Texas is a huge and diverse state. Its large cities – such as Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Corpus Christi, Fort Worth, and El Paso – have high rates of crime. However, the suburbs of these cities tend to have lower rates of crime. Additionally, rural areas also tend to have much lower rates of crime.
In 2020, the three safest cities in Texas were Fulshear, a small town in Fort Bend County, which is near Houston, followed by Hutto, a small town near Austin, and finally San Elizario, a small town near El Paso. These three cities had rates of violent crime that fell far below both the state average (4.1 people per 1000 people) and the national average (3.8 per 1000 people). San Elizario had the lowest rate of property crime, with only 28 incidents in 2019, at a rate of 3.1 people per 1000 being affected. The rate of violent crime in Fulshear was 0.1 per 1000 people, making this area particularly safe for children and families. While the cities of Houston, Austin, and El Paso have higher-than-average crime rates, these three towns – which could be considered suburbs of those major cities – are some of the safest places in the entire country.
Some people think that lower-income automatically means higher rates of crime, but this is not true. Fulshear has a median income of nearly $175,000, but Hutto’s median income was less than half that, at $76,000 per year. San Elizario’s was less than $27,000, meaning that it is relatively poor. However, it has a meager rate of crime.
Following Fulshear, Hutto, and San Elizario, the safest cities in Texas are Trophy Club, Fairview, Colleyville, Fair Oaks Ranch, West University Place, Memorial Villages, and Murphy.
Texans report being afraid of a violent crime at a higher percentage than the national average. At the same time, 49% of Texans are fearful of being assaulted by a stranger, only 40% in the rest of the country share the same concern. About 62% of all violent crime in Texas is aggravated assault. Out of all violent crimes in Texas, murder comprises 1%.
Property crime, including digital property, is the biggest crime concern in Texas. Nearly half of Texans are concerned about their digital property being stolen, compared with 36% of people across the rest of the country. Almost three-quarters of all property crime in Texas is larceny, and more Texans (38%) have home security systems than the national average (24%).