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9 Safest Cities in Texas (2024 Update)
Codee Chessher
Last updated:
Note: This article’s statistics come from third-party sources and do not represent the opinions of this website.
As the largest state in the US, Texas is one of the most diverse states in the US. With massive stretches of rural land as well as bustling metropolitan areas like Dallas and Houston, you’re sure to find somewhere you like.
Although the state has a lot of crime per capita, there are some bastions of safety and peace to be found as well. Let’s check out some of the safest cities in the Lone Star State.
Trophy Club is the first master-planned city in Texas, and it has a lot to brag about: over 1,000 acres of beautiful parks and three dozen holes of golf, four baseball fields, and much more. This affluent city continues to break new ground on improving the community for its residents, constantly providing new amenities every year.
Trophy Club is also considered one of the safest communities in the country, boasting a nearly nonexistent violent crime rate and a property crime rate almost 80% lower than the national average. You could probably get away with leaving your doors unlocked in this town, although we wouldn’t recommend it.
If you would prefer a tight-knit suburb community but still value proximity to the city, Dallas is just a short drive to the south. Chances are you won’t find a better country club town in all of Texas!
An hour west of Houston lies Fulshear, a relatively small town named after one of the 300 settlers granted the rights to settle Texas. Fulshear offers a rural feel but within commuting distance of the city. The area is perfect for country-style ranch homes and is quickly being gobbled up by property developers hoping to capitalize on a near-future population boom.
It doesn’t hurt that crime in Fulshear has plummeted in the past couple of years. Violent crime is now almost unheard of, and property crime is four times lower than the statewide average. This means you probably don’t have to be worried about being roughed up leaving the local farmer’s market.
Fulshear is close enough to work in and enjoy city amenities, then you can retreat back to your spacious ranch home. If you enjoy the perks of rural living, you could do much worse than moving here.
Hutto is the self-proclaimed Hippo Capital of Texas, and the only city in the US to have the hippo as its official mascot. If you scour the whole town, you’ll find over 3,000 concrete hippo sculptures. If you tire of the hippos, there’s a vibrant downtown area full of shops and restaurants too.
Hippos aren’t exactly synonymous with crime, and Hutto isn’t either. Violent crime is 89% lower than the national average, and property crime isn’t far behind at 86% better than the national average. In all likelihood, nobody will come and demand your wallet while you’re taking Hutto’s self-guided hippo tour.
Hutto is just half an hour from downtown Austin, one of the fastest-growing areas in the country. You can easily pop over daily to work in the city and enjoy its amenities, then run back to your hippo-themed home in the evening.
It might have an eerie name, but the town of Fate is one of the best places to live in Texas. It seems a lot of other people came to the same conclusion because the population has spiked over 10 fold in the past 20 years. The growth is likely due to the town’s uniquely aggressive growth strategy that’s seen demand by property developers skyrocket.
What’s really terrific about Fate is that even with a swelling population, it’s managed to keep crime in check. In a year, you can count on your hands how many violent crimes happen in Fate. Property crime is even lower, with the sixth-lowest rate in the whole state. Not many towns can keep crime under control while growing at such an astronomical rate, so hats off to Fate.
Fate is another suburb of Dallas, just 30 minutes west of the major metropolis. As if all this hasn’t sold you already, the municipal government is steadfast in supporting its residents.
Nestled just outside San Antonio is the verdant Fair Oaks Ranch, with the city’s country club at the very heart. There are golf courses, a tennis court, and over 10 miles of trails nearby to enjoy with the family on a breezy spring afternoon. This carefully manicured town is one of the most picturesque paradises Texas has to offer.
It only helps the town’s reputation that it has some of the lowest crime in Texas. Although it has more violent crime than some others on this list, Fair Oaks Ranch has the single lowest property crime rate in all of Texas!
Continuing with the trend of suburbs near major cities, San Antonio and its famous Alamo is just 30 miles southwest on I-10.
Just a few miles west of the Dallas-Fort Worth area is Colleyville, a suburb with a distinctly rural character. The town doesn’t have fancy country clubs or hippo statues, but it does have a dozen charming parks to while away your days when you don’t feel like the hustle and bustle of Dallas. Simply put, Colleyville is a slice of idyllic Americana.
Crime here has risen a bit over the years, but it still deserves a spot in the top 10 safest Texan cities. Property crime in particular went up a bit, but it’s still 70% lower than the national average. You’re extremely unlikely to be accosted by any thugs, either, with a violent crime rate 95% lower than the national average.
With the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport just a few miles away, Colleyville makes the perfect quiet home base for a globe-trotting businessperson.
Murphy is one of Dallas’s oldest suburbs, dating back to the 1800s. The rural-feeling town has a steadily growing population, and the Play Street Museum and Murphy Central Park are the most crowded attractions in town. Everything about Murphy radiates small-town charm, and the old-school architecture only enhances it.
Crime in Murphy is well-rounded, ranking in the top 10 lowest crime rates in both property and violent crime. We can expect these numbers to further improve today as the town hires a seasoned Dallas police veteran as its newest police chief.
Murphy is another in a long line of small-town suburbs that offer a quieter life than the lively Dallas area. There’s a growing demand for this lifestyle, as the steadily growing population indicates.
Muleshoe has an odd name but some of the most affordable housing prices in all of Texas. The main point of interest in this town is the Muleshoe National Wildlife Refuge, with a sprawling 6,400 acres of protected prairie grasslands. It holds the honor of being the largest national wildlife refuge in the whole state.
The town of Muleshoe protects its residents just as well as it protects the wildlife, boasting the third-lowest property crime rate in Texas, and an exceptionally low violent crime rate as well. People probably have no interest in crime with all the affordable housing.
As you might have guessed, Muleshoe is the farthest entry on our list from a major city. If you don’t care about being close to the big city, this is the safest place in Texas to live.
Needville is a very small town outside of Houston, and by very small we mean just a handful of square miles. Funnily enough, the town has a state park that’s almost 4,900 acres bigger! If you like the wilderness, pack a tent and go stargazing. The George Observatory a few miles away offers a great view of the stars too.
It might be cheating to even include Needville on this list because of the small population, but it does have very low crime rates: in all of 2020, there were only three reported crimes—that’s impressively low.
Needville is just 40 minutes from Houston, one of Texas’s hotspots of crime. It seems that the city’s shady characters don’t get out as far as the sleepy town of Needville.
How To Stay Safe In Texas
Although the cities on this list are the safest places you can go to in Texas, the state ranks in the top 20 of the most dangerous US states. If you’re traveling outside these areas, it’s best to observe some basic tips to keep yourself safe.
Tips For Staying Safe In Texas:
It gets pitch black in some of the more rural areas of Texas, so it’s best to always keep your car doors locked on those long, lonely stretches of highway.
Texas has some of the busiest downtown areas and nightlife in the whole country. If you’re visiting Houston or Dallas, always travel in pairs at night. If you travel alone, definitely stick to well-lit areas just to be safe.
Although not a crime tip, Texas has shockingly brutal summers. If you visit Texas during the summer, drink plenty of water, use sunscreen, and try to stick to the shade or A/C. Sunburn and sunstroke are very real problems in Texas.
Conclusion
Texas is the biggest state in the country, and even with its subpar crime rating when compared with other states it has some of the safest places to live. Conveniently enough, most of them are suburbs, too.
Codee Chessher is a freelance writer with extensive knowledge on a variety of subjects that include travel, sound engineering, automotive, DIY, pets, and more. He has a colorful past that includes building schools and commercial driving, but the written word was always his first love. He believes there's nothing a well-worded sentence can't accomplish.When not writing, Codee enjoys epic fantasy novels, home DIY projects, and memorizing useless pop culture trivia. He has lived in Florida, Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina. Most recently, he resides in northern Mexico.
Codee Chessher
