A recent SmartAsset study has identified Plano as the second safest large city in the United States, following Virginia Beach. This ranking highlights the contrasting safety profiles of Texas cities, with Plano and Laredo, which ranked sixth, showcasing the state’s safer urban environments, while Dallas and Houston sit in the bottom 10, with Houston positioned second from last.
The study evaluated 83 cities with populations exceeding 250,000, which the firm states encompasses over 90 percent of the nation’s larger cities. Plano outperformed cities like Madison, Wisconsin; Honolulu; and Chesapeake, Virginia, which completed the top five.
The safety ranking was determined by a composite score that integrated four distinct metrics. Two of these metrics were derived from the FBI's 2024 Crime in the United States report, specifically violent crimes and property crimes per 1,000 residents.
Additionally, the study included motor vehicle fatalities per 100,000 residents from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and disaster risk data from FEMA’s National Risk Index.
Plano reported 1.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 14.7 property crimes per 1,000 residents, and 6.9 auto fatalities per 100,000 residents. However, the city's disaster risk was classified as "Relatively High," which negatively impacted its overall ranking.
The study's findings illustrate that disaster risk significantly influenced rankings, as seen with cities like Irvine, California, which ranked 12th, and Santa Ana at 20th, both hindered by natural disaster risks despite having moderate crime rates. Thus, the study indicates that rankings do not solely reflect crime rates but also the potential risks a city faces.
