Texas is the second-largest state in the United States by both area and by population. Texas’s population of 28.7 million people span over 261,797 square miles and has a population density of 108 persons per square mile.
Violent crime is a crime committed by a person or persons behaving in a manner that intends to inflict physical harm on another person or property. Violent crimes include both crimes where the violent act is the means to an end and where the violent act is the objective of the crime. Violent crimes include, but are not limited to, sexual assault, manslaughter, mass shootings, kidnappings, airplane hijackings, rape, and homicide.
The violent crime rate in the United States in 2018 was 369 incidents per 100,000 people. Despite being the lowest it has been in over three decades, violent crime is still widespread but not evenly distributed throughout the country. Violent crimes tend to be more concentrated in urban areas, some of which have significantly higher rates than others.
Unfortunately, the wealth and the safety of a city have a strong relationship. The most dangerous places in Texas, typically areas or neighborhoods within cities, are dealing with low income, high unemployment, and lack of quality housing, resulting in poor living conditions and high crime. Population size, however, does not necessarily have a strong effect on violent crimes in cities.
To determine the most dangerous cities Texas, the FBI’s data for violent crimes and property crimes were looked at. Crime rates are expressed as the number of incidents per 100,000 people. The state of Texas had 438 violent crimes and 2,562 property crimes per 100,000 residents. The state has 224 police officers for every 100,000 residents.
The ten most dangerous cities in Texas are:
Bellmead is the most dangerous city in Texas. There are 1,294 violent crimes per 100,000 residents and 6,196 property crimes per 100,000 residents. Bellmead is also one of the 30 most dangerous cities in the United States. In 2018, residents of Bellmead faced a 1 in 4 chance of being a victim of theft or arson. Additionally, violent crimes increased in Bellmead from 2017 to 2018.