Data through Mar 2026 (Houston) and Aug 2026 (Los Angeles), FBI
Houston vs Los Angeles crime rates
Houston’s violent crime rate was 30% higher than Los Angeles’ over each one’s latest 12 months (to Mar 2026 for Houston and Aug 2026 for Los Angeles): 837 against 646 per 100,000 residents a year. Houston’s property crime rate was 1.8 times Los Angeles’ over the same period: 3,679 against 2,083 per 100,000 residents a year. Houston recorded 234 homicides (9.7 per 100,000 residents) and Los Angeles 218 (5.6). Over the same period violent crime was down 22% in Houston and down 5% in Los Angeles, each against its own previous 12 months.
Side by side
per 100k, per year| Measure | Houston, TXcity, Texas | Los Angeles, CAcity, California |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crimeper 100,000 residents a year | 837 | 646 |
| Property crimeper 100,000 residents a year | 3,679 | 2,083 |
| Homicidescount in the period | 2349.7 per 100k | 2185.6 per 100k |
| Violent crime trendagainst the 12 months before | −22% | −5% |
| Property crime trendagainst the 12 months before | −9% | +15% |
| Residents | 2,413,559 | 3,898,747 |
| Period | 12 months to Mar 2026 | 12 months to Aug 2026 |
| Source | Houston Police Departmentas reported to the FBI | Los Angeles 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 | Houston | Los Angeles |
|---|---|---|
| Robberytaken by force or threat | 4,408183 per 100k | 7,043181 per 100k |
| Burglaryentering a home or business to steal | 10,900452 per 100k | 9,961255 per 100k |
| Theft from vehiclesitems or parts taken from a vehicle | 30,1081,247 per 100k | 22,737583 per 100k |
| Other theftshoplifting, pickpocketing and the rest | 35,6331,476 per 100k | 30,874792 per 100k |
Counts over each period.
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: Houston’s figures run to Mar 2026 and Los Angeles’ to Aug 2026, the latest each agency has reported in full.
- 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; Los Angeles has neighborhood figures on its page.
More on each place
8 related pairsCrime in Houston, TXCrime in Los Angeles, CADallas vs HoustonHouston vs San AntonioAustin vs HoustonLos Angeles vs San DiegoLos Angeles vs San FranciscoLos Angeles vs New YorkHouston vs New YorkLas Vegas vs Los Angeles
Source and dates
FBI Crime Data Explorer- Houston, TX
- Houston Police Department, as reported to the FBI. 12 months to Mar 2026; 2,413,559 residents.
- Los Angeles, CA
- Los Angeles Police Department, as reported to the FBI. 12 months to Aug 2026; 3,898,747 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