The 10 Most Dangerous Cities In Texas For 2022


We used data and science to identify the most dangerous cities in the Lone Star State for 2022.

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Everything might be bigger in Texas; but in the state's most dangerous cities, it's definitely not better.

Yes, the most dangerous places in Texas are dealing with high unemployment, low wages, lack of rehabilitation programs; and thus, high crime. We're not talking about driving five miles over the speed limit or not being a Dallas Cowboys fan kind of crime, we're talking about the type of crime that will get you on Fort Worth's KXAS at five. And lucky for you, RoadSnacks is here to tell you where the most crime is committed in The Lone Star State: we've created a list of the top ten most dangerous places in Texas for 2022.

In order to compile our list, we looked at FBI data for violent crimes and property crimes in Texas cities with a population of 5,000. That left us with 327 cities. We discovered that the state as a whole had 438 violent crimes and 2,562 property crimes reported per 100,00 residents. And while that doesn't seem like that many for the second largest state in the country in both area and population, it is above the national average; and coincidentally the 15th most dangerous state in the country.

It doesn't end there folks, Texas has 244 police officers for every 100,000 residents, but they just can't be everywhere, so bigger cities like Houston and Beaumont are really starting to feel the effects.

Have we piqued your interest? Want to know more about our methodology and where the most dangerous places in Texas are located? Keep reading.

The Most Dangerous Cities In Texas For 2022

  1. Palmview
  2. Humble
  3. Bellmead
  4. Houston
  5. Lubbock
  6. Webster
  7. Amarillo
  8. Aransas Pass
  9. Alice
  10. Dallas

Some might wonder why we produced this list. Well, one goal is to definitely help people navigate these dangerous Texas cities when trying to make an informed decision on what city they should call home.

With that in mind, what's the most dangerous city in Texas? Without further adieu. the most dangerous city in The Lone Star State for 2022 would be Palmview.

If you're curious to see if your city made the list, take a look at our list below. And if you don't see your city there, head to the bottom.

Learn more about the safest places in Texas.

If you're looking for something more national, check out the most dangerous cities in America or the most dangerous states in America.

For more Texas reading, check out:

The 10 Most Dangerous Places To Live In Texas For 2022

We're taking a trip down to the border to reach our most dangerous city in Texas for 2022, Palmview. Palmview earned this unfortunate distinction by having a mix of high property and violent crime. Overall, the city experienced about twice as much crime as your typical American city in 2020.

The good news first: Palmview has the lowest rate of rape cases anywhere on this list. The bad news is you still have a 1 in 21 of being the victim of a property crime.

If you need to get away from the stress of Palmview's high crime rate, Bensten-Rio Grande Valley State Park offers some anxiety-reducing bird-watching opportunities.

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 5,806
Rank Last Year: -
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,860 (Most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,753 (Sixth most dangerous)
More on Palmview:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

It's good to be humble, but it's dangerous to live in Humble, Texas, a city 20 miles north of Houston. While Palmview took the top spot on this list thanks to its egregious amount of violent crime, Humble actually has the 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 12 chance of having their possessions damaged or stolen.

Sadly, the bad news doesn't end there. Humble also has the 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.

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 15,901
Rank Last Year: 1 (Down 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,025 (Seventh most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 8,351 (Most dangerous)
More on Humble:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Humble, TX

Our tour of the most dangerous places to live in Texas takes u to Bellmead, a city just outside of Waco. Bellmead earned this spot on the list mostly thanks to having the fifth highest rate of violent crime in the state, with residents facing a 1 in 95 chance of being the victim of violence in a given year.

On the bright side, Bellmead didn't experience a single murder in 2020, but the odds being attacked are still quite high. Bellmead also has an uncomfortable amount of property crime, seeing as a resident has a 1 in 19 chance of having their stuff stolen or damaged.

In other words, if you're hanging out one of the parks that flank the suspension bridge to Waco, be sure to bring a buddy and get home before sunset.

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 10,835
Rank Last Year: 2 (Down 1)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,052 (Fifth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 5,159 (Fourth most dangerous)
More on Bellmead:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Bellmead, TX

Houston, 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 29,474 cases of people being killed, attacked, or raped in 2020. That adds up to a 1 in 79 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.

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 2,346,155
Rank Last Year: 4 (No Change)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,256 (Second most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,178 (13th most dangerous)
More on Houston:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Houston, TX

Located in the South Plains region of northwestern Texas, Lubbock comes in as the fifth most dangerous place to call home in the state. Lubbock experienced 28 murders in 2020, greatly contributing to the city's status as the place with the fourth highest rate of violent crime in the state.

Property crime is also quite high, with an average of 32 such cases happening every day in Lubbock. So when your parents tell you to be safe before sending you off to Texas Tech University, they're not just being paranoid.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 262,146
Rank Last Year: 3 (Down 2)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 1,087 (Fourth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,108 (16th most dangerous)
More on Lubbock:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Lubbock, TX

Webster 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 2 highest pace of larcenies.

Overall SnackAbility

7
/10

Population: 11,545
Rank Last Year: -
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 614 (30th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 6,808 (Second most dangerous)
More on Webster:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Webster, TX

From the very far south, we head to the far north to reach Amarillo, the most populous city in the Texas Panhandle. While Alamo has been getting safer, Amarillo has been steadily getting more dangerous in recent years. Folks here have a 1 in 119 chance of being the victim of a violent crime over a year, with about three aggravated assaults taking place each day.

There were also 7,369 property crimes in 2020, which is quite high for a city of 200,296. On the fun side, Palo Duro Canyon, the second-biggest canyon in America is located just outside of Amarillo. Just be careful about taking pictures, or your visit could be just as dangerous as the city itself!

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 200,296
Rank Last Year: 10 (Up 3)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 836 (12th most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,679 (22nd most dangerous)
More on Amarillo:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Amarillo, TX

Aransas Pass sits along the coast, in the southeast part of Texas. The town, which is located a short drive outside of Corpus Christi, offers access to a fair amount of outdoor activity. Visitors can enjoy kayaking and fishing in the Redfish Bay.

However, don't let your guard down as you head to the water. There are criminal elements in town, making this the number 8 most dangerous spot in Texas. The main problem in town comes from burglaries, which occur at an extremely high rate. There were 87 such crimes last year in a population of 8,414.

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 8,414
Rank Last Year: -
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 689 (23rd most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,064 (17th most dangerous)
More on Aransas Pass:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Aransas Pass, TX

Source: Public domain

Alice has a rich cultural history. The town is known as the "Birthplace of Tejano Music," a distinction it gets because a recording studio that helped launch the genre in the 1940s was located in town. Beyond that, Alice has storied history in science. Two Nobel Prize winners were born in this southeast Texas town.

But Alice has another distinction that's not so appealing. It's also the number 9 most dangerous spot in Texas. This comes as a result of high rates of burglary and arson.

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 18,634
Rank Last Year: 13 (Up 4)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 606 (32nd most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 4,298 (Eighth most dangerous)
More on Alice:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Alice, TX

Dallas 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 236 murders and 569 sexual assaults in a year. Dallas also faces a high rate of car thefts and robberies.

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,363,028
Rank Last Year: 16 (Up 6)
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 844 (Ninth most dangerous)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 3,446 (31st most dangerous)
More on Dallas:  | Cost Of Living | Crime Report

Dallas, TX

Methodology: How we determined the most dangerous cities in Texas for 2022?

Every year the FBI release two crime datasets, a preliminary dataset limited to the biggest cities in the country, followed by a more detailed release at the end of the year.

For our analysis, we focused on the JUST released 2020 data, specifically the 2020 Crime In The United States Report. We will update the results when data becomes available in September 2022.

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 327 cities in Texas.

We then ranked each city from 1 to 327 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 -- Palmview. Any ties went to the smaller city. You can download the data here.

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 highest in the United States -- 15.13% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the Lone Star State ranks 14th highest in the United States -- 14.65% worse than US average property crime rate. The latest reporting year from the FBI was 2020.

Is Houston, TX a dangerous city?

Yes, Houston is a dangerous city. Houston ranks as the #29 most dangerous out of 320 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 20th highest in America -- 128.87% worse than US average violent crime rate. The property crime rate in the ranks 39th highest in the United States -- 57.35% worse than US average property crime rate. Note the latest reporting year from the FBI was 2020 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.

Graphing The Most Dangerous And Safest Places In Texas

Most Dangerous Cities In Texas Graph

Click To Enlarge

Summary: Locking It All Up In Texas

So what is the most dangerous city in Texas? After analyzing 327 cities in Texas, Palmview takes the top spot as the most dangerous city in Texas based on the most recently reported FBI data -- 2020.

The latest FBI crime data shows that Palmview ranks as the most dangerous city in Texas for 2022.

We want to point out again that there's still safes places in Palmview and that this isn't a comment on the people that live there. So please don't beat us up.

Some might wonder why we produced this list. Well, one goal is to definitely help people navigate these dangerous Texas cities when trying to make an informed decision on what city they should call home.

With that in mind, what's the most dangerous city in Texas? Without further adieu. the most dangerous city in The Lone Star State for 2022 would be Palmview.

If you're curious to see if your city made the list, take a look at our list below. And if you don't see your city there, head to the bottom.

Learn more about the safest places in Texas.

If you're looking for something more national, check out the most dangerous cities in America or the most dangerous states in America.

Here are the safest cities in Texas:

  1. Fate (Pop. 16,917)
  2. Primera (Pop. 5,250)
  3. Memorial Villages (Pop. 12,375)
  4. Muleshoe (Pop. 5,005)
  5. Parker (Pop. 5,364)
  6. Highland Village (Pop. 16,848)
  7. Colleyville (Pop. 27,602)
  8. Fairview (Pop. 9,375)
  9. Trophy Club (Pop. 13,053)
  10. Fulshear (Pop. 14,094)

For more Texas reading, check out:

Crime By City In Texas

Rank City Population Violent Crimes Per Capita Property Crimes Per Capita
1 Palmview 5,806 1,860 4,753
2 Humble 15,901 1,025 8,351
3 Bellmead 10,835 1,052 5,159
4 Houston 2,346,155 1,256 4,178
5 Lubbock 262,146 1,087 4,108
6 Webster 11,545 614 6,808
7 Amarillo 200,296 836 3,679
8 Aransas Pass 8,414 689 4,064
9 Alice 18,634 606 4,298
10 Dallas 1,363,028 844 3,446
11 Beaumont 116,766 1,225 3,308
12 Donna 16,400 1,048 3,323
13 Lufkin, 35,007 811 3,490
14 San Antonio 1,573,189 735 3,626
15 Cleveland 8,285 579 4,176
16 Lamesa 9,119 614 4,024
17 Corpus Christi 329,050 842 3,266
18 Henderson 13,093 557 4,162
19 La Marque 17,656 532 4,230
20 Gilmer 5,171 657 3,461
21 Waco 140,870 642 3,445
22 Balch Springs 25,189 714 3,263
23 Galveston 50,751 644 3,337
24 Alamo 20,078 542 3,650
25 Sinton 5,324 694 3,155
26 Paris 24,801 991 2,858
27 Slaton 5,864 596 3,171
28 Addison 16,778 429 6,067
29 Bay City 17,505 519 3,507
30 Livingston 5,240 419 4,809
31 San Benito 24,237 812 2,780
32 Austin 1,000,276 466 3,631
33 Baytown 77,823 434 3,748
34 Bastrop 9,479 527 3,122
35 Mesquite 141,325 437 3,535
36 Harlingen 65,014 413 3,748
37 Brownwood 18,367 468 3,239
38 El Campo 11,523 512 3,098
39 Odessa 126,288 807 2,504
40 Uvalde 16,027 399 3,849
41 South Houston 17,485 537 2,859
42 Mercedes 16,699 509 2,976
43 Gainesville 16,986 441 3,237
44 Jasper 7,543 410 3,367
45 Fort Worth 929,509 541 2,733
46 Navasota 8,104 629 2,504
47 Port Arthur 54,257 777 2,309
48 Pampa 16,975 459 2,998
49 Big Spring 28,294 498 2,845
50 Lacy-Lakeview 6,748 459 2,874

How Is Your Town In ?

This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. It is our ninth time ranking the most dangerous places to live in Texas and is updated for 2022.

About Chris Kolmar

Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.

He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.

If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.

You can find out more about him on LinkedIn or his website.