San Antonio ranks as Texas' most dangerous big city, but it's the nation's 28th-safest overall

Out of Texas’s six largest cities, San Antonio ranked as having the highest rate of property crime per capita. Credit: Shutterstock

San Antonio is Texas’ most dangerous large city, according to a new study by financial technology company SmartAsset.

But before anyone contemplates fleeing town as a result , the same study of the nation’s 50 largest cities ranked SA as the nation’s 28th-safest. Meanwhile, Memphis, Tennessee, ranked as the most dangerous.

SmartAsset analyzed cities’ 2023 FBI crime statistics — the most recent available — along with data from real estate data website Neighborhood Scout, and county health data. Researchers then ranked cities based on statistics such as violent crime, property crime, excessive drinking habits and drug overdoses and traffic deaths per 100,000 people.

SmartAsset then amalgamated the data to rank cities by how dangerous they are all overall.

While the Alamo City exceeded its Texas neighbors, it was around the middle of the pack when it came to big cities overall.

Even so, some have already latched onto the same study to raise concerns about crime in San Antonio.

During the city council’s budget meeting last week, District 10 Councilman Marc Whyte cited the SmartAsset study when trying to justify why San Antonio needed to include hiring more police officers in its $4 billion budget.

“Public safety is our highest priority,” Whyte said. “All the other things that we want do not matter if our citizens do not feel safe.”

Ultimately, council voted down his proposal.

Fort Worth ranks as Texas’ safest large city in the SmartAsset analysis, coming in at No. 3 nationally. Arlington also ranked among the nation’s safest cities, coming in at No. 7 overall.

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San Antonio ranks as Texas’ most dangerous big city, but it’s the nation’s 28th-safest overall

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