Data through Mar 2026 (Houston) and Jul 2026 (New York), FBI
Houston vs New York crime rates
Houston’s violent crime rate was 34% higher than New York’s over each one’s latest 12 months (to Mar 2026 for Houston and Jul 2026 for New York): 837 against 625 per 100,000 residents a year. Houston’s property crime rate was 1.7 times New York’s over the same period: 3,679 against 2,189 per 100,000 residents a year. Houston recorded 234 homicides (9.7 per 100,000 residents) and New York 236 (2.8). Over the same period violent crime was down 22% in Houston and down 9% in New York, each against its own previous 12 months.
Side by side
per 100k, per year| Measure | Houston, TXcity, Texas | New York, NYcity, New York |
|---|---|---|
| Violent crimeper 100,000 residents a year | 837 | 625 |
| Property crimeper 100,000 residents a year | 3,679 | 2,189 |
| Homicidescount in the period | 2349.7 per 100k | 2362.8 per 100k |
| Violent crime trendagainst the 12 months before | −22% | −9% |
| Property crime trendagainst the 12 months before | −9% | −9% |
| Residents | 2,413,559 | 8,336,817 |
| Period | 12 months to Mar 2026 | 12 months to Jul 2026 |
| Source | Houston Police Departmentas reported to the FBI | New York City 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 | New York |
|---|---|---|
| Robberytaken by force or threat | 4,408183 per 100k | 13,726165 per 100k |
| Burglaryentering a home or business to steal | 10,900452 per 100k | 11,574139 per 100k |
| Theft from vehiclesitems or parts taken from a vehicle | 30,1081,247 per 100k | 22,299267 per 100k |
| Other theftshoplifting, pickpocketing and the rest | 35,6331,476 per 100k | 133,2331,598 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 New York’s to Jul 2026, the latest each agency has reported in full.
- New York has 3.5 times as many residents as Houston. 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; New York has neighborhood figures on its page.
More on each place
8 related pairsCrime in Houston, TXCrime in New York, NYDallas vs HoustonHouston vs San AntonioAustin vs HoustonLos Angeles vs New YorkHouston vs Los AngelesNew York vs PhiladelphiaBoston vs New YorkMiami vs New York
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.
- New York, NY
- New York City Police Department, as reported to the FBI. 12 months to Jul 2026; 8,336,817 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