Is Texas Still A Safe Place To Live? Reviews Are Mixed…

I spend a ton of my time researching random fun facts, news, and anything else about Texas or happening in Texas for article content. One of the questions that always seems to come up in a Google search is, "Is Texas still a safe place to live?"

I decided to pull that question apart, as someone who has lived here for most of their life, for anyone interested in living here or knowing more about what it's like.

I live in Lubbock. It's ranked number 3 on the 2024 list of the top 10 most dangerous cities in Texas. I think based on that alone, I must know a little something about it. Here's where I am with it...

So, is it still safe to live in Texas?

I moved to an area of town that is a notorious hotspot for crime and homelessness a few years ago. They renovated an old skyrise and I couldn't help myself from grabbing an apartment at the top so that I could have a great view of the sunset.

I'll admit, I was a little bit nervous at first.

My entire life, I'd been told to stay away from this part of town if I didn't want to be robbed or killed or whatever other unfortunate scenario you can imagine. For the first few weeks, I worried about walking to my car alone at night. Every stranger felt like a threat. Every homeless person pushing a shopping cart must be out to get me!

I don't feel that way anymore. Not even a little bit. I've had some of the best times right here in this apartment and I've made some incredible friends. Nothing bad has happened to me here that hasn't happened to me elsewhere in the world.

It took quite some time before I realized it doesn't really matter where you are as long as you have situational awareness. Crime happens everywhere, in every state. Crime happens in good neighborhoods, bad neighborhoods, and all the nooks and crannies in between.

One of the greatest things about Texas is that if you, for example, break down on the side of the road, someone will always stop to help you. It doesn't matter what you look like, what kind of car you have, or anything else.

Texans help one another.

They really do. The big cities. The small towns. They are all still full of Texans.

We help big and we love big.

Fear makes people move away to other places they think may be better instead of working toward solutions in their hometowns. It can be frustrating to watch good people leave, and that's why we need to keep pushing forward and growing a great understanding of things we are afraid of.

So, is Texas still a safe place to live?

Of course, it is. It's an amazing place to live. We have the best of it all, and maybe that's why we sometimes get the worst of it, too. Everyone wants a piece of the Texas pie.

Don't let a Google search and some statistics fool you into thinking you can't have an amazing life in a place that has been described as less than savory. You can.

Be smart and live in the solution.

But, hey, what do I know...