Crime by type
Houston Crime by Type
A look at the offense categories shaping Houston's totals and where each tends to land across the metro.
Overview
What drives crime in Houston
Houston's size means every category shows up in volume, but they don't share the same map. Property crime follows freeways and commercial density across the whole footprint, while serious violence concentrates in a smaller set of corridors and apartment-heavy pockets.
By category
Rates and odds by crime type
Estimated annual rate per 100,000 residents and your everyday odds, with risk level relative to the U.S. average.
| Offense | Per 100k/yr | Annual odds | vs. U.S. | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theft / Larceny | 1,630 | 1 in 61 | +16% | Average |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 360 | 1 in 278 | +13% | Average |
| Burglary | 302 | 1 in 331 | +12% | Average |
| Aggravated Assault | 262 | 1 in 382 | -2% | Average |
| Robbery | 84 | 1 in 1,198 | +13% | Average |
| Rape | 31 | 1 in 3,270 | -9% | Average |
| Homicide | 5 | 1 in 18,996 | +5% | Average |
Drill down
What's actually reported in Houston
The most common specific offenses behind each category, from reported incident descriptions.
Theft 71,628 reports
Assault 55,139 reports
Other 21,348 reports
Retail Theft 15,649 reports
Vandalism 13,409 reports
Burglary 10,814 reports
Detail
Crime types in Houston, explained
Motor Vehicle Theft
Auto theft and break-ins are widespread, with park-and-ride lots, apartment complexes, and freeway-adjacent commercial areas seeing frequent activity. Trucks and SUVs are common targets across the metro.
Theft / Larceny
Theft is the largest category, fueled by the city's sprawl of retail centers, parking lots, and commercial corridors.
Burglary
Home and business break-ins vary widely by area, climbing in apartment-dense districts like Gulfton and staying low in master-planned and affluent neighborhoods such as West University and Bellaire.
Aggravated Assault
Aggravated assault concentrates along specific corridors, in nightlife zones like Midtown, and in higher-density apartment areas rather than spreading evenly across the city.
Robbery
Robberies cluster around commercial strips, gas stations, ATMs, and late-night entertainment districts, with risk rising after dark.
Homicide
Homicide is uncommon for most residents given Houston's population and remains concentrated in a limited number of neighborhoods and corridors.