In a revealing intersection of popularity and risk, Houston has emerged as the top U.S. tourist destination where crime poses a real concern to overseas travellers. This is according to new research from Spartacus Law Firm, which scrutinises how visitor numbers overlap with crime rates to establish what they call a “Tourist-Risk Score.”
The study, released Tuesday, analysed metropolitan areas across the United States to examine whether cities drawing large overseas crowds also expose travellers to disproportionate crime. It combines figures from international visitation with overall crime rates to create a composite snapshot of risk.
Houston, Texas, leads the ranking with a score of 88.2, underscoring the complex mix of tourism and low safety ratings. With 887,000 foreign tourists annually and a crime rate of 2,656 per 100,000 residents, Houston presents what researchers identify as “significant exposure to non-violent crimes.”
Detroit, Michigan, ranks just behind Houston with a score of 84.3. It has the highest crime rate among the top 10 cities — 2,941 per 100,000 residents — despite receiving only 220,000 foreign tourists per year. Denver, Colorado, which sees more visitors than Detroit, has a slightly lower score of 82.9 and a crime rate of 2,710.
Washington, D.C., draws 1.6 million international tourists annually — second only to Los Angeles — but ranks fourth due to its crime rate of 2,125 per 100,000 and a Tourist-Risk Score of 81.1. Seattle follows with a score of 79.8, where the overall crime rate is 2,579.
Philadelphia holds sixth place at 79.7, close behind Seattle, and maintains a crime rate of 2,602. Minneapolis comes next with a score of 79.1 and a high rate of 2,859, though it records only 167,000 foreign visitors yearly.
Los Angeles, the most visited U.S. city in the ranking with 3.6 million tourists, features a significantly lower crime rate of 1,966, but still earns a score of 78.9 due to sheer tourist volume. Dallas, Texas, lands in ninth place with a 76.9 score and a crime rate of 2,078. Rounding out the list is Portland, Oregon —the least visited among the top ten, with 138,000 overseas travellers and the second-highest crime rate at 2,897, earning a score of 76.7.
Reflecting on the findings, Chandon Alexander, CEO of Spartacus Law Firm, noted: “American cities are grappling with a complex challenge where their most attractive tourist destinations often overlap with areas of heightened crime risk, creating safety concerns for both domestic and international travellers… [who] could become targets due to their unfamiliarity with potentially dangerous neighbourhoods adjacent to popular tourist zones.”
This analysis shifts the spotlight from postcard landmarks to local realities — a timely reminder for visitors to weigh their itineraries not only by appeal but by awareness.
Here’s the full ranking from the Spartacus Law Firm study, sorted by Tourist-Risk Score and detailing crime rates and overseas visitation:
| Rank | City | Tourist-Risk Score | Crime Rate (per 100k) | Overseas Visitors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Houston, Texas | 88.2 | 2,656 | 887,000 |
| 2 | Detroit, Michigan | 84.3 | 2,941 | 220,000 |
| 3 | Denver, Colorado | 82.9 | 2,710 | 286,000 |
| 4 | Washington, D.C. | 81.1 | 2,125 | 1.6 million |
| 5 | Seattle, Washington | 79.8 | 2,579 | 579,000 |
| 6 | Philadelphia, PA | 79.7 | 2,602 | 529,000 |
| 7 | Minneapolis, MN | 79.1 | 2,859 | 167,000 |
| 8 | Los Angeles, CA | 78.9 | 1,966 | 3.6 million |
| 9 | Dallas, Texas | 76.9 | 2,078 | 655,000 |
| 10 | Portland, Oregon | 76.7 | 2,897 | 138,000 |
💬 Chandon Alexander, CEO of Spartacus Law Firm, emphasised that tourist hotspots often border unsafe areas: “…overseas visitors could become targets due to their unfamiliarity with potentially dangerous neighbourhoods adjacent to popular tourist zones.”
