Texas Cities Shine in Safety Rankings, Plano Takes 2nd Place

A new study by SmartAsset has identified Plano as the second safest large city in the United States, following Virginia Beach. This ranking is part of an analysis of 83 cities with populations exceeding 250,000, which covers over 90 percent of the nation's large urban areas. Plano outperformed cities like Madison, Wisconsin; Honolulu; and Chesapeake, Virginia, which completed the top five.

The study evaluated safety using a composite score derived from four distinct metrics rather than solely focusing on crime statistics. Two of these metrics were drawn from the FBI's 2024 Crime in the United States report, which measured violent crimes and property crimes per 1,000 residents.

Additionally, the study included data on motor vehicle fatalities per 100,000 residents from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with disaster risk ratings from FEMA's National Risk Index, which were updated as of April 2026.

In terms of specific figures, Plano recorded 1.5 incidents of violent crime for every 1,000 residents, 14.7 property crimes per 1,000 residents, and 6.9 motor vehicle fatalities per 100,000 residents. However, one of the metrics, disaster risk, negatively impacted Plano's overall score. The city received a rating of "Relatively High" for disaster risk, which contributed to its second-place finish rather than enhancing it.

The disaster risk component similarly affected other cities in the rankings. For instance, Irvine, California, ranked 12th, and Santa Ana, ranked 20th, faced challenges due to their exposure to earthquakes and wildfires, despite having moderate crime rates. This illustrates that the rankings are not purely based on crime statistics, as cities with similar crime rates can have significantly different standings.

In total, twelve Texas cities were evaluated in this study, highlighting a wide range between the safest and least safe cities in the state. Alongside Plano's impressive second-place finish, Laredo secured the sixth position. Conversely, Dallas and Houston found themselves in the bottom 10, with Houston ranking second from last.

This disparity is noteworthy, especially considering the study's methodology, which utilized data at the county level to represent city conditions. This approach can skew results, particularly in Texas, where urban and suburban areas coexist within the same counties.

While rankings like this provide valuable insights based on public data sources, they also have limitations. The crime statistics reflect conditions that may be a year or more old, and the accuracy of FBI data relies on voluntary reporting by local law enforcement agencies.

Furthermore, the composite score's weighting can influence rankings, meaning that adjustments to how disaster risk impacts crime could alter the order of cities.

Plano's consistent presence in safety rankings over the years, particularly its low violent crime rate of 1.5 per 1,000 residents, underscores the city's reputation for safety.

Sources

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