The Safest and Most Dangerous Places in West University Place, TX
West University Place is a city of 15,100 in Harris County, about 5 miles southwest of downtown Houston · Updated November 2026
Is West University Place, TX safe?
Yes. Most US neighborhoods have little crime, and West University Place has less than most of them: its overall CrimeGrade™ is A, safer than the neighborhoods where 62% of Americans live. Violent crime grades better than property crime here, A+ against A-. Its neighborhoods are much alike, from A to A-; see the map below.
A
Overall CrimeGrade™
Safety score 884 of 1,000Safer than most US neighborhoodsi What this means
62% of Americans live in neighborhoods with more crime than West University Place as a whole, and 38% in neighborhoods with less. The typical US neighborhood has a safety score of 838, a CrimeGrade™ of A-. West University Place scores 884.
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.
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 West University Place, TX at ISP Reports.
Who this page is for: homeowners and renters in West University Place, 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 West University Place
Simple assaults and acts of vandalism both run low. In West University Place, each runs at a small fraction of the US rate: 1.6 simple assaults and 1.4 acts of vandalism a year per 1,000 residents, against 9.7 and 5.5 nationally.
Thefts from cars happen on streets and sidewalks far more often than nationally. In West University Place, 43% of reported thefts from cars happen on streets and sidewalks, against 18% nationally.
The safest and least safe parts of West University Place
Every part of West University Place where people live grades A or B on the national scale. Grades across West University Place run from A to A-; 94% of residents live in areas with less crime than the typical US neighborhood.
100%
A or B 100%
Share of residents, by the overall CrimeGrade™ of the area they live in.
Within West University Place, the center has the least crime and the southeast side the most.
Is crime going up in West University Place?
Reported property crime in West University Place has risen 21% since 2019. Too few violent crimes are reported here each year for a reliable violent crime trend. Burglaries, thefts and vehicle thefts went from about 8.0 to 9.8 a year per 1,000 residents (US: 18). In 2024 alone, property crime fell 12%.
Property crime, change since 2019
West University PlaceUnited States
Source: crime reports to the FBI from the police department that serves West University Place. The charts follow crimes per resident.
Data table
Year
Property, West University Place
Property, US
2016
+7%
+15%
2017
+10%
+12%
2018
-10%
+4%
2019
+0%
+0%
2020
+33%
-8%
2021
+33%
-10%
2022
+24%
-6%
2023
+38%
-7%
2024
+21%
-15%
Crime rates and types in West University Place
CrimeGrade™ estimates West University Place has about 14 reported crimes a year for every 1,000 residents, 61% less than the US as a whole and 66% 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 is the most common crime in West University Place, about 61% of everything reported, and it also accounts for the largest share of what crime costs here.
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.
The West University Place Police Department's 2024 count of burglary fell far below its usual level, a sign of a reporting break, so CrimeGrade™ used the department's earlier years instead.
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 West University Place
West University Place has its own police department, and these figures come from its reports, 2022 to 2024.
In West University Place, 69% of burglaries hit homes, against 57% nationally.
Crime
Most often at
Busiest time
Burglary
Homes (69%)
Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
Car theft
Streets and sidewalks (56%)
Evening (6 pm to midnight)
Theft from cars
Streets and sidewalks (43%)
Afternoon (noon to 6 pm)
Vandalism
Homes (45%)
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.
How West University Place compares with nearby cities
West University Place has less crime than 7 of its 9 nearest cities; only Southside Place and Hedwig Village have less.
Nearest first, with each place's distance from West University Place. Beside each overall CrimeGrade™ is its safety score, from 0 to 1,000 (higher is safer).
Compared with cities of similar size and density, West University Place is safer than 60% of them.
Parking lots, night lighting and walkability in West University Place
Two things set West University Place apart: it has 0.2 parking-lot spaces per resident, against 2.0 nationally, and a Walk Grade of C+ (42 of 100) on BestNeighborhood, against 21 for the US as a whole. Places with little parking-lot space tend to report less theft, yet theft runs higher here than that would suggest.
Parking lotsBig lots at stores, offices and apartment complexes. Places with more lot space tend to report more theft.0.2 spaces per residentUS: 2.0Lower than for 98% of US city residents
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.100% where people liveUS: 78%Higher than for 92% of US city residents
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 and assault.C+ (42 of 100)US: 21Higher than for 89% of US city residents
Show all 6
Stores and restaurantsShops and restaurants draw crowds and parked cars. Places with many stores tend to report more theft.6.0 per 1,000 residentsUS: 10.5Lower than for 87% of US city residents
JobsJobs draw daytime crowds. Places with many jobs tend to report more theft and robbery.20 for every 100 residentsUS: 45Lower than for 87% of US city residents
Empty homesSeasonal and vacation homes are left out. Places with many empty homes tend to report more burglary, vandalism and arson.3.2% of homesUS: 7.1%Lower than for 84% of US city residents
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 West University Place
Counting police, courts and prisons as well as victims' losses, crime costs West University Place about $371 a year per household, 69% 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 $4.0 million a year, or $268 per resident.
How the cost breaks down
Crime
Cost a year
Per resident
Murder
$140,000
$9
Rape
$94,000
$6
Robbery
$200,000
$13
Assault
$320,000
$21
Burglary
$180,000
$12
Theft
$680,000
$45
Vehicle theft
$110,000
$7
Arson
$5,000
under $1
Vandalism
$140,000
$10
Total
$1.9 million
$124
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 West University Place 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. West University Place is the other kind of example: few people work in, shop in or visit it, so its crime per resident looks lower than its CrimeGrade™ suggests.
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
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.
Schools in West University Place, TX average a SchoolGrade of A+: 67% of students test proficient, against 57% projected for schools like them. Overall, they meet expectations. See schools in West University Place on SchoolGrade
