Harlingen, TX Crime Rates: Stats & Map

D+

35%

Total crime NAT. AVG.

13%

Violent crime NAT. AVG.

44%

Property crime NAT. AVG.

Date & Last Updated: This data reflects the 2022 calendar year and was released from the FBI in September, 2023; this is the most current data available.

Statistic	Reported_incidents	_{/100k people}	Harlingen_{/100k people}	Texas_{/100k people}	National_{/100k people}
Total crime	2,267	n/a (estimate)	3,147	2,732	2,324
Murder	3	n/a	4.2	6.7	6.3
Rape	11	n/a	15.3	50.0	40.0
Robbery	52	n/a	72.2	70.5	66.1
Assault	167	n/a	231.8	304.7	268.2
Violent crime	233	n/a (estimate)	323	432	370
Burglary	260	n/a	360.9	334.3	269.8
Theft	1,646	n/a	2,284.6	1,634.4	1,401.9
Vehicle theft	128	n/a	177.7	331.2	282.7
Property crime	2,034	n/a (estimate)	2,823	2,300	1,954

An Overview of Crime Rates in Harlingen, TX

When we analyze the latest crime report, the Harlingen crime rate is 35.4% higher than the national average. These incidents are classified into two primary categories: violent and property crimes. Violent crimes include assault, robbery, rape and murder. Whereas property crimes encompass theft, vehicle theft and burglary. In the case of Harlingen, there were 233 reported violent crimes, equivalent to 323 per 100,000 individuals, 12.6% lower than the national average. Additionally, Harlingen recorded 2034 property crimes, amounting to 2823 per 100,000 residents, 44.5% higher than the U.S. average.

The violent crime rate per 100,000 people in Harlingen is very close to the national average of all cities that reported crime. Harlingen reported 323 violent crimes, while the average of all cities was 370.

What Do the Locals Say About Crime in Harlingen?

AreaVibes has conducted polls asking local residents if they feel safe living in Harlingen. Based on the results of the surveys (34 responses), 41% of people felt that there was very little crime in Harlingen and felt safe walking alone at night. While 59% of people felt that it was not a safe place to live and did not feel safe walking alone at night.

Is Harlingen a Safe Place to Live?

To determine if Harlingen is a safe place to live, let's take a look at the overall crime rate of the area, as well as the number of daily crimes. Harlingen has a total crime rate that is 35% higher than the national average per 100,000 residents. This results in a total of 6.21 daily crimes (0.64 violent daily crimes and 5.57 daily property crimes) in Harlingen.

Has Crime in Harlingen Increased Since Last Year?

Year-over-year crime data allows us to analyze short-term trends in crime activity. By comparing crime rates from one year to the next, we can identify patterns and shifts in Harlingen crime rates. This information can be invaluable for residents looking to make informed decisions on where to live. When comparing the most recent year to the previous year, total crime in Harlingen has decreased by 7.5% year over year. Violent crime has decreased by 11.1% and property crime has decreased by 7.1%.

Potential Causes for Crime in Harlingen

If employment opportunities are limited or if many jobs offer low wages, it can lead to higher rates of unemployment and underemployment, which could lead to an increase in Harlingen crime rates. Areas where individuals struggle with unemployment or low wages, may be more susceptible to an increase in criminal activities as a result of financial insecurity. While lower rates of unemployment or a surplus of job opportunities could lead to a decrease in crime as their basic needs are being met. Harlingen has an unemployment rate of 3.3%, compared to a national average of 4.7%.

In cities grappling with housing affordability challenges, crime can emerge as a prominent issue. Certain individuals and families may find themselves needing to reside in cramped or subpar housing conditions, elevating stress levels and potentially fueling domestic conflicts and associated criminal incidents. Harlingen has a median home price of $92,000, deviating from the national average of $184,700. Large disparities in housing costs can significantly impact the well-being of residents and the prevalence of crime within the community.

High rental costs can limit economic mobility, making it difficult for individuals to save money, invest in education, or access better job opportunities. This can perpetuate a cycle of poverty and increase the risk of involvement in criminal activities. In summary, high rental costs can create economic challenges, overcrowding, and neighborhood dynamics that may increase the likelihood of certain types of crime, particularly property crimes. In Harlingen, the average rental rates are $748 per month, compared to the national average of $949.

Harlingen crime map

The Harlingen crime map provides a detailed overview of all crimes in Harlingen as reported by the local law enforcement agencies. Based on the color coded legend above, the crime map outlines the areas with lower crime compared to the areas with higher crime. The Harlingen crime heat map offers insight into the total crimes on a block group level. Please note that the red areas on the Harlingen crime map does not always indicate that it is a dangerous area for its residents. Areas on the heat map could be inflated if they are located in high traffic areas like airports, sports centers or large parks. Other areas on the heat map could see increased crime rates if they are located in major tourist areas like the downtown core.

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Crime Quick Facts

Harlingen crime rates are 35% higher than the national average
Violent crimes in Harlingen are 13% lower than the national average
In Harlingen you have a 1 in 32 chance of becoming a victim of crime
Harlingen is safer than 25% of the cities in the United States
Year over year crime in Harlingen has decreased by 16%

Harlingen, TX Crime Quiz

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Daily Crime In Harlingen (per 100,000 people)

The number of daily crimes per 100,000 residents in Harlingen, Texas is displayed in the graph above. As you can see, the daily crimes for Harlingen are 1.15 times more than the Texas average and 1.35 times more than the national level. Daily violent crimes in Harlingen are 1.34 times less than than Texas and 1.14 times less than the national mean. While daily property crimes in Harlingen are 1.23 times more than than Texas and 1.44 times more than the national average.

How Safe is Harlingen (higher is better)

When comparing the safety of Harlingen to every other city in Texas, as well as the entirety of the United States, is Harlingen safe? The gauges above illustrate that Harlingen is safer than 23% of every city located within Texas along with 25% of the all the cities located in the United States. The results of these graphs are created after analyzing each of the cities in Texas and in the United States as a whole. As a result, Harlingen, TX is ranked below average when compared to the rest of the US cities.

Chance of Being A Victim of Crime in Harlingen

The chance of being a victim of violent crime in Harlingen is 1 in 310

The chance of being a victim of property crime in Harlingen is 1 in 36

The chance of being a victim of crime in Harlingen is 1 in 32

Are you worried about becoming a crime victim? In Harlingen, your chance of becoming a victim of a violent crime is 1 in 310. Types of violent crimes may include assault, robbery, rape, or murder. You also have a 1 in 36 chance of being the victim of a property crime such as vehicle theft, personal property theft, and burglary. Your overall risk of becoming a crime victim in Harlingen is 1 in 32.

Year Over Year Crime In Harlingen (per 100,000 people)

Determining whether Harlingen is becoming less or more safe for its residents (per 100,000) is most easily done by comparing year-over-year crime rates. Harlingen violent crime rates have decreased by 20%. At the same time, property crime has decreased by 16% year over year. Total crimes for Harlingen has decreased by 16% in the same time frame.

Harlingen police department

Item	Harlingen	Texas	National
Law enforcement employees (officers & civilians)	174	46,020	558,732
Police officers & civilians /1000 residents	2.6	3.0	3.3

There are a total of 174 Harlingen police officers. This results in 2.6 police officers per 1,000 residents which is 13.8% less than the Texas average and 20.3% less than the National average.

Sex offenders in Texas

State	Total offenders	Texas_/100K	National_/100K
Texas	95,281	443	266

There are a total of 95,281 sex offenders in Texas. This yields a total of 443 sex offenders in Texas per 100,000 residents which is 67% greater than the national average.

Nearby Cities With Low Crime Rates

City	Population	Violent crime_{/100k people}	Property crime_{/100k people}	Total crime_{/100k people}
Primera, TX	5,025	94	169	263
Palm Valley, TX	1,909	97	516	612
Rancho Viejo, TX	2,998	0	663	663
Olmito, TX	1,255	235	1,249	1,483
Combes, TX	3,016	261	1,237	1,498
Los Indios, TX	822	241	1,281	1,522
Sebastian, TX	1,508	243	1,291	1,534
Harlingen, TX	65,028	323	2,823	3,147

Cities with similar population

City	Population	Violent crime_{/100k people}	Property crime_{/100k people}	Total crime_{/100k people}
Santa Cruz, CA	65,011	725	3,611	4,336
Blaine, MN	65,048	108	1,915	2,023
Laguna Niguel, CA	65,048	95	1,045	1,140
Wellington, FL	64,990	129	988	1,117
Bethesda, MD	65,092	183	752	935
Harlingen, TX	65,028	323	2,823	3,147

Source: The Harlingen, TX crime data displayed above is derived from the FBI's uniform crime reports for the year of 2022. The crime report encompasses more than 18,000 city and state law enforcement agencies reporting data on property and violent crimes. The uniform crime reports program represents approximately 309 million American residents, which results in 98% coverage of metropolitan statistical areas.