Do you live in one of the murder capitals of Texas?
We all watch the news with horror when we hear about a homicide that happens not that far away from us. While a murder just blocks or even a couple of towns away from your house would make anyone uneasy, in the long run, most likely, where you live is relatively safe.
To find the cities in Texas with the most murders and the highest murder rates per capita, we used Saturday Night Science to compare the FBI crime data on murders for the 173 cities in the Lone Star State with over 5,000 residents.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
Cities With Highest Murder Rates In Texas
What city has the highest murder rate in Texas? The city with the highest murder rate in Texas is Uvalde with 142.8 murders per 100,000 people.
What is the city in Texas with highest number of murders? The city in Texas with the highest number of murders is Houston with 433 murders.
Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers and how your town in Texas ranked. There were ‘only’ 173 cities in Texas where a city reported a murder to the FBI, meaning 193 places had no murder.
For more reading on the Lone Star State check out:
The 10 Murder Capitals Of Texas For 2024
/10
Population: 15,410
Murders: 22 (10th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 142.8 (Most)
More on Uvalde: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 8,056
Murders: 3 (60th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 37.2 (2nd Most)
More on Aransas Pass: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 13,685
Murders: 5 (40th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 36.5 (3rd Most)
More on Forest Hill: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 8,285
Murders: 3 (60th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 36.2 (4th Most)
More on Cleveland: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 8,417
Murders: 3 (60th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 35.6 (5th Most)
More on Kennedale: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 17,727
Murders: 5 (40th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 28.2 (6th Most)
More on Alice: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 7,185
Murders: 2 (87th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 27.8 (7th Most)
More on Monahans: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 7,408
Murders: 2 (87th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 27.0 (8th Most)
More on Marble Falls: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 11,245
Murders: 3 (60th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 26.7 (9th Most)
More on Elgin: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
/10
Population: 19,068
Murders: 5 (40th Most)
Murders Per 100k: 26.2 (10th Most)
More on La Marque: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living
Methodology: How we calculated the murder capitals of Texas
While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in a state are the most dangerous, we wanted to rely on something other than speculation and opinion. Instead, we used Saturday Night Science to compare the hard numbers from the FBI’s last year of reporting. Specifically, we analyzed the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report, which summarizes the number of murders in each city annually.
We only looked at every single city in Texas for which FBI data was available for the most recent FBI Crime In The United States. That left us with 173 cities to rank.
We took the number of murders per capita as the ranking factor. The place with the most murders per capita based on the most recent data is Uvalde. It is our tenth time ranking the places with the most murders per capita in Texas. We updated the list for 2024.
Summary: The Places With The Most Murders In Texas For 2024
If you’re looking at the places in Texas with the most murders, and where residents have the highest chances of being killed themselves, this is an accurate list. Again, these statistics are an indication of where crimes occur, not a statement about the effectiveness of the law enforcement in the areas they serve.
The cities with the highest murder per capita in Texas are Uvalde, Aransas Pass, Forest Hill, Cleveland, Kennedale, Alice, Monahans, Marble Falls, Elgin, and La Marque.
For more Texas reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In Texas
- Fastest Growing Cities In Texas
- Safest Places In Texas
- Best Cities For Singles In Texas
- Worst Places To Live In Texas
Murder Rates By City In Texas
| Rank | City | Population | Murders | Murders/100K |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Uvalde, TX | 15410 | 22 | 142.76 |
| 2 | Aransas Pass, TX | 8056 | 3 | 37.24 |
| 3 | Forest Hill, TX | 13685 | 5 | 36.54 |
| 4 | Cleveland, TX | 8285 | 3 | 36.21 |
| 5 | Kennedale, TX | 8417 | 3 | 35.64 |
| 6 | Alice, TX | 17727 | 5 | 28.21 |
| 7 | Monahans, TX | 7185 | 2 | 27.84 |
| 8 | Marble Falls, TX | 7408 | 2 | 27.0 |
| 9 | Elgin, TX | 11245 | 3 | 26.68 |
| 10 | La Marque, TX | 19068 | 5 | 26.22 |
| 11 | Granbury, TX | 12132 | 3 | 24.73 |
| 12 | Corsicana, TX | 25585 | 6 | 23.45 |
| 13 | Dayton, TX | 9451 | 2 | 21.16 |
| 14 | Vernon, TX | 9945 | 2 | 20.11 |
| 15 | Terrell Hills, TX | 5036 | 1 | 19.86 |
| 16 | Big Spring, TX | 25254 | 5 | 19.8 |
| 17 | South Houston, TX | 15613 | 3 | 19.21 |
| 18 | Houston, TX | 2276533 | 433 | 19.02 |
| 19 | Atlanta, TX | 5443 | 1 | 18.37 |
| 20 | Dickinson, TX | 21936 | 4 | 18.23 |
| 21 | Rusk, TX | 5583 | 1 | 17.91 |
| 22 | Sinton, TX | 5602 | 1 | 17.85 |
| 23 | Marshall, TX | 22628 | 4 | 17.68 |
| 24 | Elsa, TX | 5683 | 1 | 17.6 |
| 25 | Haltom City, TX | 45488 | 8 | 17.59 |
| 26 | Leon Valley, TX | 11402 | 2 | 17.54 |
| 27 | Brookshire, TX | 5739 | 1 | 17.42 |
| 28 | Killeen,, TX | 154417 | 26 | 16.84 |
| 29 | Beaumont, TX | 110898 | 18 | 16.23 |
| 30 | Longview, TX | 81811 | 13 | 15.89 |
| 31 | Orange, TX | 19056 | 3 | 15.74 |
| 32 | Keene, TX | 6355 | 1 | 15.74 |
| 33 | San Antonio, TX | 1465608 | 230 | 15.69 |
| 34 | Hempstead, TX | 6388 | 1 | 15.65 |
| 35 | Henderson, TX | 12989 | 2 | 15.4 |
| 36 | Burnet, TX | 6861 | 1 | 14.58 |
| 37 | Willis, TX | 6986 | 1 | 14.31 |
| 38 | Port Arthur, TX | 55899 | 8 | 14.31 |
| 39 | Gonzales, TX | 7089 | 1 | 14.11 |
| 40 | Prairie View, TX | 7126 | 1 | 14.03 |
| 41 | Lacy-Lakeview, TX | 7143 | 1 | 14.0 |
| 42 | Wichita Falls, TX | 103337 | 14 | 13.55 |
| 43 | Jersey Village, TX | 7575 | 1 | 13.2 |
| 44 | Jasper, TX | 7706 | 1 | 12.98 |
| 45 | Corpus Christi, TX | 317694 | 41 | 12.91 |
| 46 | Humble, TX | 16085 | 2 | 12.43 |
| 47 | Texas City, TX | 56311 | 7 | 12.43 |
| 48 | Belton, TX | 24188 | 3 | 12.4 |
| 49 | Perryton, TX | 8143 | 1 | 12.28 |
| 50 | Dallas, TX | 1286121 | 157 | 12.21 |
| 51 | Cuero, TX | 8271 | 1 | 12.09 |
| 52 | Killeen, TX | 159546 | 19 | 11.91 |
| 53 | Donna, TX | 16842 | 2 | 11.88 |
| 54 | Navasota, TX | 8459 | 1 | 11.82 |
| 55 | Stafford, TX | 17110 | 2 | 11.69 |
| 56 | Lamesa, TX | 8726 | 1 | 11.46 |
| 57 | Amarillo, TX | 201572 | 23 | 11.41 |
| 58 | Galveston, TX | 52920 | 6 | 11.34 |
| 59 | Mont Belvieu, TX | 8902 | 1 | 11.23 |
| 60 | Balch Springs, TX | 26973 | 3 | 11.12 |
| 61 | Victoria, TX | 65165 | 7 | 10.74 |
| 62 | Brownwood, TX | 18751 | 2 | 10.67 |
| 63 | Fort Worth, TX | 948605 | 100 | 10.54 |
| 64 | Tyler, TX | 108422 | 11 | 10.15 |
| 65 | Midland, TX | 129945 | 13 | 10.0 |
| 66 | Waco, TX | 140911 | 14 | 9.94 |
| 67 | Raymondville, TX | 10552 | 1 | 9.48 |
| 68 | Lubbock, TX | 264142 | 25 | 9.46 |
| 69 | Bellmead, TX | 10589 | 1 | 9.44 |
| 70 | Seguin, TX | 32452 | 3 | 9.24 |
| 71 | Burkburnett, TX | 11057 | 1 | 9.04 |
| 72 | Harker Heights, TX | 34001 | 3 | 8.82 |
| 73 | Watauga, TX | 23027 | 2 | 8.69 |
| 74 | Saginaw, TX | 23993 | 2 | 8.34 |
| 75 | Paris, TX | 24392 | 2 | 8.2 |
| 76 | Farmers Branch, TX | 36595 | 3 | 8.2 |
| 77 | El Campo, TX | 12235 | 1 | 8.17 |
| 78 | Benbrook, TX | 24739 | 2 | 8.08 |
| 79 | Pecos, TX | 12483 | 1 | 8.01 |
| 80 | Bryan, TX | 87435 | 7 | 8.01 |
| 81 | Socorro, TX | 37952 | 3 | 7.9 |
| 82 | Athens, TX | 12986 | 1 | 7.7 |
| 83 | Duncanville, TX | 39474 | 3 | 7.6 |
| 84 | Andrews, TX | 13233 | 1 | 7.56 |
| 85 | Pasadena, TX | 145954 | 11 | 7.54 |
| 86 | Port Neches, TX | 13293 | 1 | 7.52 |
| 87 | Tomball, TX | 13322 | 1 | 7.51 |
| 88 | Kilgore, TX | 13419 | 1 | 7.45 |
| 89 | Lancaster, TX | 40615 | 3 | 7.39 |
| 90 | Azle, TX | 13615 | 1 | 7.34 |
| 91 | Odessa, TX | 110163 | 8 | 7.26 |
| 92 | Austin, TX | 965234 | 69 | 7.15 |
| 93 | DeSoto, TX | 55956 | 4 | 7.15 |
| 94 | Lumberton, TX | 14004 | 1 | 7.14 |
| 95 | Dumas, TX | 14140 | 1 | 7.07 |
| 96 | Hidalgo, TX | 14468 | 1 | 6.91 |
| 97 | Hereford, TX | 14626 | 1 | 6.84 |
| 98 | Lockhart, TX | 15068 | 1 | 6.64 |
| 99 | Sherman, TX | 45881 | 3 | 6.54 |
| 100 | Greenville, TX | 30890 | 2 | 6.47 |