The most dangerous cities in Texas aren’t always the ones you’d expect. The No. 1 spot goes to Humble, a Houston suburb of 16,000 where residents face a 1-in-9 annual chance of property crime. This ranking uses 2024 FBI crime data across 368 Texas cities over 5,000 population, combining violent and property crime rates per 100,000 (RoadSnacks compilation of the FBI’s 2024 Crime in the United States report for Texas). Here are the 10 most dangerous cities in Texas — and why small towns outrank the big metros.
How the Most Dangerous Cities in Texas Were Ranked
Each city was ranked separately on violent and property crime per 100,000, and the two rankings were averaged into a single “dangerous index” — so a city with extreme property crime but moderate violence (like Humble) can outrank a city with more murders but less theft (like Dallas). Cities under 5,000 people were excluded. One caveat: per-capita rates punish small cities. A town of 16,000 with 158 violent crimes has a terrifying rate; Houston with 26,628 violent crimes has a lower rate but vastly more actual crime. Read the rates and the raw numbers below.
The 10 Most Dangerous Cities in Texas (2024 FBI Data)
1. Humble — 983 violent crimes per 100K
Population: 16,076 | Property crimes: 10,320/100K | Murders: 2
Humble, 20 miles north of Houston, tops Texas on an almost unbelievable property crime rate — a 1-in-9 annual chance of having possessions stolen or damaged. It also has the third-highest rape rate in the state and the highest per-capita murder rate of any city on this list.
2. Donna — 1,758 violent crimes per 100K
Population: 16,781 | Property crimes: 4,302/100K | Murders: 0
This Rio Grande Valley city in Hidalgo County has the highest violent crime rate in Texas — but remarkably, zero murders in 2024. The violence is driven by aggravated assault: 265 assaults in a city of under 17,000 people. Donna’s property crime ranks second-worst statewide.
3. Houston — 1,148 violent crimes per 100K
Population: 2,319,160 | Property crimes: 4,293/100K | Murders: 320
America’s fourth-largest city is Texas’s most dangerous big city by a wide margin: 26,628 violent crimes in 2024, a 1-in-87 chance of being attacked, raped, or killed, and a violent crime rate roughly 195% above the Texas average. Car theft and robbery are the signature problems. (Eyeing Texas’s calmer capital instead? See our Austin neighborhoods guide.)
4. Alamo — 897 violent crimes per 100K
Population: 20,734 | Property crimes: 3,492/100K | Murders: 1
The southernmost city on this list, near the Mexico border in Hidalgo County, Alamo improved three spots from last year’s ranking — but residents still faced a 1-in-28 chance of property crime in 2024.
5. Beaumont — 1,137 violent crimes per 100K
Population: 111,320 | Property crimes: 3,302/100K | Murders: 14
About 85 miles east of Houston, Beaumont has the 4th-highest violent crime rate in Texas — a 1-in-87 annual chance of assault, rape, or murder. Its property crime rate is the lowest on this list, which is why the combined index puts it at No. 5.
6. Crandall — 923 violent crimes per 100K
Population: 5,420 | Property crimes: 3,173/100K | Murders: 0
The smallest city on the list, this Kaufman County town southeast of Dallas barely clears the 5,000-population cutoff. Zero murders — but a violent crime rate that would alarm a city ten times its size.
7. San Antonio — 594 violent crimes per 100K
Population: 1,514,458 | Property crimes: 4,624/100K | Murders: 127
Texas’s second-biggest city lands at No. 7, driven more by property crime than violence — 49,853 larceny cases in 2024, plus 20+ stolen cars a day. The River Walk sees elevated petty theft; the violent crime rate (26th statewide) is moderate for a city its size.
8. Webster — 537 violent crimes per 100K
Population: 12,094 | Property crimes: 5,995/100K | Murders: 2
This Houston-area suburb has the 3rd-highest larceny rate in Texas — property crime is the story here, at epidemic levels for a community of 12,000. Violent crime is relatively rare (33rd statewide), but leave nothing in your car.
9. Dallas — 658 violent crimes per 100K
Population: 1,321,502 | Property crimes: 3,352/100K | Murders: 180
Dallas reported 180 murders and 475 sexual assaults in 2024, with car theft and robbery as persistent problems. It doesn’t crack the statewide top 50 on violent crime alone — it makes this list on the combined index.
10. Corpus Christi — 864 violent crimes per 100K
Population: 316,108 | Property crimes: 3,011/100K | Murders: 27
The Gulf Coast city rounds out the top 10 with the 10th-highest violent crime rate in Texas — more than double the national average of 359 per 100,000. (For a neighboring state, see our 10 most dangerous cities in Louisiana.)
What the Texas Crime Data Really Tells Us
Three patterns stand out. First, small cities dominate per-capita rankings. Six of the top 10 have populations under 120,000 — but that reflects rate volatility in small populations, not that Humble is “more dangerous” than Houston in any practical sense. Second, property crime is the Texas story. The state runs about 16% above the national property crime rate, and most of these cities land here on theft, burglary, and car theft. Third, the big-city picture is real. Houston’s violent crime rate (1,148/100K) is genuinely high for a major American city; Dallas and San Antonio are moderate by big-city standards but still well above the national average of 359.
Frequently Asked Questions About Dangerous Cities in Texas
What is the most dangerous city in Texas?
Humble, Texas ranks as the most dangerous city in Texas by combined violent and property crime rates (983 violent and 10,320 property crimes per 100,000 in 2024 FBI data). Donna has the highest violent crime rate in the state at 1,758 per 100,000.
Is Houston the most dangerous city in Texas?
No — Houston ranks 3rd on the combined index. It recorded 1,148 violent crimes per 100,000 residents and 320 murders in 2024, making it the most dangerous large city in Texas, but smaller cities like Humble and Donna have higher per-capita rates.
Is Dallas dangerous?
Dallas ranks 9th among Texas cities on the combined crime index, with 658 violent crimes per 100,000 residents and 180 murders in 2024. That’s well above the national violent crime average of 359 per 100,000, though Dallas doesn’t rank in the statewide top 50 on violent crime alone.
What is the violent crime rate in Texas?
Texas’s violent crime rate runs above the national average of 359.1 per 100,000 (2024), and property crime runs about 16% above the national rate, driven by larceny and motor vehicle theft.
Which Texas cities have the highest murder rates?
Among the top 10, Houston recorded the most murders in raw numbers (320 in 2024), followed by Dallas (180) and San Antonio (127). On a per-capita basis, smaller cities like Humble have the highest murder rates in the state.
Is San Antonio safe?
San Antonio ranks 7th on this list, driven mainly by property crime — nearly 50,000 larceny cases and over 20 stolen cars per day in 2024. Its violent crime rate (594 per 100,000, 26th statewide) is moderate for a city of 1.5 million. Tourist areas like the River Walk see elevated petty theft.
Why do small Texas towns rank as more dangerous than big cities?
Per-capita rates amplify small numbers: 158 violent crimes in a town of 16,000 produces a shocking rate, while 26,000 violent crimes in Houston produces a lower one. Rankings measure risk per resident, not total crime volume — always consider both.
Where does this Texas crime ranking data come from?
All figures come from the FBI’s 2024 Crime in the United States report for Texas, covering 368 cities with populations over 5,000. Cities were ranked separately on violent and property crime rates per 100,000, and the two rankings were averaged into a combined dangerous index.
