I'm not really looking at living 'downtown'. 2023 Smarter Travel Media LLC. Southeast. Different neighborhoods have different levels of safety. We are not representatives of the U.S. embassy and we are not related to the U.S. government. The worst and best neighborhoods, on Houston dangerous city? When you click through real estate links on our site, we earn an affiliate commission. 8 Houston Neighborhoods That Aren't Prone to Flooding Homes here have a wide range of prices, from as low as $160K up to the multi-millions; however, the median price is about $600,000. If youre waiting for a bus or a train, make sure that its daylight, or if its after dark, that youre not alone. The public schools here also have a reputation for being troubled. Looking at Greater Heights overall, houses reign supreme, but youll find all sorts of homes in this Super Neighborhood. Most of the city is not zoned, meaning you can be in a neighborhood full of million dollar homes and go half a mile down the street to see a run-down area thats crime ridden. Maybe not an ideal location to raise them permanently. Houston is a safe city with numerous illicit activities taking place in dodgy neighborhoods that is also one of the greatest locations to live and retire. Still fresh in the mind of most Houstonians is 2017s catastrophic Hurricane Harvey, which killed more than 80 people in Texas. It had good schools, and it was relatively safe to live there. Which parts of Houston are high-crime areas to be avoided? Condos, townhouses, and single-family homes are the norm here, though condos are probably most common. Violent assaults, thefts, and robberies are common here, and the neighborhood stands in sharp contrast to other areas of Midtown that have experienced revitalization. Even Far North. Its crime rates are presently 54 percent higher than the national average. Neighborhoods like medical district, museum district, montrose, third ward. Christmas in Houston: 12 Ways to Spread the Holiday Cheer! Indeed, Houston is in 10th place out of the 59 cities ranked. We offer our unbiased opinions and do not accept compensation to review products. Situated on the far northwest part of the city, Spring Branch borders Bear Creek Pioneers Park. 1. However, the area is removed from the central part of town. According to a recent Zillow search, an 817 sf condo (1-bed/1-bath) is going for $165K, but the price jumps to closer to $300K for one with a second bathroom (1,060 sf). Plus, Houstons large immigrant numbers keep it impressively diverse and culturally rounded. But first, this is how we created our list. Population: 138,832Rank Last Year: 8 (No Change)Median Home Value: $132,124 (11th worst)Median Income: $48,919 (8th worst)More on Northwest: Data. Things have slowed down in the 21st century, making it difficult for locals to find good-paying jobs. Neighborhood Median Home Price Home Price / Sq Ft 10-Yr Apprec . The Far North is safer than 7 percent of Texas communities. Space City has its high points: the great shopping and restaurants, numerous museums, a great zoo, excellent universities, and tons of major sports teams. Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugar Land, Low home values (No one's willing to pay to live here). Westchase is safer than 20 percent of Texas cities. Remember that the majority of Houstons risks are concentrated to the citys worst neighborhoods. What happens when you're not watching quarterbacks or bucking broncos? Most of the houses in the area are older, small homes and apartments. The 5 Best Neighborhoods in Houston Montrose -- Eccentric, Artistic, One of a Kind. If you choose to live in these areas, you have a 1 in 26 chance of becoming a victim of crime. Its probably also worth noting that Niche gave an overall B rating to the public schools in Greater Heights (on par with the Houston average), though there are several A-rated schools in the area. You can only go as far as North Houston. It is true that nowadays, it is better to take the time to document yourself in advance before choosing the neighborhood where you will stay in Houston. You are planning a trip to Texas and you wonder if Houston is a dangerous city. 60k is easily enough money to rent alone in Houston as a young professional. Most Dangerous Neighborhoods in Houston | PropertyClub Twitter, Space Center Houston The majority of the dwellings in this region are likewise tiny, historic houses and apartments. Looking for your happy place that straddles the border between the suburbs and city life? Still, the area isn't the economic dynamo of the past. Here is the safest neighborhood I recommend in downtown Houston: This area is central, close to tourist attractions (Graffiti park, Giant Beatles Statues, Houston Museum of Fine Arts, Zoo, Museum of Natural Science, historic East End) and convenient to public transportation (to get to the Space Center Houston). For example, four of the Houston areas public high schools and four of its private high schools rank among the top 10 in Texas, and over 100 schools have some kind of advanced learning curriculum available, like AP or International Baccalaureate. Downtown Downtown Houston is a diverse, urban hotspot for young professionals, empty nesters and everyone in between. Places to Avoid in Houston If you are traveling outside of the museums and tourist attractions, you should assume a neighborhood here is NOT safe unless proven otherwise. This is a natural hotspot for gun violence, theft, assault, and property crime. One good thing is that the neighborhood is changing for the better, and newer small and medium-sized homes are replacing many of the rundown apartment complexes. There, youll find mostly young professionals in their mid-20s to 40s and a vibrant vibe. For Houston, it isn't good. It is often in relation to this highway that we locate ourselves. Houston was founded in the 1830s before neighborhoods were a thing and the founders divided the city up into four quadrants (and later six) called "wards." Today, the city is teeming with neighborhoods, though the different areas of Houston are still referred to as wards. Ranked as the 19th most dangerous city in America, it has the highest crime rate in Texas. Moving to Houston can check all of these boxes and then some! Methodist is trying to do their business of saving lives without giving them the COVID-19 virus. The rate of medical criminality is 104 percent greater than the national norm. This neighborhood has a greater crime rate than one would expect in Huston. The positive thing is that the neighborhood is changing for the better, and newer small and medium sized homes are replacing many of the rundown apartment complexes. This gives you an idea of areas to avoid in Houston and which places are the safest. How cool is that? There, youll find a mix of big traditional and contemporary single-family or attached homes on spacious lots, surrounded by forest areas and some of the citys best parks and green spaces. Technically, a suburb located in the far southwestern section of Houston's urban sprawl, Sugarland has a number of interesting highlights. Next, we averaged the individual rankings for each criteria into a "Worst Score". Crime in Houston has fallen by 6% year on year. Niche gave Houston an overall B grade for schools, but that shouldnt deter anyone from moving there, as several neighborhoods have great options. This neighborhood is notorious for violent attacks, thefts, and robberies. When you do make the decision, and youre ready to go big and call Houston home, weve got the 4-1-1 on what you need to know about living in Houston, so you can start acting like a local faster than you can say Go, Houston Astros! Need help with your pre-move moves? How Safe Is Houston, Texas? Most of them have 4-5 bedrooms and go for between $375K and $875K (according to a recent Zillow search). In fact, Houston is an important hub for drug trafficking due to its proximity to major exporting countries and the presence of well-organized networks. Rodeos? Maybe you need to get even farther north. If you have any questions or suggestions that would allow me to improve this blog, do not hesitate to leave me comments! Plus, its just a 10-minute drive or 30-minute direct bus to Downtown Houston. They say what they mean and mean what they say. Beyond that, the typical traveler maintaining a normal amount of vigilance is unlikely to encounter much, if any, Houston crime. To make it easier to get a feel for Houston, we've created neighborhood guides for some of the most iconic parts of the city. Meanwhile, Bear Creek Pioneers Park takes up a big chunk of the neighborhood. One of these bad areas in Houston centers around the intersection of Dowling and McGowen Streets, in Houstons historic Third Ward. Great for: Public schools, Housing, Families, Diversity Average rent (1-bedroom): $1,767/month Median home sale price: $472,500 (up 4.8% year-over-year). West University takes the cake as the best place to live in Houston. Residents enjoy access to 63 pocket parks, 20 on-site schools, 17 tennis courts, a 6,000 sf clubhouse, The Beach Club, and LaCenterra shopping district (to name a few of the amenities). When to see whales in Runion and where to go? Surprisingly, this neighborhood stands in stark contrast to previous Midtown rehabilitation efforts. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Though many of the people living in this neighborhood are homeowners in small and medium size houses, there are also a lot of low income apartment complexes dotting the area. Theres a lot of area to cover, so lets just dive right in. 81% of residents own their homes, but there are still plenty of apartments available in the area with 1-bedrooms starting around $1,000 a month. While 70% of Kingwood residents own their homes, there are still plenty of apartments available for renters. Property crimes and assault are very common here. In 2018, it was named one of Americas Hippest Neighborhoods and in 2022 Niche rated it the Best Neighborhood for Young Professionals in Houston. Neighborhoods New York - Which ones are dangerous, where to stay, which to visit? Overall, however, Greenspoint is still a notably dangerous part of Houston. Together we have appeared in countless travel publications including ABC News, Huffington Post, Travel + Leisure, USA Today, and more. How To Avoid Buying In Houston's Flooded Zones Indeed, Houston is an attractive city for its history, its heritage, its identity and its dynamism but it is also a violent city in places. Plus, youll share the neighborhood with NASA and the Johnson Space Center. How Safe Is Houston for Travel? - Travel Safe - Abroad Where to go in Corsica - North or South Corsica? Montrose is probably best described as Houstons Austin. The crime rate in downtown is 29% higher than the national average. This list is a scientific analysis based on real data and is completely unbiased. With well over 50 to choose from, weve narrowed it down to 11 of the best places to live in Houston. Fast forward a few decades, and Sharpstown is a crime ridden area. This particular neighborhood, located near Fulton Street and Northline Mall, is bounded by East Tidwell Road. Great for: Public schools, Families, Nightlife, Diversity Average rent (1-bedroom): $1,753/month Median home sale price: $580,000 (down 3.8% year-over-year). Property crime in Houston also occurs much more frequently than in the rest of its state or country, though it has been decreasing the past few years. This neighborhood is on the north side of Houston. In these areas, you have a 1 in 25 chance of becoming a victim of crime. Sure, H-Town may be known as Space City (NASA and the Johnson Space Center are there, after all), but there is so much more to Houston than a tagline from a Tom Hanks movie. The unemployment rate clocks in at a reasonable 4.5%. This neighborhood also has Violent crimes occur 83% higher than the national average. This area also has 83 percent more violent crimes than the national average. The average income of residents is below the citys average, property and violent crime are common, and property values here are low. In Houston, there are possible experiences you stand to take part in. Take all of the same precautions that you would when visiting any big American city: Keep your valuables in your hotel safe, out of sight, or, better yet, at home. Bellaire is, however, safer than 25% of the other cities in Texas, Is Downtown Houston safe? Moving to Sacramento, where to avoid? - Sacramento Forum Listing prices range from about $125K to over a million. Or skip to the end to see the list of all 26 neighborhoods ranked from worst to best. Southeast is safer than 14% of the cities in Texas. That being said, it may not come as a shock to learn that Katy attracts a lot of young families. That would be Far North. Its not uncommon for students living on campus at the University of Houston and Texas Southern University to get notices about crimes that have happened on or around the school campus. Arushi Bhowmick, Share this post on social media If you're looking for a place to raise your family, River Oaks is a great option. It became Houstons first air conditioned enclosed shopping mall in 1961, but deteriorated in the 1990s and early 2000s. By now, the problems here should be familiar. But, we're here to talk about Houston's worst. Don't worry about the economy in Spring Branch. In Houston, you have a 1 in 20 chance of becoming a victim of crime. To see what other Houston neighborhoods made this list, take a look below; and if you can't find what you're looking for there, head to the bottom. Houston natural disasters are a major issue for the city, including frequent hurricanes and floods. So be vigilant for opportunistic thieves in crowded tourist areas and on public transit. Not only was Cinco Ranch rated the best suburb in Houston for 2022, Niche dubbed it the Best Suburb in all of Texas. We've been researching and ranking states and cities based on all types of criteria for the last five years. Just 20 minutes from Downtown Houston, Sugar Land offers big-city amenities with a small-town vibe. The public schools here, which are part of the Houston Independent School District, are also known to be particularly troubled. Well, actually, there are a few reasons. So, want to know what Houston neighborhoods you should avoid if you value your life? An added bonus? Where and which holiday residence to choose by the sea? These downtown districts are extremely walkable, and its a great pick for young professionals or people who want to be close to work. This article was written thanks to serious information from various media (local press, rankings, statistics). However, Greenspoint is still a part of Houston thats not so friendly.