(NEXSTAR) – Communities are footing the bill for crime both emotionally and with their pocketbooks, a crime statistic analysis by MoneyGeek recently found. Using the data, they determined the cost of crime by totaling up the property loss, victim services and policing that residents pay as a result.
The safest small city/town in the U.S. is Buffalo, Illinois, where residents pay around $22 for crime.
But what about here in Texas?
The safest small town or city in Texas can be found in Southlake, about 30 miles northwest of Dallas. Located in Tarrant County, Southlake has a population of 31,265 per the 2020 U.S. Census. The cost of crime in Southlake is $89, MoneyGeek found. Nationally, Southlake ranks as the 30th safest out of 953.
Meanwhile, Texas City in southeast Galveston County is ranked 903rd, ranking as the least safe in Texas, according to the list. In this city of 50,660, residents pay around $2,938 crime costs.
Other Texas cities near the top of the list include: Friendswood (population 40,795), Midlothian (population 34,962), Wylie (population 54,460), Coppell (population 41,807), Leander (68,571), and Cibolo (32,777). Several others can be found here: Texas’s safest towns.
While small towns and cities are generally shown to be safer than large cities, MoneyGeek analysts say data shows unsafe small towns/cities can have around the same amount of crime as big cities when comparing crime cost.
How does crime cost affect you? The study explains that residents of higher crime cost areas pay higher rates on insurance of all types, including vehicle and homeowners. Petersburg, Virginia, was found to be the least safe small city in the U.S., with residents paying around $9,022 for crime.