Half of the fourth-largest metroplex in the US is the north Texas city of Fort Worth.
Just an hour from the other massive city, Dallas, Fort Worth has a population of just under one million.
Those numbers put this part of DFW as the 13th largest city in the country and fifth in Texas.
Since its early days as a military outpost in the 1840s, Fort Worth has gone through a few transformations along the way.
If you visit downtown, you can still see remnants of the old town where the road was made of bricks on the path of a cattle drive.
There was a time when Fort Worth was considered dangerous, generally speaking.
So much work has been put in the last few decades to change that image.
That makes sharing this list of safe neighborhoods especially pleasing.
Contents
10 Safest Neighborhoods in Fort Worth
1. Candleridge
Candleridge is one of the safest neighborhoods in all of DFW.
Crime is 24% lower than the national average here.
This place is also 75% safer than other Texas neighborhoods.
2. Wedgwood
Thanks to the abundance of recreational activities in Wedgwood, this tends to be a safer place to be.
It’s a more affordable area and the crime rate is 15% lower than the rest of the city.
3. Northside
Perhaps it’s the emphasis on education that has kept Northside leaning toward lower crime.
Violent crimes here are 22% lower than the rest of the nation.
4. Downtown
If you’re a young professional in Fort Worth, this might be the best place to live.
There’s an active culture at night, too.
Here, you have a 1 in 65 chance of being a victim.
That’s better than 76% of the rest of Texas.
5. Westcliff
TCU fans will love this one.
Close to campus, Westcliff is safer than 67% of other Texas cities.
6. Arlington Heights
Close to Trinity Park, Arlington Heights is full of regular activities.
Access to fun, as well as healthcare, is easy here.
Maybe that’s why crime is rarer.
7. Western Hills
Get outdoor time here and don’t worry about getting mugged.
Western Hills boasts a 1 in 49 chance of being a victim.
Crime here is 13% less than the national average.
8. Far Southeast
The very community feel of Far Southeast has done well for the crime rate.
Violent crimes are 81% lower than all the rest of Fort Worth.
9. Oak Grove
Whether it’s the increase in median income or the higher percentage of members on the force, Oak Grove works hard at keeping crime at a minimum.
It might be one of the most welcoming neighborhoods in America.
Oak Grove has more same-sex marriages than 96% of all US neighborhoods.
10. Crestwood
With less than 6 crimes a year, it’s no wonder that people feel safe in Crestwood.
Well, let’s not forget there’s also a neighborhood volunteer patrol.
5 Safety Tips for Traveling to Fort Worth
1. Be Aware of Shadiness
If it looks shady, it is shady.
If you’re driving downtown from the east, you can see neighborhoods right off the highway that look trashy.
That’s unfortunate, but it’s also a hotbed for criminal activity.
Many of these neighborhoods have to fight drug dealers who set up camp in these homes with less-than-stellar curb appeal.
The idea is, that the worse a property or yard looks, the more likely anyone will pay attention to it.
Then cars pull up and drive away at all hours of the day and night.
If someone is inviting you into a home that seems purposefully disheveled, abandon ship.
2. Leave Valuables at Home
There are parking decks downtown that are free at certain times of day.
Others can be accessed easily just by taking an elevator.
Parking on the street is also a popular option across downtown and the Stockyards.
All of those options leave your vehicle open to criminals who are watching.
If they walk by a car and it’s dead inside, likely, they won’t risk trying to break in.
If, however, they walk by, and it’s full of things, especially something shiny, that might result in a different story.
Is there anything on you that you’d rather not bring attention to?
Put it in the glove compartment.
Better yet, a locked glove compartment if possible.
Otherwise, feel free to store items in the trunk.
The best thing to do, overall, is to leave it at home or at least in a hotel room.
3. Check Traffic in Advance
Traffic can be unbearable when driving through or around downtown.
Despite having multiple highway options, the roads go beyond capacity regularly.
When possible, pull out your favorite map app.
If you put in a destination, you can see how backed up the traffic is and perhaps find an alternate route or leave later.
Heavy traffic can be more than annoying.
When weather is giving dangerous vibes, the last place you want to be is stuck on a highway.
That goes double time for ramps.
This is especially an important tip for winter in a Midwest state that resides in the south.
Anyone who has lived in any part of the South knows that no city is prepared for bad weather.
Even Chicago, with horrific winter weather, has residents abandoning their vehicles thanks to ice.
Fort Worth is no different.
Be in the know before you go.
4. Choose to Walk Away
If you aren’t from Fort Worth or even Texas, you might not be aware that it’s an open-carry state.
That’s not just revolvers either.
In Texas, you can walk the streets with pretty much any gun you want.
Many Texans are proud of this but it warrants a reminder to be careful.
Say you’re in the Stockyards hanging out in one of the bars.
There might be someone in there looking for a reason to get rowdy.
At any time, there’s likely a gun nearby.
All it takes is one hothead who is trigger-happy and drunk to change everyone’s life forever.
5. Stranger Danger
Very unfortunately, there are at least 3,000 people who have no place to call home in Fort Worth.
The numbers continue to increase.
It’s evident in the number of people who are sleeping under ramps and off the highway.
Situations like these are devastating and often push individuals to do things they wouldn’t normally do out of desperation.
Particularly in downtown, be careful at gas stations and shops at night.
If someone you don’t know is getting close, just leave.
Trust your instincts.
If you feel uncomfortable with someone asking for help or moving swiftly toward you, evacuate the situation.
Fort Worth Safety Overview
READ THE FULL REPORT: Fort Worth Safety Review
Safety Index:
- OVERALL RISK: LOW
- TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: LOW
- PICKPOCKETS RISK: MEDIUM
- NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM
- MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM
- TERRORISM RISK: MEDIUM
- SCAMS RISK: LOW
- WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the most dangerous neighborhood in Fort Worth?
The Ridglea area is one you’d probably want to keep a distance from.
In recent years, violent crime has increased by 139%, well beyond the national average.
Even property crime per 100k is double the state average.
Wondering what’s going on there?
Ridglea happens to be a very low-income area and, unfortunately, that is a high factor in this type of crime rate.
All it takes is driving past apartment complexes or even as far out as Ridgmar Mall to get a feel for the state of the neighborhood.
Like many malls in America, it’s almost completely vacant of stores and businesses.
From attacks to drug use, it’s a troubled place to live or visit.
What are some reasons to visit Fort Worth?
In comparison, Fort Worth’s sister city, Dallas, is very different.
It’s more like any big, modern city around the country.
Fort Worth is a city with a story to tell, and it’s evident even in the streets of downtown.
The thing that brought a spotlight to Fort Worth was the cattle drives.
While it may not be what it used to be, there is still plenty to do with cattle in the Fort Worth Stockyards, which is just outside of downtown.
Visiting the Stockyards is worth the trip, if not to get a better idea of what Fort Worth is.
There, you can find shops, live entertainment, and amazing BBQ.
Other popular attractions include the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens, Omni Theater, and Kimbell Museum.
If nothing else, the Kimbell, as it houses Michelangelo’s first painting, and the entrance is free.
How safe is Fort Worth?
Having a 1 in 32 chance of being a victim doesn’t sound very safe.
Fort Worth’s crime rate is 39% higher than the average in the US.
The percentage above is about the same when it comes to violent crimes, too.
That rate is 541 instances for every 100k people.
Property crime is 2,733 per 100k.
Those are big numbers and that can be unsettling whether you live here or are just visiting.
However, it should be noted that these are good numbers when compared with other big cities in Texas.
Fort Worth comes in second place for the lowest crime rate.
Houston is the most dangerous of the big cities in the state.
For perspective, there you have a 1 in 18 chance of being the victim of a crime.
Despite how depressing all these stats are, Fort Worth has seen a slight decrease in crime in the last few years.
