You’re considering moving to Texas, but is it safe to live there? You love BBQ, fried food, football, and rodeos. But moving is a massive decision, so let’s research before you sell your home to buy a ranch.
Texas has some incredible attractions but isn’t the safest place to live. It’s on the list of the most violent states. The state is prone to severe weather and has many deadly snakes, spiders, and other dangerous animals. However, it is a popular living place as people adjust to the lifestyle.
Is Texas A Safe Place To Live?
When looking for a safe place to live, factors like the crime rate, severe weather, and deadly creatures in the vicinity could play a part in the choice of location. Texas is the second-largest state in the US, with over 1200 cities and towns of various sizes. The crime rates will vary depending on each area’s location, size, and poverty rates.
If severe weather is a concern when deciding where to live, it’s worth finding out which areas experience the fewest hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. Remember that Texas forms part of the Tornado Alley and the Flash Flood Alley.
When it comes to dangerous animals, every city or town has its scary critters, and Texas is no exception with its selection of snakes, spiders, scorpions, and deadly sea life, to name a few.
So let’s examine these factors more closely to see which can be overlooked to classify Texas as safe enough to live in and which are non-negotiable (e.g., some of us are not prepared to live with snakes).
Texas Crime Rates
A business news website called 24/7 Wall Street listed the 15 most violent states using information from the FBI’s 2021 Uniform Crime Report. The website classified offenses into homicide, rape, aggravated assault, and robbery. Each state on the list topped the national rate of 334 violent crimes for every 100 000 people.
Texas had the most violent crimes, with more than 115 000, and ranked the highest in the homicide category, reaching almost 2000. Texas was eleventh on the top 15 most dangerous states, with 391.1 crimes for every 100 000 people.
Poverty Is A Cause Of Crime In Texas
The Lone Star State also ranked ninth on the poverty rate list at 14.2%. According to the 24/7 Wall Street site, violent crime rates and poverty always correlate, and this report confirms the tendency.
Statistically, crime is also linked to unemployment, which causes poverty, and the poorer the area, the higher the crime rate tends to be.
Most Dangerous Cities In Texas
According to Home Security Shield, the ten most dangerous cities in Texas are:
Is The Crime Rate Due To Weak Border Control In Texas?
The crime rate has some deeper issues, though. The Texas Department of Public Safety released a report pointing at legal and illegal aliens committing a significant proportion of the state’s crimes.
The report shows that between June 2011 and June 2021, more than 344 000 foreign nationals spent time in Texan jails, and at least 235 000 of those were illegal aliens.
Do The Gun Laws Make Texas Unsafe?
That is a loaded question that could cause a violent debate. A 2015 study using FBI data showed that firearm assaults occurred 6.8 times more often in states with more guns.
Does The Crime Rate Make Texas Unsafe To Live?
Yes, the Texan crime rate ranks above the national average, but it’s not reasonable to tar all towns and cities in the state with the same brush. Bigger cities often have higher crime rates, with the most crime occurring in the poorer suburbs where unemployment is high. This is a universal concept.
If you have a choice in where to live, do your research and find the best area you can afford with the lowest crime rate. Crime is a fact of life in modern times, but if you learn to be vigilant and take the necessary precautions, you stand a better chance of living safely in Texas.
Is It Safe To Live In Texas With The Severe Weather?
Texas weather can be severe, with the Lone Star state experiencing tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, and extreme heat, which can all cause damage.
Tornadoes In Texas
Tornadoes hit Texas from April to June yearly, with Houston experiencing the most in the state. While they vary in severity and the amount of destruction they cause, most towns experience them at some stage. Texas averages 132 tornadoes per year.
Between 1950 and 2021, Houston endured 242 tornadoes. Plainview had the second most tornadoes during that period, numbering 132. The deadliest tornado that ever hit Texas was in Waco in 1953, which destroyed over 600 homes and killed 144 people. The leading cause of death in a tornado is flying debris.
While Texas experiences the most tornadoes in the US annually, most are weak and run out of energy after about 10 minutes.
Hurricanes In Texas
Hurricanes are another feature of the state’s unpleasant weather features. They don’t occur as often as tornadoes, approximately every three years. Since 1851, Texas has experienced 66 hurricanes, with 26 ranking category three or higher. See below for the categories of all 66 Texan hurricanes:
- Category 1: 27
- Category 2: 13
- Category 3: 16
- Category 4: 10
- Category 5: 0
Some extreme hurricanes are listed in the table below:
| The Extreme | Area | Result |
| Costliest Hurricane | Harvey (2017) | $148.8 billion |
| Deadliest Hurricane | Galveston (1900) | Minimum 8000 deaths |
| Greatest Storm Surge | Galveston (1900) | 15-foot surge |
| Strongest Landfall Winds | Laura (2020), Indianola (1886), Freeport (1932) | Estimated 150 miles per hour |
| Strongest Winds Recorded | Allen (1980) | 190 mph while crossing Yucatan Channel |
| Lowest Pressure | Rita (2005) | Dropped to 895mb |
| Wettest | Harvey (2017) | Nederland 60.58″ of rain |
Texas Floods
“No place is safe from flooding. If it can rain, it can flood. And nowhere is that truer than Texas.”
Almost all major Texan cities are at the mercy of Gulf Coast hurricanes, and flash flooding is the primary cause of all weather-related fatalities. If they don’t fall into this category, they are probably in Flash Flood Alley, one of the most prone to flooding in the US.
People who want to relocate to Texas should know that flooding is high, and most homeowners insurance does not pay out for flood damage. Adding flood insurance to your cover is essential, as it can mean the difference between financial devastation and recovery after the flood.
The Texas Sun
After discussing the life-threatening possibilities of hurricanes and tornadoes, the summer weather in the Lone Star state is a lesser threat. A typical Texan summer will have many days that exceed 100°F, and sunburn and heatstroke are very painful consequences unless you learn to protect yourself with hats and sunblock.
Does The Weather Make Texas Unsafe?
The vulnerability to severe weather in Texas is a safety concern, but, as with any place, people adapt to the challenges and learn how to prepare for inclement weather. Wherever we go, and whatever we face, it’s usually a case of sink or swim, especially during a flood.
Is It Safe To Live In Texas With Dangerous Creatures?
Texas is the second-largest US state, measuring 268 597 square miles. The vegetation and geography vary greatly, including deserts, mountains, grasslands, farms, ranches, and the long coastal section of the Gulf of Mexico. The world’s largest barrier island also belongs to Texas.
Texas has its share of creepy crawlies and other monsters that might be deal-breakers for some people wanting to move there. Let’s look at the critters that could threaten lives or sanity.
Venomous snakes
Texas has four types of venomous snakes. The first is the infamous rattlesnake, which comes in about seven varieties in Texas. The others are the cottonmouth (water moccasin), pit viper (copperhead), and coral snake.
Around half the bites of venomous snakes are “dry”; the venom doesn’t get injected into the victim. The annual death rate due to snake bites in Texas is 1-2 people. While we feel bad for them, it means that the chance of dying via a snake bit is extremely low in Texas.
Poisonous Spiders
Texas is home to 2 types of poisonous spiders: the black widow spider and the brown recluse. A bite from the black widow can lead to severe systemic reactions and, rarely, even death. Its venom is a neurotoxin 15 times as toxic as a prairie rattlesnake.
But only a tiny amount gets injected into its victim, lowering the damage risk. Those more at risk are the elderly and small children.
The brown recluse’s bite can cause systemic or local reactions because of the necrotizing enzymes in the venom. Though the victim can feel quite ill, death is highly improbable.
Sharks
The Texas coastline is home to bull sharks and great white sharks that patrol the ocean. While shark attacks are rare, you can’t be too careful when relaxing in the waves on a hot sunny day.
Other Dangerous Animals in Texas
Other dangerous Texan critters are alligators, deer, mountain lions, and coyotes. Coyotes sometimes attack house cats and other small animals, and alligators may also see your pets as a tasty snack if you walk them too close to the water.
The gators may get aggressive towards you if you provoke them, in which case you could lose the battle. How could deer possibly be dangerous? They cause many auto accidents by unexpectedly jumping in front of vehicles, especially around sunset. Texas has many dangerous deer!
Although there are many potentially harmful animals in Texas, the wildlife is hardly likely to cause your death, so from that perspective, you can consider Texas a safe place to live.
FAQs About Texas’ Safety
Which City Is The Safest In Texas?
Trophy Club has the lowest crime rate in Texas. Its violent crime rate is nearly non-existent, and the property crime rate is about 80% lower than the USA average. The poverty rate is very low at 2.9%, and the average household income is $147 477 per year.
Have There Been Alligator Fatalities In Texas?
Yes, in 2015, in Orange, TX, Tommy Woodford went swimming with a woman at 2.30 am. They saw an alligator, and Tommy did not get out but taunted the gator, who grabbed him and pulled him under the water. Alligator attacks on humans are rare and seldom fatal.
References:
- Texas has the most violent crimes: httyps://spectrumlocalnews.com
- 235 000 illegal aliens in Texan jails: https://www.heritage.org
- Deer cause auto accidents: www.youtube.com
- Flash floods are the primary cause of weather-related fatalities: www.txdot.gov
- No place is safe from flooding quote: fema.gov
- Extreme hurricanes: https://www.kxan.com
