Are you a solo mom traveler planning to visit Texas? Traveling as a solo female has challenges, particularly in the safety department. There are plenty of ways to stay safe – don’t make yourself a target, act like a local, keep your stuff safe, etc. The most important factor to consider when traveling is to choose a safe place to stay. In this Article, we’ve listed the top cities in Texas that are pretty safe. But first…
Why travel to Texas?
If you love history, museums, major sports teams, music, nightlife, nature, beaches, lakes, BBQs and fried Oreos… The Lone Star State won’t disappoint! The 2nd largest state in the USA is home to popular mega-cities Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin – the state capital. NASA, Cowboy Stadium, The Alamo, and Austin City Limits are just some of the places you can visit while in Texas.
Texas is the largest state outside of Alaska and boasts of a never-ending list of activities to do and places to visit. When you come to Texas, you should stay for quite a while if you want to experience it all at full speed. Sure, plenty of other safe cities in Texas scored higher in some of the ratings. But there’s really nothing to do or see in most of them! Our list consists of major cities that are fun, plus adjacent (and smaller) cities that you can use as a home base.
Ready? Let’s do this!
The 5 safest cities to travel in Texas
1. El Paso
El Paso is a major city that breaks the mold when it comes to crime rate – it’s one of the biggest and safest cities in Texas! El Paso is currently the fifth safest city in America thanks to the efforts of both the local government and residents. With a population of 683,577 and a low violent crime rate of 39 per 10K residents, you can go visit El Paso without having to stay in a suburb or neighboring city. This is a safe and friendly big city with a small town charm.
2. Austin
Austin is another major city that is pretty safe for a solo female traveler. The town is famous for its nightlife, food and music festivals. Austin also made the top 50 list of the safest cities in Texas. The Central Texas city is the state capital with a population north of around 950,000. With a reported violent crime of 3,497, Austin’s safety record isn’t that bad considering it’s a large city. The number is actually pretty low compared to the Texas crime rate in other big cities.
3. Sugar Land
With a name like Sugar Land, you should feel safe and sweet!
The city has a population of 88,485 and has the lowest violent and property crime rates in Texas, making it the safest city in the state. Sugar Land is near Houston, making it a perfect launch point for day trips and activities to the megacity. If you’re worried about burglars breaking into your Airbnb crib, don’t worry. Sugar Land has the fifth lowest burglary rate in Texas. The city’s stellar safety record may be because of the wealth of its residents, with an average median household income of $108,504. However, if you decide to go for Airbnb during your trip you should always be aware who the people are who are renting you their guest room. You should always do a criminal records search in Texas to find out about the history of your host.
Ed Schipul, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons
4. Plano
If your heart is set on Dallas, but you don’t fancy staying in the heart of a bustling city, you can stay in Plano. Plano sits just north of Dallas and is home to 286,143 people. The city has the third lowest violent and property crime rate in Texas, averaging 13.84 and 190.1 per 10K residents, respectively. These figures are 30% lower than the state average, making Plano one of the safest cities in Texas.
Michael Barera, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Plano also won an award for being one of the best family-friendly cities in Texas aside from being one of America’s Happiest Cities. If you’re looking for a safe and happy city, you can’t go wrong with Plano. Plano is also known to be a great place for safe bicycling with your family. If you prefer to do a city trip with a rented car, make sure to know the history of the car you are renting. You never know what implications your car will bring. You can check the VIN number of your car.
5. College Station
If you want to experience what living in a university town feels like, head on over to College Station! With a population of 113,564, the city boasts the 8th lowest violent crime rate in the state at 22.11 per 10K residents. The College Station also has the 4th lower property crime rate currently sitting at 206.71 per 10K residents. The city is home to the George H.W. Bush Presidential Library and Texas A&M University. College Station city’s safety may be due to the city’s low unemployment rate of 2.7%, well below the US average.
Pmelton87, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Females traveling solo should take extra precautions, especially when visiting populated megacities. Tourists, especially those going alone, are the preferred target of criminals. Choosing a safe city should be priority number one while taking into account neighboring locations you can use as a launching point.
Stay Safe!
Author:
Ben is a Web Operations Executive at InfoTracer who takes a wide view from the whole system. He authors guides on entire security posture, both physical and cyber. Enjoys sharing the best practices and does it the right way!