The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Henderson County, TX

Henderson County is home to 84,900 residents and includes Athens and Gun Barrel City · Updated November 2026

Is Henderson County, TX safe?

Yes. Most US neighborhoods have little crime, and Henderson County has less than most of them: its overall CrimeGrade™ is A, safer than the neighborhoods where 64% of Americans live. Violent and property crime both grade A here. What matters most is the neighborhood: grades within Henderson County run from A+ to B, so check the map or the safest and least safe places below.

A
Overall CrimeGrade™Safety score 893 of 1,000
Safer than most US neighborhoods What this means

64% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more crime than Henderson County as a whole, and 36% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a safety score of 838, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. Henderson County scores 893.

Crime is concentrated in a small share of places, so most neighborhoods score high on the 0 to 1,000 scale. That is why a score in the 800s can still mean more crime than most US neighborhoods.

A
Violent crimeSafety score 898 of 1,000Less violent crime than most US neighborhoods
A
Property crimeSafety score 884 of 1,000Less property crime than most US neighborhoods

How it works


Crime map of Henderson County

Map of Henderson County shaded by overall CrimeGrade™, from green for the least crime to red for the most
Click the map to explore
F D C B A+
Highest crime Safest
Colorblind friendly off

How to read the map: each area's color compares its crime with the people, homes and cars there, on one national scale, from green for the least crime to red for the most. Each area gets its own color, so a busy shopping center can show red while the homes beside it stay green. The interactive maps load faster on a strong connection. Compare high speed internet in Henderson County, TX at ISP Reports.

Who this page is for: homeowners and renters in Henderson County, and anyone thinking about buying or renting a home there.

Business and enterprise customers: this free map shows neighborhood areas. CrimeGrade™ business reports map crime at about 66-meter detail and estimate it for one address and type of business. See business reports


What stands out in Henderson County

Burglaries run above the US rate. Henderson County has less crime than the US as a whole, 18% below the US rate, but more burglaries: 3.1 a year per 1,000 residents, against 2.4 nationally.

Car thefts happen at homes far more often than nationally. In Henderson County, 66% of reported car thefts happen at homes, against 33% nationally.


The safest and most dangerous places in Henderson County

Every part of Henderson County where people live grades A or B on the national scale. Grades across Henderson County run from A+ to B; 73% of residents live in areas with less crime than the typical US neighborhood.

A or B 100%

Share of residents, by the overall CrimeGrade™ of the area they live in.

Least crime

  1. 1New York1,170A+965
  2. 2Baxter2,400A+956
  3. 3Murchison3,510A+951
  4. 4Brownsboro4,330A+943
  5. 5Crescent Heights1,170A+943

Most crime

  1. 1Malakoff4,220A-782
  2. 2Gun Barrel City6,310A-814
  3. 3Pauline1,230A856
  4. 4Tool2,390A862
  5. 5Mabank14,300A864

Cities and towns in Henderson County with at least 1,000 residents. Ranked by overall CrimeGrade™; beside each grade is its safety score, from 0 to 1,000 (higher is safer), and the other numbers are residents.

Across the county, the Brownsboro area has the least crime and the Gun Barrel City, Mabank, and Seven Points areas the most.


Is crime going up in Henderson County?

Reported violent crime in Henderson County peaked in 2021 and has fallen 22% since, back near its 2019 level. Property crime is down 13% from 2019. Murders, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults went from about 2.7 to 3.0 a year per 1,000 residents (US: 3.7); burglaries, thefts and vehicle thefts from about 13 to 12 (US: 18). Neither changed much from 2023 to 2024.

Violent crime, change since 2019

Property crime, change since 2019

Henderson CountyUnited States

Source: crime reports to the FBI from the police departments across Henderson County. The charts follow crimes per resident.

Data table
YearViolent, Henderson CountyViolent, USProperty, Henderson CountyProperty, US
2016+32%+4%+63%+15%
2017+27%+4%+35%+12%
2018+11%+0%+2%+4%
2019+0%+0%+0%+0%
2020-12%+4%-19%-8%
2021+39%+6%-17%-10%
2022+19%+5%-6%-6%
2023+14%+2%-8%-7%
2024+9%-4%-13%-15%

Crime rates and types in Henderson County

CrimeGrade™ estimates Henderson County has about 31 reported crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, 18% less than the US as a whole and 27% less than Texas.

Overall crime

Violent crime

Property crime

Reported crimes a year, per 1,000 residents. These figures include simple assaults and vandalism, which the FBI's violent and property crime rates leave out.

Theft makes up about 40% of crime reported in Henderson County. Assault is less common but costs more, because each one does more harm.

CrimeCrimeGrade™Reported a yearPer 1,000 residentsUS per 1,000
Violent crime
MurderA+30.040.05
RapeA-480.570.38
RobberyA+170.200.62
AssaultA7779.212.3
Property crime
BurglaryA2673.12.4
TheftA-1,04612.313.1
Vehicle theftA+2072.42.7
ArsonA+60.070.12
VandalismA+2282.75.5

Each CrimeGrade™ compares a crime with what it affects: people for assaults and robbery, homes for burglary, parked cars for vehicle theft. Rates count crimes per 1,000 residents.

Select a crime's name to see its map above. CrimeGrade™ business reports map each crime at about 66-meter detail.


Where and when crime happens in Henderson County

These figures come from the reports of the police departments across Henderson County, 2022 to 2024.

In Henderson County, 67% of burglaries hit homes, against 57% nationally. Thefts from cars happen most often at homes: 50% of them, against 34% nationally.

CrimeMost often atBusiest time
BurglaryHomes (67%)Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
Car theftHomes (66%)Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
Theft from carsHomes (50%)Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
VandalismHomes (56%)Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
Aggravated assaultHomes (69%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)

Shares of the crimes reported to police, 2022 to 2024. Reports with no time recorded are left out of the times; they are over one in five for burglary, car theft, theft from cars, vandalism, aggravated assault.


How Henderson County compares with nearby counties

Henderson County has more crime than 8 of its 10 nearest counties. Rains County and Freestone County have the least crime nearby.

Nearby counties

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Henderson CountyA893AA84,900
Van Zandt County 23 milesA+956A+A+62,600
Anderson County 34 milesA+927A+A58,400
Smith County 35 milesA851A-A241,700
Navarro County 37 milesA922A+A54,700
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Kaufman County 40 milesA903AA172,600
Freestone County 42 milesA+963A+A+20,000
Rains County 45 milesA+970A+A+12,800
Cherokee County 46 milesA+939A+A+51,900
Wood County 47 milesA+962A+A+47,000
Rockwall County 56 milesA893AA123,600

Nearest first, with each place's distance from Henderson County. Beside each overall CrimeGrade™ is its safety score, from 0 to 1,000 (higher is safer).

Compared with counties of similar size and density, Henderson County has more crime than 67% of them.

Counties of similar size and density

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Henderson CountyA893AA84,900
Rockingham County, VAA+966A+A+85,600
Hancock County, INA+948A+A+84,000
Lewis County, WAA+946A+A+85,200
Midland County, MIA+938A+A+83,800
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Bullitt County, KYA+929A+A84,000
Jackson County, GAA+928A+A+84,800
Lawrence County, PAA912AA85,000
Cascade County, MTA886AA84,600
Orange County, TXA874AA85,300
Glynn County, GAA-782B+A-85,400

Density, jobs and walkability in Henderson County

Two things set Henderson County apart: it has 0% of its residents in dense blocks, against 24% nationally, and 23 jobs for every 100 residents, against 45 for the US as a whole. Places like that tend to report less robbery, and it runs low here.

Residents in dense blocksBlocks of 10,000 or more people per square mile. Dense neighborhoods tend to report more robbery.under 1% of residentsUS: 24%Lower than for 97% of Americans
JobsJobs draw daytime crowds. Places with many jobs tend to report more theft and robbery.23 for every 100 residentsUS: 45Lower than for 96% of Americans
Walk GradeBestNeighborhood's grade for getting through daily life on foot, traced along real walking routes to shops, schools and parks. Walkable places tend to report more theft. 94% of residents here live in car-dependent areas.F (5 of 100)US: 21Lower than for 95% of Americans
Show all 6
Lit at nightSatellite images show which neighborhoods are lit at night, a sign of busy streets and businesses. Brightly lit places tend to report more theft and vandalism.27% where people liveUS: 78%Lower than for 95% of Americans
Transit serviceBuses and trains an hour at the evening rush. Places with busy transit tend to report more theft and robbery. BestNeighborhood's Transit Grade for Henderson County: F (0 of 100).NoneUS: noneLower than for 86% of Americans
Stores and restaurantsShops and restaurants draw crowds and parked cars. Places with many stores tend to report more theft.12.1 per 1,000 residentsUS: 10.5Higher than for 86% of Americans

BestNeighborhood, a sister site of CrimeGrade™, ranks the neighborhoods of Henderson County on shops, parks, home prices, getting around and more.

These traits tend to go with more or less crime; none of them causes it on its own. Sources: Census job counts and housing figures, OpenStreetMap and Overture business listings, CrimeGrade™ parking estimates, NASA night-light imagery, US Forest Service tree cover, EPA transit data and BestNeighborhood's Walk Grade.


What crime costs Henderson County

Crime costs Henderson County about $967 a year per household, counting police, courts and prisons as well as victims' losses, 20% less than the US figure of $1,205.

Cost of crime per resident, per year

Counting the pain and suffering of victims, which comes almost entirely from violent crime, the full cost comes to about $106 million a year, or $1,249 per resident.

How the cost breaks down
CrimeCost a yearPer resident
Murder$5.7 million$67
Rape$2.9 million$34
Robbery$530,000$6
Assault$9.9 million$116
Burglary$2.4 million$28
Theft$5.4 million$63
Vehicle theft$3.2 million$37
Arson$140,000$2
Vandalism$1.6 million$19
Total$32 million$373

How CrimeGrade™ works

A CrimeGrade™ shows how much crime an area has compared with the rest of the country, from A+ for the least crime to F for the most. Every neighborhood in the US is graded on the same scale, so a B in Henderson County means the same as a B anywhere else.

CrimeGrade™ starts from the crimes people report to police and measures each kind of crime against what it affects: people for assaults, homes for burglaries, parked cars for car thefts.

The rates on this page count crimes for every 1,000 people who live here, the way police departments report them.

Comparisons with US neighborhoods use the Census Bureau's block groups, small areas of about 1,400 residents, and count the people who live in each. The figures count crimes reported to police; many crimes, shoplifting above all, never are. Behind the grades, CrimeGrade™ tested 21,607 factors from 125 data families. For business owners, paid CrimeGrade™ location reports estimate crime at a single address for each type of business.

Where the numbers come from

  • Crime reports that police departments file with the FBI
  • State crime records and city crime data, where they are published
  • Population and housing figures from the US Census Bureau
  • Published research on what crime costs victims and communities

These are estimates of reported crime for whole areas, not a record of what happened on any one street. CrimeGrade™ updates them once a year and provides them free and without guarantee. Check local sources before you rely on them for a decision.

More about CrimeGrade™ data


Schools in Henderson County

Schools in Henderson County, TX average a SchoolGrade of B-: 48% of students test proficient, against 37% projected for schools like them. Overall, they meet expectations. See schools in Henderson County on SchoolGrade