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Crime in Houston, TX, United States

Crime rates in Houston, TX, United States

Level of crime
73.47 High
Crime increasing in the past 3 years
71.00 High
Worries home broken and things stolen
61.37 High
Worries being mugged or robbed
61.48 High
Worries car stolen
59.70 Moderate
Worries things from car stolen
71.86 High
Worries attacked
56.52 Moderate
Worries being insulted
54.33 Moderate
Worries being subject to a physical attack because of your skin colour, ethnic origin or religion
43.91 Moderate
Problem people using or dealing drugs
72.09 High
Problem property crimes such as vandalism and theft
70.39 High
Problem violent crimes such as assault and armed robbery
69.07 High
Problem corruption and bribery
50.00 Moderate

Safety in Houston, TX, United States

Safety walking alone during daylight
56.87 Moderate
Safety walking alone during night
23.18 Low

Contributors: 234

Last update: October 2019

These data are based on perceptions of visitors of this website in the past 3 years.

If the value is 0, it means it is perceived as very low, and if the value is 100, it means it is perceived as very high.

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20 Comments so far

#Anonymous on Oct 06, 2019 :
I agree with these comments. Houston is a very scary place. Glad I was able to move away from it last month.
#Kevin on Aug 07, 2019 :
I have lived in Houston, Chicago, Austin, Boston, and Seattle. Houston is by far the most dangerous in my experience. That's right, I even felt safer in Chicago because at least there you are safe as long as you avoid the southside. Nowhere in Houston is safe unless you live in a upper-class gated neighborhood with private armed security. Road rage shootings are very common too.
#Anonymous on Jul 25, 2019 :
Forgot to add that the outskirts are prosperous, beautiful and safe.
#Bryan Alejo on Jul 25, 2019 :
Truth: Houston is not racist. I don't know where so many people have come to that conclusion, no one cares what you do or who you are, people typically seem to mind their business. People in Houston are also friendly (although that's mostly only exclusive to the areas that are doing at least decent financially). In terms of crime the most common I've seen is breaking into cars and taking things that seem valuable so just lock the car and hide things that look expensive, maybe under the seat. That's mostly it, use common sense obviously, dont be naive with people especially in bad areas like third or fifth ward or Chinatown. People in the comment section make it seem like Ciudad Juarez but they're either lying or exaggerating. Houston has great hospitals, nightlife, schools, museums, jobs & overall friendly people.
#Anon on Jul 12, 2019 :
I went to Houston a few months ago on a business trip. On my first day I was at a gas station this bruised up woman kept running around begging for help. She said she got raped and that the police wouldn't help her. Then on my third night I was woken up at about 2am by the sound of a shootout outside of my hotel. It lasted several minutes and it sounded like hundreds of shots were fired yet it took the police at least 15 minutes to respond. The people at the hotel told me that it was probably gang related, but the scary thing is that it didn't even make the local news (though a ton of other violent crimes in the city did).

Of course I immediately cut my business trip short and left Houston two days before I was supposed to. My bosses were mad at me for it, but I don't regret it. Houston is like an unstable third world country in America.
#An on Jun 17, 2019 :
Me and a friend spent two semesters studying in Houston for university. It was horrible. So much theft and violence even around campus. My friend got beaten up and robbed during day time when he went to store. Lots of hateful political people too from both right-wing and left-wing. Houston is a horrible place. Hell on Earth.
#Kirsten on May 17, 2019 :
I lived in Houston until two years ago. It was a scarry city and I didn't even feel safe walking out in the day time. I remember two people got shot in broad daylight at the playground by the complex I lived at and I myself got jumped by gangmembers a couple times.
#dale on Jan 11, 2019 :
And yes, I do know about NYPD practices, but remember when the Harris County sheriff blamed a police shooting on black people protesting police brutality, back in 2015?

I'm sorry, but I can't stand the redneck pricks that drive lifted trucks with dead skull stickers and that dreadful "Police Lives Matter" American flag, and you can hardly avoid them because they're everywhere. And people worship that lifestyle! Visitors to this place should never talk about their concerns about police brutality or discrimination, or else someone will pack heat. Unfortunately, it's barely an exaggeration since people are literally eager to shoot their guns.
#dale on Jan 11, 2019 :
Well, you know that white people here do not only hate non-whites, but they also dislike anybody from California, New York, Maryland, Illinois, Hawaii, and so on. And forget about people from Canada, Australia, or Europe, they hate these people too. And they also hate you if you are LGBT. They never made it a secret; they always yell "stay out of our state!" It's worse when you go to places like Spring, Magnolia, or League City. Yet people here act as if it's not a problem. People actually have the nerve to believe that this place is less racist than NYC. When white people here every day blow dog-whistles about looters (black people), from the ordinary citizen to the sheriff. And it's also unbelievable how black and Latino people are subservient to that attitude instead of aggressively fighting against it! Some of them even act as redneck and right-wing as the white people here.

Your mileage may vary, but you know you're not that desirable when many hardcore racists from other states have praise for your city and state. I mean, alt-right folks are not grossed about Houston or Texas in general. Just remember that, Houstonians!
#Andrew on Jan 11, 2019 :
Houston is the most diverse city in the United States. But racism is very common. Not all of it comes from white people. A lot of the hispanics, blacks, asians, muslims, and indians here are pretty racist too. There are a lot of gangs here and gunshots can be heard in some neighborhoods almost every night. One of my friends was out with her daughter and got mugged in broad daylight in a supposedly "good neighborhood" and one of my coworkers got shot in a home invasion.
#Raja on Jan 06, 2019 :
Coming here, I did not realise how hateful white people really are.
#Anonymous on Dec 29, 2018 :
I am living right now the woodlands a suburb of Houston and I go to the downtown like twice a month and it is not bad, yes it is racist and all that but the majority here are democrats and most racism is coming from BLM supporters. Don’t get me wrong there are also rednecks,just not a lot. Houston isn’t the Texas a people think of
#Antony on Dec 11, 2018 :
I mean, yeah, Houston is diverse, but go to the outskirts and you'll see so many gun-toting rednecks who absolutely hate minorities.
#Ken on Nov 25, 2018 :
I have lived in many places throughout the US and the world and Houston is easily the most dangerous place I have lived in. Just stay away!
#Daniel Wu on Mar 17, 2018 :
Crime is bad in Chinatown between May and June 2016
#Anonymous on Dec 17, 2017 :
Hey! I've been living here ALL my life and Houston is beautiful and not as scary as you're making everyone else think!
#Anonymous on Sep 02, 2017 :
I agree with all these comments,I am a Singaporean and my parents are Eastern European(Russian to be precise) and I live here in Houston as an expat.I feel unwanted here which is why I switched from public school to private school since private schools usually are more culturally diverse,I've experienced lots of racism,The Woodlands is quite culturally diverse so if you are a foreigner like me move there,it was a mistake to pick another place rather than the woodlands to live in,the downtown is full of racist people and Spring is quite a racist place too.I just wanna move out I won't lie.
#Jose on May 28, 2017 :
Ken Chiang, it is not just white people in Houston that are racist. The hispanics here are pretty racist too. Most would refuse to marry a non-hispanic and ridicule hispanics that assimilate into American culture. Most of the racism I have experienced comes from other hispanics that ostracize me and make fun of me (in a malicious way) for marrying a white woman, assimilating in American culture, and not being able to speak Spanish well anymore.

Houston is just a racist city, period. The crime here is horrible, the news is always scary to watch, the police are incompetent at best and complicit at worst(though there are a few good officers), and the gangs seemingly have free reign in some areas. If I didn't know any better, I would think Houston was in a third world country.
#Ken Chiang on May 28, 2017 :
Don't be fooled by Houston's diversity. A majority of white people in the area adore Donald Trump and have strong racial resentment towards people of another ethnicity. From experience, I haven't gotten any racial threats from other minorities, but it seems like white people are uncomfortable with me despite being a so-called "model minority." No, seriously, there are lots of racist white people especially in areas like Memorial, Katy, Cypress, The Woodlands, Kingwood, Spring, Galveston, League City, Deer Park, Pasadena, etc. You really don't want to know what these people say about minorities behind closed doors, because it will shatter your world. Minorities do have opportunities, but they will rarely ever be welcomed by the white majority/ruling class. Whites still cling to the view that blacks and Hispanics are lazy and on welfare, and that they are sick and tired of paying taxes for them while having a disdain for the history/reason on why they are that way; as a result, many politicians ride on the dogwhistle when getting elected. And you seriously do not want to go to Alvin/Santa Fe, Liberty County, or Waller County. Be warned.
#Julia Welch on Mar 22, 2017 :
Very Scarry city. Most of Houston's areas are drug infested and high rate of crimes against people.
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