Dallas crime.... Is it really that bad?? (Houston, Arlington: crime rates, homes)

[aceplace]

A crime number is just an average, but the problem with averages is they don't necessarily tell you anything about the real world. You can walk around many parts of Dallas, from vicious ghettos and safe upscale neighborhoods, and the so-called average crime rate will tell you nothing about local conditions.

For example, you might read somewhere that the average depth of the Gulf of Mexico is, say, 3,000 feet. So what does that tell you about the beach? Nothing. The average is just a mathematical abstraction and is useless except in a very narrow context.

Even if the crime numbers were uniformly defined and collected (which they are not), they would be meaningless, since averages are dominated by extreme values, i.e., by a few dangerous neighborhoods, in this case. Most people don't spend a lot of leisure time in dangerous, tough districts, unless they live there, of course. So the numbers are without value.

[lusterwings]

Is it true? I have never been to Dallas, but I am considering moving to Texas. I was born in Houston, but live in Cali, and I want to go back to Texas. Where should I go? I want an urban chic type of city environment, and want to be in a safe area. I know Houston gets a lot of flack for having lots of crime, and also that it is very hot there in the summer. Is Dallas any better temperature wise?

[Canine*Castle]

Originally Posted by lusterwings

Is it true? I have never been to Dallas, but I am considering moving to Texas. I was born in Houston, but live in Cali, and I want to go back to Texas. Where should I go? I want an urban chic type of city environment, and want to be in a safe area. I know Houston gets a lot of flack for having lots of crime, and also that it is very hot there in the summer. Is Dallas any better temperature wise?

Temperature wise they may be comparable, but the humidity and dew point in Houston is ridiculous. When the dew point exceeds 80 which it does in Houston, it is totally unbearable. Over 70 is bad enough, but over 80....

[Canine*Castle]

Originally Posted by preFLIGHT

Don't be fooled. Dallas has it's fair share of humidity. If you have a problem with it in Houston, you will have a problem with it in Dallas. The differences between the two cities is minimal. Same with crime. And just about every other category there is. The only way to know what city is for you is to visit them both in person.

I'm not trying to minimize the fact that Dallas' heat and humidity isn't miserable. I'm the last one who would fool anyone into believing that Dallas is not humid, comfortable, and blah, blah like one reads often on these threads. According to statistics though, the dew point is a bit higher in Houston thereby making it worse, and that is the only point that I was making. Anyway you look at it though, humidity is miserable and when it's hot, it suffocation time. Dallas is NO exception with dew points exceeding 70 often.

[CTR36]

Yeah it gets pretty humid here. The best thing to do is stay indoors during the summer. I hate the summer!! I always have, grew up in south texas where it's EVEN hotter!! So I stay indoors most of the time in my air conditioned home, car, workplace. I hate, hate summer!! I love this weather we're having now...50s-70s and our winter month (hee hee). I love the cold weather we have. I have real bad asthma and allergies and the summer humidity seem to exacerbate it. You will HAVE to get used to the Humidity here and the BUGS!! I still wouldn't live anywhere else....except maybe HAWAII

[Lakewooder]

The humidity in Dallas is nothing compared to FLA and DC.

[aceplace]

One thing to be aware of is that Dallas' humidity varies during the day. In the morning when the air is in the 70s, the humidity is highest, but in the afternoons when the temos are at 90 or 95, the humidity is around 30% or 40%... much more comfortable, especially in the shade.

Dallas should be less humid than Houston or areas near the Gulf or Atlantic because it is far away from oceans. Look at the landscape... small trees, grasslands. You go into greener, lusher areas like the southeastern pine forests, and they are lush because of the HIGHER HUMIDITY.

[rb4browns]

Originally Posted by CTR36

Yeah it gets pretty humid here. The best thing to do is stay indoors during the summer. I hate the summer!! I always have, grew up in south texas where it's EVEN hotter!! So I stay indoors most of the time in my air conditioned home, car, workplace. I hate, hate summer!! I love this weather we're having now...50s-70s and our winter month (hee hee). I love the cold weather we have. I have real bad asthma and allergies and the summer humidity seem to exacerbate it. You will HAVE to get used to the Humidity here and the BUGS!! I still wouldn't live anywhere else....except maybe HAWAII

I will say I was expecting alot more bugs than I saw. I did see more varieties than in L.A. (where the cockroach reigns supreme) but no swarms. As far as the heat/humidity goes, I don't think anyone will tell you that it's pleasant. However, I will say I personally did not find it unbearable since everywhere, and I mean everywhere is air conditioned. Having lived in Washington DC for two years the humidity here is nowhere near as bad as that area or the deep south. Best think I can say for folks moving here is visit in the summer and decide for yourself.

[skyflyer]

I have lived in Detroit, and I have visited Dallas quite a lot. Detroit is just dangerous at night, it is a shame, at one time it was my understanding Detroit was nice.

[nkjaws]

Originally Posted by MJay

I just saw a crime stats on wikipedia and Dallas crime seriously looks bad.... Check out those stats (I will compare Dallas with Detroit, Michigan, which is after Baltimore, Maryland the worst crime city in the US):

Detroit population: 900,932
Dallas population: 1,230,303

Burglaries in Detroit: 15,304
Burglaries in Dallas: 22,363

Theft in Detroit: 17,383
Theft in Dallas: 52,315

Vehicle theft in Detroit: 21,285
Vehicle theft in Dallas: 14,277

Arson in Detroit: 936
Arson in Dallas: 986

Total property crime in Detroit: 53,972
Total property crime in Dallas: 88,955

Rape in Detroit: 589
Rape in Dallas: 562

Robbery in Detroit: 6,820
Robbery in Dallas: 6,882

Assaults in Detroit: 13,447
Assaults in Dallas: 7,783

Murders in Detroit: 354
Murders in Dallas: 202

I know that Dallas is a bit bigger, but those crime stats are a little bit scary...

I don't know about all of that, really every city reports crime differently. I would take to heart more what people say about a city by living there then from some silly numbers. We lived in Dallas for 8 years and if you want to talk about crime, come visit the Chalotte, NC area where we live now. If you want to talk numbers, Charlottes crime compared to LA, CA's crime was worse and I believe that. I'd move back to Dallas any day if I could b/c it is a safe haven compared to Charlotte. Atleast with Dallas you know what areas to stay away from, in Charlotte it's mostly ghetto, or you drive to a nice neighborhood, and then right down the street it is the hood, etc.