Most Dangerous Cities in Texas

In the broad expanses of Texas, the second-largest state in the United States both geographically and population-wise, home to 28.7 million people across 261,797 square miles, safety remains an ever-present concern. Violent crimes, characterized by actions intending to cause physical harm to individuals or property, while at a three-decade low nationally, still persist with disturbing frequency and are typically more concentrated in urban locales. Uneven distribution of crime rates, wealth disparities, and deteriorating living conditions converge to leave certain Texas cities more susceptible to violent incidents than others. This article, through FBI crime data, will delve into the violent crimes statistics of these cities.

• Odessa, TX has the highest violent crime rate in Texas at 5.64 per 1,000 residents, significantly above Texas' mean violent crime rate of 0.438 per 1,000 residents. Odessa's rate surpasses numbers recorded in larger cities such as Houston and Dallas.
• Lubbock, TX, Beaumont, TX, Houston, TX, and San Antonio, TX round out the top five cities with the highest violent crime rates in Texas, ranging from 4.75 to 3.95 per 1k. As expected, these cities are urban hubs with considerable populations.
• Despite being some of the largest cities in Texas, Dallas, TX, and San Antonio, TX have lower violent crime rates (3.77 and 3.95 per 1,000, respectively) compared to smaller cities like Odessa or Lubbock.
• Amarillo, TX, in contrast to its counterparts, ranks at the bottom amongst the cities listed with a violent crime rate of 3.46 per 1,000 residents.
• Texas, despite its abundant police force with 224 officers for every 100,000 residents, has several cities where the violent crime rate significantly exceeds the U.S. average.