Top 5 Safest Small Towns in Texas (2026 Update)

A safe town can be felt almost as much as it can be measured. It is feeling comfortable when your kids are out riding their bikes out of sight or when you are walking to your car late at night.

Likewise, it is the warmth of knowing your neighbors and taking comfort in friendly, recognizable faces. Along with school quality, safety is one of the most important considerations people think about when selecting a home town. Simply put, people want to live in safe places.

But sometimes, statistics do help bring a story to life, and it certainly does so when the story is Texas safety. Texas has over 231 towns, each with its own character. How can safety be measured across them?

SafeWise, an organization focused on evaluating location safety data, regularly evaluates over Texas towns and cities using FBI-reported violent and property crime data. Here are their latest top choices for the safest towns in Texas.

Do any of these five towns feel like the right choice for you and your family?

1. Trophy Club, Denton County

The charming name “Trophy Club” exists because of a trophy case that never arrived. 

In the early 1970s, Houston developers built a country club community around a golf course designed by the legendary Ben Hogan. A special attraction was planned to display Hogan’s trophy collection in the clubhouse. The trophies never made it, but the name stuck. Instead, Trophy Club became a showcase for one of the most family-centric suburbs in North Texas.

Today, Trophy Club ranks #1 on SafeWise’s 2026 list with extremely low violent and property crime rates. As a planned community, safety is almost designed into Trophy Club.

With just over 13,000 residents, Trophy Club is almost at full buildout, creating an intimate atmosphere where neighbors still know each other and keep an eye out for each other.

If you were to live here, expect an invite to a local Fourth of July celebration or watch the kids roll an egg at the annual EGGstravaganza. Maybe just be waved over to share a sweet tea on somebody’s porch. There are no strangers living in Trophy City. It is that kind of place.

Trophy Club calls itself “Patriotism Town.” And you could celebrate that freedom every day at one of its more than a 1,000 ocal parks. That’s a lot of green for only 13,000 residents. And speaking of green, perhaps your idea of a park is very specific. You may be happiest swinging a club on the 36 holes of golf winding through neighborhoods. After all, golf was the town’s inspiration.

But no doubt about it, safety is the backbone of the extraordinary quality of life here at Trophy Club. Making the good feeling and outdoor enjoyment possible.

2. Parker, Collin County

If you like your safety to come wrapped in space and quiet, Parker might be a good choice for you. Parker ranks #2 on SafeWise’s 2026 list with a population of just 6,432 — the smallest town on its list.

There is a local saying: “Once you’re there, you know you’re someplace special. It’s a magical little pocket set apart from the rest of the community around it.” And residents are not going to argue. It is a town where a 7,000-square-foot estate can sit next to an 1,800-square-foot ranch home. And “next” is measured in acres.

Parker is the type of place where people keep chickens, grow orchards, build workshops, and let their kids roam. Schools are great. Neighbors are friendly but not so close that they can see into your windows.

Imagine driving off a quiet road, through a tree-lined drive to home. You may spot your neighbors’ horses and chickens. Your own house is ahead, framed by its fruit trees. The neighborhood kids’ bikes are all in a tangle on the lawn. Life is good here. A Texan town of perhaps another era.

Yet Parker isn’t isolated. Shopping, restaurants and other amenities are only a short drive away. In fact, Collin County is the second-fastest-growing county in the United States, but Parker sits steadfastly in the middle of all that growth.

Staying true to its identity. Choosing to be low-density, intentionally unhurried. And very, very safe. If your idea of a perfect safe neighborhood is one that has private roads leading somewhere beautiful, Parker is hard to beat. 

3. Memorial Villages, Harris County

If one safe town is great – how about six? SafeWise rates the combined Villages #3 in Texas for safety in 2026.

Tucked into a corner of Houston is a group of enclaves known as Memorial Villages. It isn’t one town, or even two. It’s six little standalone villages— Bunker Hill, Piney Point, Hunters Creek, Hedwig, Spring Valley, and Hilshire.

Each town has its own character and its own administration: mayor, police force, fire department, and city hall. Yet there is a definite connection of nature and air of exclusivity that makes them flow together.

If you lived here, you might enjoy a stroll down one of its many walking trails. Overhead, the branches of mature trees reach out to create a peaceful green canopy, shading you from the Texas sun.

Later, you can pop into your choice of an array of restaurants that are integrated right into the neighborhood rather than traveling out to a strip mall. You’re likely to run into a neighbor, or two and their families as well. You may see them again, at Memorial Park, the 1,500 acres of trails, fitness loops, and nature, that is the Village’s shared backyard. A 100-acre expansion called Memorial Groves is breaking ground in March 2026.

The locals are prepared to pay for the high home values because of Villages’ access to Houston and the relaxed independent nature of living in the villages proper. And while certainly a pricier locale, it is also a friendly one. Exclusivity does not wall people off at Memorial Villages. In fact, there are plenty of planned activities to encourage mingling.

Connections and engagement between neighbors is a valued here which is not always the standard for affluent communities. Friendly gatherings include local Halloween events, Easter egg hunts and even its own Fourth of July parade, separate from Houston’s, showing off its Memorial Villages livelier side.

Memorial Villages is a great choice when you are seeking city amenities while also living in a more countryified atmosphere where your whole family benefits from its safety.

4. Melissa, Collin County

One of the fastest growing towns in Texas is also one of its safest. What’s more is that the average home price is more in reach for the average family than most safe towns which tend to be in more upscale neighborhoods.

Melissa is that town; ranked number 4 in Texas town safety. In spite of its rapid growth, Melissa holds on to its small town roots.

And while Friday night football, festivals and parades are part of its charm, there is something else wonderful about Melissa. It loves celebrating its people.

During a rare Texas snowstorm in 2019, a local by the name of Marcial Marichalar put cowboy boots and a hat and a pair of shorts (OK by all accounts they were very short shorts!). He ran through the streets in the snow just to make neighbors smile. He has become a Melissa legend.

The town even has a podcast called The Front Porch where residents share stories about their life in town. For example, one episode featured the two stay-at-home moms who worked to re-open the local farmers market.

That’s 100% Melissa. Very fun. Very safe A safe, vibrant and fast growing place with great people. Maybe Melissa is the spot for you and your family.

5. Fair Oaks Ranch, Bexar/Kendall/Comal Counties

Fair Oaks has a distinctly Texan origin story.

It can trace its beginning back to when the land was part of a ranch that oilman Ralph Fair Sr. purchased in the 1930s. The original ranch house eventually became the country club, which remains the draw for residents today with its offerings of golf, tennis, pickleball, pools, and even member dining.

A town rich in cultural diversity, Fair Oaks spans three counties and sits in the Hill Country corridor between San Antonio and Boerne. And while ranked as Texas’ 5th safest town, Fair Oaks only incorporated in 1988, making it barely 38 years old. 

But its story, while unique, isn’t even the most unique aspect of this town. For that answer, you have to ask the local deer.

Apparently, Fair Oaks believes that the idea of safety should be shared by its animal residents as well as its people. After all, both are drawn to life amongst the gentle rolling hills of Hill Country.

They take deer quite seriously in Fair Oaks Ranch, the most important civic document might be the fawn protocol. The city’s official website advises residents: “If you encounter a fawn alone, it is likely not abandoned. Mother deer often leave their young hidden to protect them while they forage.”

There’s a city ordinance banning deer feeding. And a hotline for reporting violations and driving warnings during rutting season. This is a town that governs around its wildlife.

But deer isn’t the only thing actively managed by Fair Oaks. It has been careful to direct development and projects have been known to be scaled back to preserve the town’s overall character. And character is a hallmark of living at Fair Oaks, oak trees, rolling scenery, deer, all within a short drive of San Antonio.