland | 71.00 | 9,718 | 2,459 | 484 | 1,976 | 0 |
| 51 | Navasota | 71.50 | 9,425 | 2,557 | 785 | 1,772 | 0 |
| 52 | Carthage | 72.50 | 6,616 | 2,418 | 605 | 1,814 | 0 |
| 53 | Stafford | 75.00 | 17,242 | 3,520 | 319 | 3,201 | 0 |
| 54 | Waco | 75.00 | 146,270 | 2,552 | 426 | 2,126 | 8 |
| 55 | Sansom Park Village | 75.50 | 5,282 | 2,367 | 530 | 1,836 | 2 |
| 56 | Wichita Falls | 79.50 | 102,762 | 2,969 | 350 | 2,619 | 9 |
| 57 | Elsa | 80.50 | 5,702 | 3,315 | 298 | 3,016 | 0 |
| 58 | Vernon | 81.00 | 9,704 | 2,411 | 443 | 1,968 | 2 |
| 59 | Brownsville | 81.00 | 191,221 | 2,398 | 456 | 1,942 | 4 |
| 60 | El Campo | 82.00 | 11,972 | 2,314 | 510 | 1,804 | 1 |
| 61 | Los Fresnos | 83.50 | 8,439 | 2,405 | 794 | 1,612 | 0 |
| 62 | Brownwood | 85.50 | 18,782 | 2,609 | 362 | 2,247 | 2 |
| 63 | San Marcos | 85.50 | 72,723 | 2,617 | 359 | 2,258 | 0 |
| 64 | Mineral Wells | 86.50 | 15,669 | 3,019 | 306 | 2,712 | 0 |
| 65 | Cuero | 87.50 | 8,223 | 2,371 | 827 | 1,544 | 0 |
| 66 | Hurst | 87.50 | 38,973 | 2,592 | 354 | 2,237 | 1 |
| 67 | Longview | 88.50 | 83,771 | 2,689 | 339 | 2,350 | 9 |
| 68 | Ingleside | 90.00 | 10,330 | 2,178 | 571 | 1,607 | 0 |
| 69 | San Benito | 90.50 | 24,382 | 3,162 | 262 | 2,900 | 1 |
| 70 | Borger | 92.00 | 11,983 | 2,337 | 401 | 1,936 | 0 |
| 71 | Port Arthur | 92.00 | 55,397 | 2,258 | 718 | 1,540 | 6 |
| 72 | Jacksonville | 93.50 | 14,552 | 2,295 | 405 | 1,890 | 2 |
| 73 | Texas City | 94.50 | 58,130 | 2,555 | 339 | 2,216 | 5 |
| 74 | Temple | 94.50 | 96,862 | 2,679 | 317 | 2,362 | 11 |
| 75 | Kilgore | 95.00 | 13,572 | 2,535 | 339 | 2,196 | 1 |
| 76 | Kirby | 95.50 | 8,003 | 2,312 | 825 | 1,487 | 0 |
| 77 | Tyler | 96.00 | 111,714 | 2,305 | 391 | 1,914 | 9 |
| 78 | Granbury | 97.00 | 13,199 | 3,735 | 227 | 3,508 | 0 |
| 79 | Snyder | 97.50 | 11,106 | 2,332 | 873 | 1,459 | 0 |
| 80 | Duncanville | 97.50 | 38,939 | 2,586 | 308 | 2,278 | 3 |
| 81 | Harlingen | 97.50 | 71,388 | 2,977 | 258 | 2,719 | 1 |
| 82 | Willis | 98.50 | 7,146 | 2,547 | 322 | 2,225 | 0 |
| 83 | Uvalde | 99.50 | 15,509 | 2,231 | 393 | 1,838 | 0 |
| 84 | Jasper | 100.00 | 7,672 | 2,503 | 326 | 2,177 | 0 |
| 85 | Abilene | 100.50 | 130,275 | 2,188 | 424 | 1,763 | 6 |
| 86 | Richmond | 101.00 | 13,279 | 2,990 | 249 | 2,741 | 0 |
| 87 | Wilmer | 101.50 | 6,771 | 2,333 | 340 | 1,994 | 0 |
| 88 | Katy | 101.50 | 27,814 | 3,480 | 227 | 3,254 | 0 |
| 89 | Victoria | 102.50 | 65,893 | 2,282 | 363 | 1,920 | 3 |
| 90 | Huntsville | 104.00 | 49,446 | 2,045 | 514 | 1,531 | 3 |
| 91 | Sherman | 106.50 | 48,711 | 2,266 | 353 | 1,913 | 1 |
| 92 | Irving | 107.50 | 257,460 | 2,474 | 275 | 2,199 | 19 |
| 93 | Liberty | 109.00 | 8,937 | 2,395 | 291 | 2,104 | 1 |
| 94 | Wharton | 109.50 | 8,782 | 2,232 | 353 | 1,879 | 0 |
| 95 | Everman | 110.00 | 5,877 | 2,144 | 391 | 1,753 | 0 |
| 96 | Gilmer | 114.50 | 5,184 | 2,816 | 231 | 2,585 | 1 |
| 97 | Plainview | 115.00 | 19,186 | 2,054 | 370 | 1,684 | 0 |
| 98 | Bellaire | 115.50 | 16,959 | 2,612 | 236 | 2,376 | 0 |
| 99 | La Feria | 116.50 | 6,732 | 2,005 | 416 | 1,589 | 0 |
| 100 | Marble Falls | 117.00 | 7,746 | 2,208 | 323 | 1,885 | 0 |
Source: FBI UCR 2024. 368 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: Locking It All Up In Texas
So what is the most dangerous city in Texas? After analyzing 368 cities in Texas, Humble takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in Texas based on the most recently reported FBI data — 2024.
The latest FBI crime data shows that Humble ranks as the most dangerous city in Texas for 2026.
The most dangerous cities in Texas are Humble, Donna, Houston, Alamo, Beaumont, Crandall, San Antonio, Webster, Dallas, and Corpus Christi.
We want to point out again that there’s still safes places in Humble and that this isn’t a comment on the people that live there. So please don’t beat us up. Not sold on Texas? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Most Dangerous Places To Live In Texas FAQs
Is Texas a dangerous state?
Yes, Texas is a dangerous state as it ranks as the #11 most dangerous state in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. The violent crime rate in Texas ranks 15th most dangerous in the United States — 20.73% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Lone Star State ranks 14th most dangerous in the United States — 14.87% worse than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022.
Is Houston, TX a dangerous city?
Yes, Houston is a dangerous city. Houston ranks as the #30 most dangerous out of 328 major cities over 100,000 people in the United States based on our analysis of the latest FBI Crime Data. Keep in mind that are always safe and dangerous parts of any city, so even though Houston might be considered dangerous you still need to be aware of where you are. For example, West University is the safest in Houston, while Far North is considered dangerous by many based on recent crime stats.
Compared to other big cities, the violent crime rate in Houston ranks 27th highest in America — 106.23% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 30th highest in the United States — 67.9% worse than US average property crime rate. Note the latest reporting year from the FBI was 2022 and that no city in America is ‘dangerous’. Despite the uptick in murders, it’s nothing like you’d see in Tijuana or Caracas where the murder rate is 2x any American city.
