Per Texas law, people convicted of certain "reportable" sex offenses must register their addresses for a designated time after they leave the prison system. Where these people live, their names and the nature of the crime they were convicted of are all public information.

The idea behind the law is that it will protect the public from individuals with habitual or particularly heinous sex crime histories. Included in the reportable offenses are continuous sexual abuse of a child, bestiality, aggravated sexual assault, etc.

So what part of Lubbock County has the most sex offenders? And which one has the least? Let's have the good news first:

The Lowest Concentration Per Capita of Sex Offenders

To have the least amount of registered sex offenders near you, you'll want to live in Ransom Canyon. There is currently only one sex offender in the area. He was convicted of the sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl.

The Highest Concentration Per Capita of Sex Offenders

The highest concentration of sex offenders in Lubbock County is in the Wofforth area, but to be fair, this encompasses a lot of "country". Hence, the population per sex offender is somewhat skewed. There are 31 individuals registered in that area.

Where Are The Most Sex Offenders, Overall?

Most of the registered sex offenders are actually inside Lubbock city limits and are peppered throughout, although the area near our studios (82nd & Quaker) is sparse. Lucky me.

Neighborhoods With High Concentrations

Arnett Benson, Stubbs-Stewart, Ballenger, Harwell, Bayless Adkins, and South Mesa. Weirdly, there seems to be a high concentration around I-27, perhaps because housing tends to be less expensive in that area. And no area of Lubbock is completely "free" from registered sex offenders.

If you want to know if you live near a sex offender (or if you're house hunting and that's an important factor for you), you can check this interactive map. Vigilance is always a good idea, and knowledge is a great way to protect yourself and the people you care about.