Around 77% of Houston survey-takers say they are staying home more at night to avoid crime and 51% said they’d moved homes in search of a safer neighborhood, according to the results of a new poll by a nonprofit organization studying how those living in the country’s biggest cities perceive crime.
The survey results come amid a nationwide decline in most types of violent crime after a spike during the coronavirus pandemic. Houston in 2024 saw significant decreases in property crime and a decline in homicides, though violent crime ticked up about 5%.
“My conclusion is the public perception of crime is much more complex than I think we’d ever thought,” said Ron Faucheux, the analyst that directed the polls…