The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in Panola County, TX

Panola County is home to 22,700 residents and includes Carthage and Beckville · Updated November 2026

Is Panola County, TX safe?

Yes. Most US neighborhoods have little crime, and Panola County has less than most of them: its overall CrimeGrade™ is A+, safer than the neighborhoods where 89% of Americans live. Violent and property crime both grade A+ here. What matters most is the neighborhood: grades within Panola County run from A+ to B+, so check the map or the safest and least safe places below.

A+
Overall CrimeGrade™Safety score 958 of 1,000
Safer than most US neighborhoods What this means

89% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more crime than Panola County as a whole, and 11% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a safety score of 838, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. Panola County scores 958.

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 956 of 1,000Less violent crime than most US neighborhoods
A+
Property crimeSafety score 961 of 1,000Less property crime than most US neighborhoods

How it works


Crime map of Panola County

Map of Panola 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 Panola County, TX at ISP Reports.

Who this page is for: homeowners and renters in Panola 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 Panola County

Burglaries run above the US rate. Panola County has less crime than the US as a whole, 29% below the US rate, but more burglaries: 3.1 a year per 1,000 residents, against 2.4 nationally.

Thefts from cars happen at homes far more often than nationally. In Panola County, 66% of reported thefts from cars happen at homes, against 34% nationally.


The safest and most dangerous places in Panola County

Every part of Panola County where people live grades A or B on the national scale. Grades across Panola County run from A+ to B+; 81% 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. 1DeBerry2,430A+979
  2. 2Long Branch1,330A+979

Most crime

  1. 1Carthage9,340A886
  2. 2Beckville1,550A+968

Cities and towns in Panola 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 southeast side has the least crime and the Carthage area the most.


Crime rates and types in Panola County

CrimeGrade™ estimates Panola County has about 26 reported crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, 29% less than the US as a whole and 37% 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.

Assault is the most common crime in Panola County, about 41% of everything reported, and it also accounts for the largest share of what crime costs here.

CrimeCrimeGrade™Reported a yearPer 1,000 residentsUS per 1,000
Violent crime
MurderA+under 10.040.05
RapeA+70.320.38
RobberyA+30.120.62
AssaultA24710.912.3
Property crime
BurglaryA+703.12.4
TheftA+1988.713.1
Vehicle theftA+190.842.7
ArsonA+20.090.12
VandalismA+552.45.5

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 Panola County

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

In Panola County, 75% of burglaries hit homes, against 57% nationally.

CrimeMost often atBusiest time
BurglaryHomes (75%)Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
Car theftHomes (65%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)
Theft from carsHomes (66%)Evening (6 pm to midnight)
VandalismHomes (51%)Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
Aggravated assaultHomes (67%)Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)

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 car theft.


How Panola County compares with nearby counties

Panola County has less crime than 8 of its 10 nearest counties; only De Soto Parish, LA and Shelby County have less.

Nearby counties

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Panola CountyA+958A+A+22,700
Shelby County 25 milesA+959A+A+24,200
Harrison County 26 milesA914AA70,200
Rusk County 27 milesA910AA52,800
Caddo Parish, LA 38 milesB-576C+B+230,000
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
De Soto Parish, LA 33 milesA+966A+A+27,000
Gregg County 35 milesA-781B+A-125,500
Nacogdoches County 41 milesA901AA65,200
Marion County 44 milesA+942A+A+9,740
Bossier Parish, LA 48 milesB+762B+A-129,800
Upshur County 50 milesA+946A+A+42,600

Nearest first, with each place's distance from Panola 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, Panola County is safer than 57% of them.

Counties of similar size and density

PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Panola CountyA+958A+A+22,700
Leelanau County, MIA+978A+A+22,700
Washington County, IAA+965A+A+22,600
Crawford County, MOA+956A+A+22,800
Plaquemines Parish, LAA+949A+A+22,800
Show all 10
PlaceOverallViolentPropertyResidents
Putnam County, GAA+943A+A+22,900
Clarke County, ALA+934A+A+22,500
Lampasas County, TXA+928A+A+22,700
Mingo County, WVA920AA+22,500
Poinsett County, ARA909AA+22,500
Waynesboro City, VAB+758B+A-22,800

Density, walkability and empty homes in Panola County

Two things set Panola County apart: it has 0% of its residents in dense blocks, against 24% nationally, and a Walk Grade of F (5 of 100) on BestNeighborhood, against 21 for the US as a whole. Places like that tend to report less robbery.

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
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. 96% of residents here live in car-dependent areas.F (5 of 100)US: 21Lower than for 96% of Americans
Empty homesSeasonal and vacation homes are left out. Places with many empty homes tend to report more burglary and arson.13.2% of homesUS: 7.1%Higher than for 94% 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.31% where people liveUS: 78%Lower than for 93% 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 Panola 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 85% of Americans

BestNeighborhood, a sister site of CrimeGrade™, ranks the neighborhoods of Panola 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 Panola County

Crime costs Panola County about $832 a year per household, counting police, courts and prisons as well as victims' losses, 31% 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 $26 million a year, or $1,147 per resident.

How the cost breaks down
CrimeCost a yearPer resident
Murder$1.6 million$69
Rape$440,000$19
Robbery$85,000$4
Assault$3.0 million$130
Burglary$630,000$28
Theft$1.0 million$45
Vehicle theft$290,000$13
Arson$48,000$2
Vandalism$390,000$17
Total$7.4 million$326

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 Panola 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 Panola County

Schools in Panola County, TX average a SchoolGrade of B: 49% of students test proficient, against 41% projected for schools like them. Overall, they meet expectations. See schools in Panola County on SchoolGrade