Safe Cities

7 North Texas cities rank among safest and most affordable in U.S.

Denton landed at No. 31 in the survey.

Photo courtesy of Discover Denton

Crime may be a concern for some Texans, but North Texas has it pretty good: Seven local cities – McKinney, Frisco, Grand Prairie, Plano, Carrollton, Richardson, and Denton – were named the safest and most affordable places to live in the U.S., as declared in a new report by GoBankingRates.

The study, "50 Safest and Most Affordable US Cities To Live In," ranked the largest U.S. cities by population based on their cost of living and crime rate averages. Crime rates were determined based on the number of crimes per 1,000 city residents from the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer in 2022, the year with the most recent available data.

McKinney and Frisco landed in the No. 15 and No. 16 spots nationally, thanks to their low property and violent crime rates as well as a high median household income.

Grand Prairie (No. 21), Plano (No. 22), and Carrollton (No. 23) all ranked within the top 25, with Richardson (No. 26) and Denton (No. 31) landing in the bottom half of the study.

The report emphasized these places all offer "vibrant cultural scenes" and strong job markets for adults, along with great schools and abundant recreational activities for families to enjoy.

A McKinney household makes a median income of $113,286 annually, with an average mortgage cost of $3,153 per month, the report found. The total monthly cost of living in the family friendly city adds up to $5,129.

There were a total of 2,163 property crimes reported in the city in 2022, and 238 total violent crimes. For context, the City of McKinney estimated the population spanned more than 206,000 residents in 2022. That means the city's rate for violent crimes is 1.14 per 1,000 residents, and the property crime rate is 10.38 per 1,000 residents, according to the findings.

Frisco's median household income is much higher than McKinney's, at $144,567 per year. However, so were the average mortgage costs ($4,137 per month) and total monthly cost of living ($6,128).

There were 2,928 property crimes and 225 violent crimes reported in Frisco in 2022. That would place Frisco's property crime rate at 13.37 per 1,000 city residents, and 1.03 violent crimes per 1,000 residents.

Here's how the report breaks down Grand Prairie's cost of living and crime rate statistics:

Median household income: $76,626
Household average mortgage cost: $1,961
Total monthly cost of living: $3,996
Property crimes (reported in 2022): 3,770
Property crime per 1,000 residents: 18.88
Violent crimes (reported in 2022): 405
Violent crime per 1,000 residents: 2.03

And in Denton, median household income is $71,921, average mortgage costs are $2,202, and total monthly cost of living is $4,143. There were 3,672 property crimes and 445 violent crimes reported in 2022.

Large Texas cities, such as Fort Worth, Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio, were all noticeably absent in the ranking. This is likely because – as most Texans are aware – bigger cities often have higher crime rates and higher costs of living than their outlying suburbs.

"Choosing a family-friendly place to live is a significant decision that involves a balancing act between safety and affordability in any big city," the report said. "Whether you’re a young professional, a growing family or a retiree, finding real estate where you feel comfortable — both physically and financially — is crucial for a high quality of life."

Other Texas cities that were ranked in the top 25 safest and most affordable places to live include League City (No. 4), Sugar Land (No. 6), Pearland (No. 7), El Paso (No. 11), Laredo (No. 18), and McAllen (No. 24).

The top 10 safest and most affordable U.S. cities to live in are:

No. 1 – Elgin, Illinois
No. 2 – Cary, North Carolina
No. 3 – Gilbert, Arizona
No. 4 – League City, Texas
No. 5 – Rochester, Minnesota
No. 6 – Sugar Land, Texas
No. 7 – Pearland, Texas
No. 8 – Meridian, Idaho
No. 9 – Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
No. 10 – Olathe, Kansas

The full report and its methodology can be found on gobankingrates.com.

austin carrollton dallas denton families frisco grand prairie mckinney north texas plano reports richardson gobankingrates

Police News

Fort Worth police officer fired for unjustified use of force

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A Fort Worth police officer has been terminated following his involvement in a use of force incident. According to a release, Officer Matthew Krueger was let go on December 18, following an investigation into an incident involving someone who was videotaping his actions while he was on duty.

On Sunday, June 23, Fort Worth police officers responded to a hit-and-run collision near 1000 Foch St. The incident involved a suspected intoxicated driver who crashed into another vehicle and a structure before fleeing the scene on foot.

While officers were investigating, a woman approached them and used her cell phone to record their actions. Krueger asked and advised her multiple times to move across the street. When she failed to comply, she was placed under arrest.

During the arrest, Krueger used force to take the woman into custody, resulting in injuries that required medical care at an area hospital.

After being treated, the woman was released from the hospital, booked into jail, and charged with interference with public duties, resisting arrest and/or detention, evading arrest, and making a false alarm or report.

Krueger had been with the department for just under eight years and was assigned to the Patrol Bureau at the time of the incident.

The Fort Worth Police Major Case and Internal Affairs Units began immediate and congruent investigations. Krueger was transferred from Patrol to a unit with no public interaction, pending the outcome of the investigation.

After a review of the Internal Affairs investigation, Krueger’s chain of command determined that the level of force used was unjustified and violated departmental policy. Police Chief Neil Noakes concurred and terminated Krueger’s employment.

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