The Top 10 Safest Small Cities in Texas

We surveyed the Lone Star State, and rounded up a list of the top 10 safest smaller cities to live in.

Thinking of moving to the Lone Star State? Or perhaps you’re already here, and looking to move to a new city. Whatever your reason for moving to Texas, we know safety is a top priority when looking to relocate. 

The biggest part of the country’s Sun Belt, Texas is now the second most populated state — only California has more people.

With so many towns and cities spread out over such a vast area, the good pockets aren’t always easy to pinpoint.  Texas lies in the middle of U.S. states in terms of safety, having the 30th lowest property crime rate — and 35th lowest violent crime rate.  However, Texas’ violent crime rate is elevated by higher crime rates in its largest cities.

Because of its size and the diversity of its communities, Texas is actually home to a large selection of very safe cities boasting low violent and property crime rates. There are different ways to rank cities, including violent crimes, felonies, etc.  For the sake this list, we focused on the safety index — which is a general barometer that takes in a variety of factors.

Let’s take a look at some of the Lone Star State’s safest small communities (population: 50,000 or less).

Why Choose a Small City?

Many people today are choosing to move to small cities.  Moving to a lower-populated area has its advantages:

Finance

One of the major upshots for smaller cities: The cost of living is invariably (and significantly!) lower. With the rise of remote and/or freelance work, people can take their big-city salaries to a smaller town and enjoy the savings.

Traffic

Any city of a sizable population has traffic and congestion. The problem is only magnified if that city has little or no public transportation or infrastructure.  Citizens of small cities enjoy driving more, have more parking, and are overall less stressed during their commutes.

Community 

Bigger cities also suffer from their transient nature:  Just as soon as you get to know your neighbor, they move. With a smaller city, the numbers favor more intimacy and congeniality.

The Top 10 Safest Small Cities in Texas

1. Fulshear

• Population:  13,790
• Violent Crimes Per Capita:  7.2%
• Non-Violent Crimes Per Capita:  16.2%
• Most Common Crime:  Property; Larceny

96% Below National Crime Rate

Not too long ago, this city was a small town of just a few hundred people.  However, due to its proximity to the Houston metro area, it has grown to well over 13,000 people.  Located in Fort Bend County, Fulshear was recently listed as one the richest small towns in Texas. 

Explore the new homes for sale in Fulshear today.

2. Hutto

• Population: 26,924
• Violent Crimes Per Capita:  9.7%
• Non-Violent Crimes Per Capita:  15.6%
• The Most Common Crime:  Property

86% Below National Crime Rate

Thirty miles northeast of Austin sits Hutto, which ranks as the second safest city in Texas. The population is not quite 15,000 people.  Hutto has relatively low property crime, the second lowest rate in Texas. In addition to Hutto Lake Park, the area also boasts a number of newer schools for prospecting families, and many new home communities zoned to these schools.

3. Trophy Club

• Population:  13,090
• Violent Crimes Per Capita:  11.6%
• Non-Violent Crimes Per Capita:  16.4%
• The Most Common Crime:  Property; Larceny

78.88% Below National Crime Rate

The affluent Dallas-Fort Worth suburb Trophy Club is special in that it was a planned community — and also includes a golf course designed by the legendary Ben Hogan.  The town actually gets its name for the place to house Hogan’s many golf trophies. 

4. San Elizario

• Population: 9,161
• Violent Crimes Per Capita:  22.4%
• Non-Violent Crimes Per Capita:  44.7%
• The Most Common Crime:  Property

86.4% Below National Crime Rate

If you break out your magnifying glass and map of Texas, you might come across San Elizario.  Located about 30 minutes from El Paso on the banks of the Rio Grande, it contains its own piece of history and Texan culture.  Originally called “Tiburcios,” Spaniards established a fort there called “Presidio de San Elzeario.”  After the Mexican-American War, it was anglicized to its current spelling.  The crime rate is lower-than-average, especially with regard to property crime. 

5. Fair Oaks Ranch

• Population: 9,516
• Violent Crimes Per Capita:  7.9%
• Non-Violent Crimes Per Capita:  11.7%
• The Most Common Crime:  Property; Larceny

80.36% Below National Crime Rate

This suburb of San Antonio features relatively low crime stats across the board.  The land was acquired in the 1930s by Ralph Fair Sr., who worked in the oil industry and owned cattle and racehorses. A few decades later, his family established the community, and the town was finally incorporated in 1988.

Fair Oaks Ranch has a lot of new homes for sale, perfect for anyone looking to live in the San Antonio Area.

6. Colleyville

• Population: 27,262
• Violent Crimes Per Capita:  8.6%
• Non-Violent Crimes Per Capita:  13.9%
• The Most Common Crime:  Property

77.58% Below National Crime Rate

Colleyville is a suburb of Fort Worth.  Just a few miles from Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, it’s well known for its rural feel, schools, and great new home communities, including neighborhoods in Colleville.  The city is named after Dr. Lilburn Howard Colley, who settled there in 1880.  Colleyville is known for its relative peace and quiet, and is also remarkably quaint.

7. Wolfforth

• Population: 5,131
• Violent Crimes Per Capita:  23.5%
• Non-Violent Crimes Per Capita:  28.2%
• The Most Common Crime:  Property; Larceny

75.72% Below National Crime Rate

A suburb of Lubbock, Wolfforth ranks as the seventh safest city in Texas, chiefly thanks to the fact that the city had zero violent crimes in 2018.  The property crime rate is five times less in Wolfforth than the statewide average.  Add to this the fact that the city’s cost of living is more than 10 percent less than the national average, and it might be something to consider in your search!

Start your journey to homeownershp today on NewHomeSource, and find the perfect new home in Wolfforth.

8. Fairview

• Population: 9,220
• Violent Crimes Per Capita:  7%
• Non-Violent Crimes Per Capita:  16.2%
• The Most Common Crime:  Property

76.77% Below National Crime Rate

Fairview is a town in Collin County — part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area.  The area boasts a 289-acre Heard Wildlife Sanctuary.  The violent crime rate in the city ranks as the sixth lowest in Texas.  The police department includes a chief, 12 officers and a reserve officer.  Some of the officers even serve on horseback!

Your new home in Fairview, awaits!

9. Memorial Villages

• Population: 12,402
• Violent Crimes Per Capita:  9.6%
• Non-Violent Crimes Per Capita:  19.5%
• The Most Common Crime:  Property; Larceny

79% Below National Crime Rate

The Memorial Villages are upscale communities in the Bunker Hill Village area. It has jumped up in safety in recent years thanks to a lack of violent crimes relative to the rest of Texas.  It now ranks as the ninth safest city in Texas.

10. Murphy

• Population: 21,084
• Violent Crimes Per Capita:  5%
• Non-Violent Crimes Per Capita:  9.2%
• The Most Common Crime:  Property

77.29% Below National Crime Rate

This suburb of Dallas dates back to the 1800s.  When the St. Louis Southwestern Railway reached the area in 1888, the residents renamed the town Murphy in honor of William Murphy, who provided land for the tracks and the construction of a depot.  Murphy has a number of new planned subdivisions, which emphasize country living. 

All data are taken from FBI U.S. crime statistics.