Safest cities in DFW by the data: Where the numbers actually point

Everyone has opinions about safe vs. unsafe areas. Here's what the actual data says.

Top 10 safest DFW cities (by violent crime rate per 1,000 residents):

1. Southlake — 0.3 per 1,000 (population 32K)
2. Colleyville — 0.4 per 1,000 (population 27K)
3. Flower Mound — 0.5 per 1,000 (population 82K)
4. Prosper — 0.5 per 1,000 (population 38K)
5. Coppell — 0.6 per 1,000 (population 43K)
6. Highland Village — 0.6 per 1,000 (population 17K)
7. Allen — 0.7 per 1,000 (population 108K)
8. Frisco — 0.8 per 1,000 (population 230K)
9. McKinney — 1.1 per 1,000 (population 210K)
10. Plano — 1.2 per 1,000 (population 290K)

For comparison:

• Dallas: 7.8 per 1,000
• Fort Worth: 6.2 per 1,000
• National average: 3.7 per 1,000

Important context: Wealthy suburbs have lower crime rates partly because of funding. Southlake spends ~$680 per resident on policing vs. Dallas at ~$410. Property tax base matters.

Sources:

• NeighborhoodScout — crime rates by city (neighborhoodscout.com)
• FBI UCR — 2024 city-level data (most recent complete year)
• Texas DPS — Crime in Texas annual report
• Census Bureau — 2024 population estimates

Safe doesn't mean zero crime. It means statistically lower probability.

Agree or disagree?