By: Cassandra McBride | Ammo.com
Report Highlights:
- Texas’ homicide rate declined from 7.10 per 100,000 people in 2023 to 5.88 per 100,000 in 2024.
- Texas ranked 24th nationally for homicides in 2024, with lower rates than Georgia and Illinois, but higher rates than California, Florida, and New York.
- Males in Texas were nearly 3.5 times more likely to be homicide victims than women in 2024, with rates of 9.25 versus 2.52 per 100,000.
- Young adults (20-24) had the highest homicide rate in 2024, while children and adults over 45 had the lowest rates.
Related Studies: States With the Highest Murder Rates | Gun Ownership by State | Texas Gun Ownership: Total Numbers, Trends, and Most Popular Guns
Murders in Texas by Year
In 2024, Texas’s homicide rate was 5.88 per 100,000 people, down from 7.10 per 100,000 in 2023. The state’s homicide rate averaged 9.76 per 100,000 between 1968 and 2024. 1, 2
In 1968, Texas’ homicide rate was 12.00 per 100,000. That rate peaked in 1980 and 1981 at 14.70 per 100,000. The state’s rate remained high until 2001, when it decreased below the national average of 7.1 to 6.6 per 100,000.
The rate remained between 6 and 7 per 100,000 until it declined to its lowest in 2011 (4.90 per 100,000). It increased to 5.00 per 100,000 during the 2010s, and increased with the rest of the nation during COVID (7 to 8 per 100,000).
Texas Murders Compared to Other States
Texas ranked 24th for homicides in the United States in 2024. The state had the second-largest population in the nation and 1,857 homicides in the same year. 1, 2
Compared to five other populous states with similar and opposing firearm and sanctuary policies, Texas ranked third for homicides.
California (4.53 per 100,000), Florida (5.26 per 100,000), and New York (3.45 per 100,000) had lower homicide rates than Texas in 2024. Georgia and Illinois had higher homicide rates at 9.18 and 8.34 per 100,000, respectively.
How Does Texas Compare to the National Average?
Texas’ homicide rate in 2024 was 5.88 per 100,000, slightly below the national average of 6.00 per 100,000. 1, 2, 3
Between 1968 and 1996, Texas’ homicide rate averaged 13.80 per 100,000, higher than the 9.02 per 100,000 national average. In the late 1990s, Texas’ rates declined until it aligned more with the national average, sporadically decreasing and increasing but remaining below 8 per 100,000.
In 2021, the nation and Texas’ homicide rates increased to their highest in two decades (8.10 per 100,000 and 7.80 per 100,000, respectively). National and state rates declined in 2022 and continued to decrease through 2024.
Counties With the Highest Homicide Rates in Texas
In 2024, Dallas County had the most homicides (255) of any county in Texas, and a homicide rate of 9.78 per 100,000. 1, 2, 3
The top five Texan counties with the highest homicide rates in 2024 were Potter, Jefferson, Harris, Ector, and Nueces County.
Potter County had the highest homicide rate in 2024 at 13.96 per 100,000 (16 murders), followed by Jefferson County at 11.50 per 100,000 (29 murders). Harris County had a rate of 10.40 per 100,000 (503 murders); Ector County, 10.3 per 100,000 (17 murders); Nueces County, 10.22 per 100,000 (36 murders).
Texas Murder Rate by City
Houston had the highest homicide rate of any city in Texas in 2024 at 13.80 per 100,000 (320 murders), followed by Dallas, Beaumont, Killeen, and Wichita Falls. 3
According to the FBI Crime Data Explorer, Dallas reported 180 homicides in 2024 (13.62 per 100,000), Beaumont reported 14 (12.58 per 100,000), Killeen reported 20 (12.37 per 100,000), and Wichita Falls reported nine (8.76 per 100,000).
Note: Cities with fewer than 100,000 people were excluded from this study because smaller cities have unrealistically high rates.
Texas Homicide Victims by Gender
In 2024, the homicide rate for men in Texas was nearly three and a half times higher than for women. 1, 2
Men died at a rate of 9.25 per 100,000 (1,407 murders). Women died at a rate of 2.52 per 100,000 (386 murders).
Texas Homicide Victims by Age
Individuals between 20 and 24 died by homicide at a higher rate than any other age group in Texas in 2024 (11.61 per 100,000). Preteens and younger teenagers between the ages of 10 and 14 died at the lowest rates (1.09 per 100,000) that year. 1, 2
Texans between the ages of 15 and 19 died at a rate of 10.52 per 100,000, while those between 25 and 29 died at a rate of 10.05 per 100,000. Those between 30 and 44 also died at rates higher than 7 per 100,000.
Texans between birth and 4 years old, as well as older citizens (45+), died at lower rates than those in their late teens and early thirties.
Weapons Most Commonly Used In Homicides
Of the 1,674 homicides reported to the FBI in 2024, 35.6% were committed with handguns, 34% were committed with miscellaneous firearms, 8% were committed with knives or sharp objects, 3.6% were committed with personal weapons (hands, feet, fists, etc.), and 0.2% were committed with rifles. 3, 4
Wrap-Up
Texas’ homicide rate has declined in recent years and now sits just below the national average, reflecting broader post-pandemic trends. While the state continues to see concentrated violence in certain areas, overall homicide levels remain significantly lower than historic highs.
