Texas Cities Shine in Safety Rankings, Plano Takes Second Place

According to a recent SmartAsset study, Plano is recognized as the second safest large city in America, following Virginia Beach. This ranking is part of a broader analysis that evaluated 83 U.S. cities with populations exceeding 250,000, covering over 90 percent of the nation's large urban areas.

The study assessed cities based on a composite score derived from four different metrics. Two of these metrics were sourced from the FBI's 2024 Crime in the United States report, which included violent crimes and property crimes per 1,000 residents.

Additionally, the analysis incorporated motor vehicle fatalities per 100,000 residents from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as disaster risk data from FEMA's National Risk Index, updated as of April 2026.

For Plano, the statistics showed 1.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 14.7 property crimes per 1,000 residents, and 6.9 auto fatalities per 100,000 residents. However, the city's disaster risk was rated as "Relatively High," which negatively impacted its overall ranking.

The implications of disaster risk were notable in other cities as well. For instance, Irvine, California, ranked 12th, and Santa Ana, ranked 20th, faced similar challenges due to their exposure to earthquakes and wildfires, despite having moderate crime rates.

This indicates that the ranking is not solely based on crime statistics; cities with comparable crime figures can have significantly different rankings due to disaster risk assessments.

In Texas, the study highlighted a wide range in safety, with both Plano and Laredo, which ranked sixth, appearing in the top 10 safest cities. Conversely, Dallas and Houston found themselves in the bottom 10, with Houston ranked second from last. This disparity underscores the diverse safety landscape across the state.

The methodology used in the study involved county-level data as a proxy for city conditions, which can skew results, particularly in Texas where urban and suburban areas coexist within the same counties. This limitation is especially relevant for larger cities.

While the rankings are based on official data from credible sources, such as the FBI, CDC, and FEMA, they also come with caveats. The crime data reflects conditions from a year or more prior, and the accuracy of FBI crime statistics relies on voluntary reporting from local agencies. Thus, while the rankings provide a comparative perspective, they should be interpreted with caution.

Plano's consistent presence in such rankings, particularly its low violent crime rate, contributes to its reputation as a safe city.

Sources

https://smartasset.com/data-studies/americas-safest-big-cities-2026-study