Situated in the far western side of Texas, El Paso is one of America’s oldest settlements that is filled with history and heritage. It boasts over 300 day of sunny weather and a nice retreat from the cold winters.
If you are thinking about visiting El Paso and have qualms about the safety of the city, we got you covered. We deep dived into the statistics, crime reports and talked to the residents of the city to give you a better understanding of how safe the safe the city really is.
Is El Paso Safe?
Stastically speaking, El Paso is a very safe place to visit. In 2021, El Paso had a violent crime rate of 250.29 incidents per 100,000 residents, which is one of the lowest in the nation for a city with over 500,000 residents and one of the lowest in the state of Texas for a city with over 100,000 residents.
In 2021 El Paso reported 1,698 violent crimes and had a violent crime rate of 250.29 per 100,000 people. El Paso’s violent crime rate is 37% less than the national average.
Year over year violent crime has decreased by 22%.
You have a 1 in 400 chance of becoming a victim of violent crime in El Paso.
Here’s a graph showing you how violent crime has trended in El Paso over a 12 year period. Violent crime has been steadily decreasing over the past decade.
Murder Rate
In 2021, El Paso reported 30 murders and had a murder rate of 4.42 per 100,000 people. El Paso’s murder rate is 32% less than the national average.
Year over year murder has decreased by 37%.
You have a 1 in 22,614 chance of becoming a victim of murder in El Paso.
Here’s a graph showing you how murders has trended in El Paso over a 12 year period.
Property Crime Rate
In 2021 El Paso reported 8,539 property crimes and had a property crime rate of 1,258.67 per 100,000 people.El Paso’s property crime rate is 36% less than the national average
Year over year property crime in El Paso has very remained relatively the same.
You have a 1 in 79 chance of becoming a victim of property crime in El Paso.
Here’s a graph showing you how property crime has trended in El Paso over a 12 year period. Property crime has been steadily decreasing over the past decade.
El Paso Crime Stats
Here’s a breakdown of all the crimes in the city for 2021 compared with 2020:
2020
2021
Percentage Change
Homicide
28
30
7%
Rape
261
323
24%
Robbery
289
219
-24%
Aggravated Assault
1,589
1,126
-29%
Violent Crimes Total
2,167
1,698
-22%
Burglary
847
1,139
34%
Larceny/Theft
7,245
6,491
-10%
Motor Vehicle Theft
415
909
119%
Property Crimes Total
8,507
8,539
0%
TOTAL Crimes
10,674
10,237
-4%
The worst neighborhoods in El Paso
There are 2 areas in El Paso that seem to stand out with crime and which residents mention are sketchy areas.
In north east El Paso there is an area called the Devils Triangle. There are lots of drug related crimes here. It’s a area bordered by Dyer St and the Patriot Freeway. The area starts on Hercules and Dyer and goes north for 2 miles or so.
In the lower valley of El Paso, there is an area called Socorro. Much like the Devil’s Triangle, a lot of drug related crimes and petty robbery. Although it has been improving.
Is Downtown El Paso safe?
Downtown El Paso is a generally safe area to visit. Although it is not as lively as other downtowns and after 5pm, the downtown area kind of shuts down except for a few bars and restaurants.
What do residents of El Paso say about its safety
"El Paso is safe. Don’t let the fact the Juarez, the former murder capital of the world, which is right across the border scare you."
" I’ve never felt unsafe in El Paso other than a few sketchy parts of town"
"It’s a very safe city. Even in its most sketchy areas, I have walked around in the middle of night with absolutely no problems."
"We are one of the safest large cities in the country. Low crime, good cops. Regarding our neighbor, Juarez, south of the border fence: it’s gotten somewhat better but I still don’t go over there."
"I was born and raised in El Paso and have never encountered anything to call it a dangerous place. I’ve been through the worst parts of town coutnless times and my opinion is still firm."
"There are no dangerous areas in El Paso."
"Having moved from Albuquerque, El Paso is night and day different. It is super safe anywhere you go"
"El Paso is super safe city, there is literally only one neighborhood that you should avoid: Devil’s Triangle. Other than that you’ll be fine."
"El Paso is consistently voted in the safest cities in the United States list. You could walk most areas at night and nothing will happen to you."
"Even though we border a city that is notoriously dangerous, the violence doesn’t cross over. The murder rate is very low here. Because we’re a border, military, college city we have a wide variety of law enforcement here. It is very rare when driving around for more than 5 minutes and not seeing either a police, sheriff, constable, EPISD, UTEP, TEXAS TECH, EPCC, border patrol, customs, or military police vehicle on the road."
"El Paso does have its dated areas, but it’s never felt dangerous or violent in any way"
"I was born and raised El Paso and it definitely is not a dangerous city. Yes, very out of date and boring. But very safe city. It usually makes the top 10 safest cities lists.
Is it safe to visit alone?
El Paso is a safe place to travel alone as long as you know the layout of the city and know which areas to avoid. El Paso is just like any other city and there arerisks involved when you’re in a big town by yourself.
Research the areas in El Paso that you want to visit and use Google Maps street view to see if the areas is sketchy.
El Paso Safety Tips
Research and know the layout of the city before you visit. When booking a hotel or searching for directions, look at google street view so you don’t book yourself into a hotel in a sketchy area.
Avoid taking alleys at night. Alleys may seem like a shortcut but they make a perfect place for muggers to hide.
Stick to well-trafficked and brightly lit areas during the nighttime.
Make sure you gas tank is full, especially at night. You don’t want to have to fill up your gas tank in an sketchy and unfamiliar area at nigh.
If you are traveling alone, blend in as much as you can. You’re already at a disadvantage with criminals when you’re on your own, don’t make it easier for them to spot an outsider.
Keep your valuables secure at all times. Make sure you are not being distracted away from your valuables.
If someone claims to be an authority figure, confirm their identity before going anywhere or handing anything over to them.
Be careful drinking, especially on your own or with people you don’t know
Never keep your wallet in your back pocket. Put your wallet and phone in a front pants pocket. Much harder to pickpocket.
Trust your instincts and your gut feeling. If you don’t feel safe, if something is amiss, don’t do it, don’t go, etc.
Try to be fairly inconspicuous. Don’t wear expensive-looking jewelry/clothing.
Be skeptical of people who are attempting to “help” you unsolicited – Thieves usually work in teams – one to draw your attention away and the other to steal your goods.
Why is El Paso Safe?
Despite being across the river from one of the most dangerous cities in the world, El Paso
That is because there is so much crime/trafficking/cartel shit going on in Juarez that there are more law enforcement agents/agencies (CIA, FBI, DEA, ATF, Border Patrol, Police etc…) per capita than anywhere else in the US
2) A second reason is we have a high number of federal law enforcement located here since we are a border city. We have FBI, ATF, DEA, etc.
Is El Paso Safe To Visit?
If you look at the crime stats and read the opinions of the residents, El Paso is a very safe place to visit. Crime is down in every category and most residents agree that you shouldn’t have any qualms about visiting.
If you plan to cross the border and into Juarez, you won’t have the same level of safety as in El Paso, as Juarez is still consistently ranked as one of the most dangerous cities in the world.
Sources
United States Census. “Quick Facts.” Accessed October 31 2022
Mariska is a recovering attorney who gave up her professional job to discover new perspectives of life while traveling in a 2009 Ford Transit.
She has been living the van life for 3 years and has not looked back since.
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