Most Dangerous Cities in Texas Based on Crime Rates

Quick Answer - Is Texas Dangerous?

• Texas is not uniformly dangerous; reported crime rates vary by city.
• Among the eligible cities reviewed, Houston had the highest combined violent and property crime rate in 2025 at 4,711.5 per 100,000 residents.
• San Antonio ranked second at 4,449.0, followed by Beaumont at 3,904.7.
• Property crime made up most reported offenses across the top ten, although Beaumont, Houston, and Corpus Christi also recorded comparatively high violent crime rates.

Texas is known for its major cities, fast-growing communities, and wide range of urban and suburban lifestyles. With so much variation across the state, safety can look very different from one place to another.

For residents, homebuyers, and visitors, statewide averages do not tell the whole story. City-level figures provide a clearer way to see where reported violent and property crime rates are relatively higher.

This guide reviews the ten Texas cities with the highest combined crime rates in the latest complete 2025 FBI data. It also compares crime rates with total reported incidents, explains the differences between violent and property crime, and offers practical safety steps.

How We Ranked Texas Cities

We used the FBI Crime Data Explorer City Agency data for January through December 2025, released in August 2026. Cities needed complete population, violent crime, and property crime figures for all 12 months, plus an FBI reporting population of at least 25,000. A total of 131 Texas city agencies met these requirements.

The combined rate is (violent crime reports + property crime reports) / population * 100,000. Violent crime covers murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault; property crime covers burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft.

Top 10 Most Dangerous Cities in Texas by 2025 Crime Rate

Source: Based on 2025 city crime data from the FBI Crime Data Explorer. Only cities with at least 25,000 residents are included. Rates show reported offenses per 100,000 residents.

1. Houston

Houston ranks first with a combined rate of 4,711.5 per 100,000 residents. The FBI row contains 21,345 violent crime reports and 92,371 property crime reports for 2025. Its violent rate was 884.4, while its property rate was 3,827.2. Houston also reported the most total incidents among eligible Texas cities, with a reporting population of more than 2.4 million.

2. San Antonio

San Antonio's combined rate was 4,449.0 per 100,000, based on 8,242 violent and 60,686 property reports. Property crime produced most of the result, with a rate of 3,917.0 compared with a violent rate of 532.0. San Antonio sits close to Houston in the combined ranking even though its violent rate was substantially lower. The two category columns therefore matter more than the rank alone.

3. Beaumont

Beaumont recorded a combined rate of 3,904.7 per 100,000 residents. Its 1,057 violent reports produced a rate of 940.4, the highest violent rate in this Texas top ten. The city also recorded 3,332 property reports, or 2,964.3 per 100,000. Beaumont does not approach Houston or San Antonio in raw totals, yet it ranks third after adjustment for its population of 112,404.

4. Dallas

Dallas ranks fourth with a combined rate of 3,651.5 per 100,000. The FBI data shows 7,673 violent reports and 40,936 property reports. Those counts correspond to rates of 576.4 and 3,075.1. Dallas had the third-largest raw total among eligible Texas city agencies, but its population-adjusted rate remained below Houston, San Antonio, and Beaumont.

5. Corpus Christi

Corpus Christi had a combined rate of 3,582.7 per 100,000 residents. It reported 2,530 violent crimes and 8,830 property crimes. Its violent rate of 797.9 was the third highest in this top ten, behind Beaumont and Houston. Property crime still made up most reports, but violent offenses accounted for a larger share of the total here than in San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, or Katy.

6. Austin

Austin's combined rate was 3,519.0 per 100,000, based on 4,213 violent and 30,999 property reports. Its violent rate was 421.0, while its property rate was 3,097.9. Austin had the fourth-largest raw total in the statewide eligible group, yet ranked sixth per capita. For more local context, see Is Austin Texas Safe.

7. Texarkana

Texarkana enters the 2025 top ten with a combined rate of 3,486.8 per 100,000. The city agency reported 234 violent crimes and 1,018 property crimes across a population of 35,907. Its violent rate of 651.7 was higher than those of San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, Katy, and Balch Springs. Because the population is relatively small, annual changes in counts can also move its rate more noticeably.

8. Lubbock

Lubbock recorded a combined rate of 3,187.4 per 100,000 residents. Its 1,927 violent reports produced a rate of 698.9, while 6,861 property reports produced a rate of 2,488.5. The violent component was the fourth highest in this top ten, but the property rate was the lowest. That mix placed Lubbock eighth on the combined measure.

9. Katy

Katy ranks ninth with a combined rate of 3,089.6 per 100,000. It had the lowest violent rate in the table at 123.0, based on 36 reports. The city's 868 property reports produced a much higher property rate of 2,966.6. Most of that combined rate comes from property crime.

10. Balch Springs

With a population of 27,214, Balch Springs rounds out the top ten with a combined rate of 3,079.3 per 100,000 residents. Its 107 violent crime reports produced a rate of 393.2 per 100,000. The city also recorded 731 property crime reports, or 2,686.1 per 100,000.

Texas Cities with the Highest Total Reported Crime

This table ranks cities by total reported crimes rather than crime rate. Larger cities often record more incidents because they serve larger populations. The per-capita Top 10 above remains the article's main ranking.

Violent Crime vs. Property Crime in Texas Cities

Property crime made up the larger share of reports in all ten cities. That does not mean the violent category is unimportant. Beaumont had the highest violent rate in the table at 940.4, followed by Houston at 884.4 and Corpus Christi at 797.9. Katy had the lowest violent rate at 123.0 but still ranked ninth because its property rate was high.

A reader concerned mainly with personal violence should look at the violent-rate column. Someone comparing theft and burglary exposure should focus on the property-rate column. The combined number is useful for a broad comparison, but it can hide very different category profiles.

What These Rankings Cannot Tell You

The FBI's UCR data counts offenses known to law enforcement. It does not capture every crime that occurs. The FBI explains the difference between reported police data and victimization surveys in The Nation's Two Crime Measures. Reporting behavior, agency practices, classification changes, and later corrections can affect comparisons.

A citywide rate does not show where reports occurred. Residential neighborhoods, entertainment districts, retail centers, transit areas, and industrial zones can have very different patterns. The denominator is the FBI reporting population, not the number of commuters, shoppers, tourists, or other visitors present during the year.

The number of reported offenses is not necessarily the number of victims, and a rate per 100,000 is not an individual's probability of victimization. The ranking is a reproducible 2025 data snapshot, not a permanent judgment about a city or its residents.

Practical Safety Steps for Texas Residents

• Choose coverage that fits the property. The eufy LocalSecure System brings compatible security devices into one locally managed setup. For hard-to-wire areas such as side yards or parking spaces, the SoloCam S340 offers solar power, 360° viewing, and dual-camera 3K clarity. For always-on monitoring, the eufy ProSecure System supports NVR-based 24/7 local recording and local AI across multiple outdoor areas.
• Secure doors and windows. Use sturdy locks on exterior doors and windows, check garage and side-gate access, and repair loose frames or latches.
• Improve exterior lighting. Keep entrances, walkways, driveways, side yards, and parking areas visible at night without creating glare or dark blind spots.
• Protect your vehicle. Lock doors and windows, take the keys, park in a well-lit area when possible, and keep valuables out of sight.
• Plan for deliveries. Pick up important packages promptly, arrange delivery times in advance, use Hold for Pickup when needed, and request signature confirmation.
• Stay connected with neighbors. Share useful local updates, watch for unusual activity, and agree on how to contact one another when someone is away.
• Keep emergency information ready. Save the local non-emergency police number, check recent neighborhood alerts, and call 911 for an immediate threat or crime in progress.

For another view, see our guide to the safest cities in Texas. Compare places using the same year and data rules, then check current neighborhood-level information before making a housing or travel decision.

Disclaimer: This analysis ranks eligible FBI-reporting city agencies with complete 2025 data. It is not a definitive ranking of every neighborhood or community within those cities.

FAQs

What city in Texas has the highest 2025 crime rate?

Houston had the highest combined violent and property crime rate among the 131 eligible Texas city agencies serving at least 25,000 residents. Its 2025 combined rate was 4,711.5 per 100,000.

What are the top 10 most dangerous cities in Texas for 2025?

Using the defined FBI agency method, the top ten are Houston, San Antonio, Beaumont, Dallas, Corpus Christi, Austin, Texarkana, Lubbock, Katy, and Balch Springs, in that order.

Which Texas city had the most total reported crime?

Houston led with 113,716 reports, followed by San Antonio (68,928), Dallas (48,609), Austin (35,212), and Fort Worth (26,730).

Which Texas city had the highest violent crime rate?

Within the eligible group, Beaumont had the highest 2025 violent crime rate at 940.4 per 100,000. Houston followed at 884.4.

Is Texas a safe place to live?

Safety varies widely across Texas. A statewide or citywide rate cannot describe every neighborhood. Review recent local police data, visit the area at different times, and compare conditions that matter to your routine.