Data through Sep 2026 (Austin) and Mar 2026 (Houston), FBI
Austin vs Houston crime rates
Houston’s violent crime rate was 2 times Austin’s over each one’s latest 12 months (to Sep 2026 for Austin and Mar 2026 for Houston): 837 against 410 per 100,000 residents a year. Houston’s property crime rate was 27% higher than Austin’s over the same period: 3,679 against 2,891 per 100,000 residents a year. Austin recorded 49 homicides (5.1 per 100,000 residents) and Houston 234 (9.7). Over the same period violent crime was down 11% in Austin and down 22% in Houston, each against its own previous 12 months.
Side by side
per 100k, per year| Measure | Austin, TXcity, Texas | Houston, TXcity, Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crimeper 100,000 residents a year | 410 | 837 |
| Property crimeper 100,000 residents a year | 2,891 | 3,679 |
| Homicidescount in the period | 495.1 per 100k | 2349.7 per 100k |
| Violent crime trendagainst the 12 months before | −11% | −22% |
| Property crime trendagainst the 12 months before | −11% | −9% |
| Residents | 961,855 | 2,413,559 |
| Period | 12 months to Sep 2026 | 12 months to Mar 2026 |
| Source | Austin Police Departmentas reported to the FBI | Houston Police Departmentas reported to the FBI |
Violent crime, month by month
Each line has its own scale, so read the direction, not the height; the table above has the rates.
Robbery and theft
| Offense | Austin | Houston |
|---|---|---|
| Robberytaken by force or threat | — | 4,408183 per 100k |
| Burglaryentering a home or business to steal | — | 10,900452 per 100k |
| Theft from vehiclesitems or parts taken from a vehicle | — | 30,1081,247 per 100k |
| Other theftshoplifting, pickpocketing and the rest | — | 35,6331,476 per 100k |
Counts over each period; Austin’s source does not separate them yet.
The FBI cautions against ranking or comparing places on these numbers alone: how dense a place is, its economy, how often residents report crime and how each agency records it all shape them. How to read crime numbers
What this comparison does not measure
read before deciding- These are crimes reported to the police. In the federal victim survey for 2024, about half of violent crime (47.9%, homicide aside) and under a third of property crime (30.5%) was reported, and that share can differ from one city to another.
- The two periods are not the same months: Austin’s figures run to Sep 2026 and Houston’s to Mar 2026, the latest each agency has reported in full.
- Houston has 2.5 times as many residents as Austin. A rate evens out the size, but in the smaller place a few dozen incidents move it more.
- City limits are drawn differently: one city may take in suburbs and open land that another leaves to its neighbors, and that alone moves a citywide rate. A citywide figure says little about any one neighborhood; Austin has neighborhood figures on its page.
More on each place
8 related pairsCrime in Austin, TXCrime in Houston, TXDallas vs HoustonHouston vs San AntonioAustin vs San AntonioAustin vs DallasHouston vs Los AngelesHouston vs New YorkAustin vs DenverAustin vs Nashville
Source and dates
FBI Crime Data Explorer- Austin, TX
- Austin Police Department, as reported to the FBI. 12 months to Sep 2026; 961,855 residents.
- Houston, TX
- Houston Police Department, as reported to the FBI. 12 months to Mar 2026; 2,413,559 residents.
- How we count
- Violent crime is homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault; property crime is burglary, theft, vehicle theft and arson, the FBI’s definitions for every agency. Methodology