Lubbock, TX Crime Map

Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions: Lubbock, TX Crime & Safety (2026)

Is Lubbock, TX safe to live in?

By the numbers, Lubbock ranks as Very Safe with a city-wide safety rating of A. Across the 52 neighborhoods analyzed for 2026, 76.9% earned a Grade A and another 17.3% earned a Grade B, meaning 94% of all neighborhoods fall into the safe category. Not a single neighborhood in the city received a D or F grade. Standout communities like Regal Park (A+), Kings Gate (A+), and Lakeridge Country Club Estates (A+) consistently post the lowest crime levels, while even the highest-concern areas — Parkway-Cherry Point and South Overton — top out at grades of C and B-, respectively. For context, Lubbock's overall city-level crime grade is B-, reflecting that while most neighborhoods are very safe, a small cluster of areas pulls the aggregate slightly downward. Residents in the 94% of A- and B-rated neighborhoods can expect a low-crime environment by any standard.

What is the crime rate in Lubbock compared to similar cities?

Lubbock's 2026 neighborhood analysis shows a strongly skewed-safe distribution: 40 out of 52 neighborhoods (76.9%) carry an A grade, 9 neighborhoods (17.3%) a B grade, and only 3 neighborhoods (5.8%) a C grade. Zero neighborhoods received a D or F. The city's overall crime grade is B-, which accounts for the concentration of incidents in a small number of areas relative to the city's population of 257,835. The poverty rate of 19.9% and unemployment rate of 4.2% are worth watching as economic indicators that correlate with crime in any metro, but the data shows those pressures are largely contained to a handful of neighborhoods rather than spread city-wide. Compared to Texas cities of similar size and density (737 residents per sq mi), Lubbock's proportion of A-rated neighborhoods is notably high.

What are the safest neighborhoods in Lubbock in 2026?

Ten neighborhoods earned the top A+ grade in 2026. Here's how they break down by population and median household income:

• Regal Park — A+ | Pop. 920 | Median Income: $129,425
• Kings Gate — A+ | Pop. 1,585 | Median Income: $127,885
• Lakeridge Country Club Estates — A+ | Pop. 2,634 | Median Income: $140,303
• Melonie Park — A+ | Pop. 2,013 | Median Income: $118,105
• Melonie Park South — A+ | Pop. 766 | Median Income: $114,725
• Kings Park — A+ | Pop. 839 | Median Income: $114,732
• Raintree — A+ | Pop. 2,656 | Median Income: $96,048
• Preston Smith — A+ | Pop. 6,270 | Median Income: $95,746
• University Pines — A+ | Pop. 4,853 | Median Income: $71,882
• Texas Tech University — A+ | Pop. 8,801 | Median Income: $37,474

A notable data point: Texas Tech University achieves an A+ grade despite having the lowest median income ($37,474) among the top-ten list — a reminder that income alone doesn't determine neighborhood safety. Preston Smith is the most populous A+ neighborhood at 6,270 residents, demonstrating that high safety grades aren't limited to small, exclusive enclaves.

Which neighborhoods in Lubbock have higher crime levels?

Only 3 of 52 neighborhoods (5.8%) received a C grade, and none scored D or F. The higher-concern areas identified in 2026 are:

• Parkway-Cherry Point — Grade C (the lowest-rated neighborhood in the city)
• South Overton — Grade B-
• Ballenger — Grade B
• Slaton-Bean — Grade B
• Chatman Hill — Grade B+

Even Parkway-Cherry Point, Lubbock's highest-crime neighborhood, earns only a C — not a D or F. That grade distribution signals that crime in Lubbock is concentrated but not severe by national standards. If you're renting or buying near these areas, reviewing the interactive crime map for specific incident patterns is a useful next step before committing.

Is Lubbock a good place to buy a home from a safety standpoint?

The data supports a cautiously optimistic outlook. With a median home value of $144,915 and a median rent of $958, Lubbock offers affordability that's rare in Texas metros. Pair that with the fact that 94% of analyzed neighborhoods are rated A or B, and the safety-to-cost ratio is favorable for buyers. The A+ neighborhoods — particularly Lakeridge Country Club Estates (median income $140,303), Regal Park ($129,425), and Kings Gate ($127,885) — combine high safety grades with higher income levels, suggesting stable property values. For budget-conscious buyers, Preston Smith and University Pines offer A+ safety grades at more moderate income levels ($95,746 and $71,882, respectively), which may translate to more accessible price points. The city's 19.9% poverty rate is a macro-level factor to monitor, but the neighborhood-level data shows it has not translated into widespread crime across Lubbock's residential areas.

How does Lubbock's poverty rate affect its crime statistics?

Lubbock's poverty rate of 19.9% is above the national average, yet the city's crime distribution tells a nuanced story. Despite that elevated poverty figure, 76.9% of neighborhoods still earned an A grade and only 5.8% earned a C — with no D or F grades recorded. The income spread among safe neighborhoods is wide: Texas Tech University (A+) has a median income of just $37,474, while Lakeridge Country Club Estates (A+) sits at $140,303. This roughly $103,000 income gap between two A+ neighborhoods suggests that community factors, policing strategies, and neighborhood cohesion play significant roles beyond income alone. The higher-crime areas like Parkway-Cherry Point (C) and South Overton (B-) do tend to correlate with lower economic indicators, which is consistent with national research, but their grades still represent a limited upper bound on crime severity citywide.

Is the Texas Tech University area safe?

Yes — the Texas Tech University neighborhood earns an A+ safety grade in 2026, the highest possible rating. With a population of 8,801, it is the most populous A+ neighborhood in Lubbock. The median household income of $37,474 reflects the student demographic rather than a struggling economic base, and the safety grade confirms that the area maintains low crime levels despite its density and transient population. Adjacent neighborhoods like University Pines (A+, pop. 4,853) and Preston Smith (A+, pop. 6,270) reinforce that the broader university corridor is among the safest parts of the city. Students, faculty, and families living near campus can reference the crime map for block-level detail, but the neighborhood-wide grade is strongly favorable.