{"id":5932,"date":"2026-05-01T13:06:17","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T13:06:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/tieuc\/?page_id=5932"},"modified":"2026-05-01T13:58:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T13:58:46","slug":"public-safety-infrastructure-metrics-in-nct","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/tieuc\/public-safety-infrastructure-metrics-in-nct\/","title":{"rendered":"Public Safety & Infrastructure Metrics in NCT"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Dataset Snapshot \u2014 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dashboard covers 24 counties<\/strong> across North and Central Texas for the year 2024. All four metrics \u2014 Homicides, Motor Vehicle Crash Deaths, Firearm Fatalities, and Traffic Volume \u2014 are expressed as rates per 100,000 population<\/strong>, except Traffic Volume which is average daily vehicles per meter of major roadway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not every county has data for every metric \u2014 smaller rural counties are suppressed when event counts are too low to produce statistically reliable rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. Homicides (2024)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What it measures:<\/strong> Deaths due to homicide per 100,000 population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

County Rankings (2024):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

County<\/strong><\/td>Rate<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead>
Dallas County<\/td>9.11 \u2190 Highest<\/td><\/tr>
Navarro County<\/td>6.58<\/td><\/tr>
Tarrant County<\/td>6.25<\/td><\/tr>
Kaufman County<\/td>6.08<\/td><\/tr>
Hunt County<\/td>5.04<\/td><\/tr>
Ellis County<\/td>4.51<\/td><\/tr>
Wise County<\/td>4.00<\/td><\/tr>
Hood County<\/td>3.57<\/td><\/tr>
Johnson County<\/td>2.82<\/td><\/tr>
Parker County<\/td>2.56<\/td><\/tr>
Collin County<\/td>2.40<\/td><\/tr>
Rockwall County<\/td>2.10 \u2190 Lowest (reported)<\/td><\/tr>
Denton County<\/td>2.06<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Key Observations:<\/strong> Dallas County at 9.1 per 100k<\/strong> is a significant outlier \u2014 more than 3.4x higher<\/strong> than Rockwall and Denton. The suburban growth counties (Collin, Rockwall, Denton, Parker) all cluster below 2.6, reflecting their affluent, lower-density profiles. Mid-tier counties like Navarro, Kaufman, and Hunt sit in the 5\u20137 range, likely driven by corridor crime along US-75 and I-45.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Racial Breakdown (2024) \u2014 where data is available:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

County<\/strong><\/td>Black<\/strong><\/td>Hispanic<\/strong><\/td>White<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead>
Dallas<\/td>23.4<\/td>6.4<\/td>3.8<\/td><\/tr>
Tarrant<\/td>17.1<\/td>5.3<\/td>3.6<\/td><\/tr>
Kaufman<\/td>27.8<\/td>\u2014<\/td>3.2<\/td><\/tr>
Ellis<\/td>13.3<\/td>3.6<\/td>3.5<\/td><\/tr>
Collin<\/td>7.7<\/td>2.3<\/td>1.9<\/td><\/tr>
Denton<\/td>7.4<\/td>1.8<\/td>1.3<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The racial disparity is stark. Black residents in Dallas face a homicide rate ~6x higher<\/strong> than White residents in the same county. Kaufman County’s Black rate of 27.8<\/strong> is the highest in the dataset. Hispanic residents face intermediate rates across all reported counties. AIAN, Asian, and NHOPI data is suppressed throughout \u2014 insufficient event counts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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2. Motor Vehicle Crash Deaths (2024)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What it measures:<\/strong> Deaths from motor vehicle crashes per 100,000 population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

County Rankings (2024):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

County<\/strong><\/td>Rate<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead>
Comanche County<\/td>38.87 \u2190 Highest<\/td><\/tr>
Hamilton County<\/td>35.83<\/td><\/tr>
Jack County<\/td>33.87<\/td><\/tr>
Stephens County<\/td>33.34<\/td><\/tr>
Erath County<\/td>24.62<\/td><\/tr>
Hunt County<\/td>24.48<\/td><\/tr>
Bosque County<\/td>28.73<\/td><\/tr>
Palo Pinto County<\/td>26.42<\/td><\/tr>
Navarro County<\/td>22.32<\/td><\/tr>
Kaufman County<\/td>20.94<\/td><\/tr>
Parker County<\/td>19.38<\/td><\/tr>
Johnson County<\/td>17.35<\/td><\/tr>
Hood County<\/td>16.89<\/td><\/tr>
Brown County<\/td>16.93<\/td><\/tr>
Tarrant County<\/td>10.48<\/td><\/tr>
Denton County<\/td>7.68<\/td><\/tr>
Collin County<\/td>6.44 \u2190 Lowest<\/td><\/tr>
Rockwall County<\/td>8.27<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Key Observations:<\/strong> This is the most dramatic urban-rural divide in the entire dashboard. Comanche County’s rate of 38.9<\/strong> is nearly 6x higher<\/strong> than Collin County’s 6.4<\/strong>. Rural counties dominate the top: Comanche, Hamilton, Jack, Stephens \u2014 all sparsely populated counties with high-speed open roads, longer emergency response times, and lower seatbelt compliance. Urban DFW counties (Collin, Rockwall, Denton, Tarrant) cluster at the bottom despite carrying enormous traffic volumes \u2014 because urban roads are lower-speed and better-patrolled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Racial Breakdown (2024):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

County<\/strong><\/td>Black<\/strong><\/td>Hispanic<\/strong><\/td>White<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead>
Dallas<\/td>17.6<\/td>11.4<\/td>10.7<\/td><\/tr>
Tarrant<\/td>14.0<\/td>9.3<\/td>11.1<\/td><\/tr>
Comanche<\/td>\u2014<\/td>55.7<\/td>33.5<\/td><\/tr>
Hunt<\/td>30.1<\/td>12.1<\/td>27.8<\/td><\/tr>
Navarro<\/td>22.6<\/td>21.4<\/td>23.8<\/td><\/tr>
Kaufman<\/td>21.0<\/td>12.9<\/td>25.0<\/td><\/tr>
Stephens<\/td>\u2014<\/td>\u2014<\/td>45.0<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

White residents dominate MV crash death counts in purely rural counties (Stephens at 45.0, Jack at 35.7, Hamilton at 34.6) because the rural population is predominantly White. However, Hispanic residents face severe rates in rural counties with meaningful Hispanic populations \u2014 Comanche’s 55.7 per 100k<\/strong> for Hispanic residents is the highest single figure in the entire MV crash dataset. In urban counties, racial rates are more balanced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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3. Firearm Fatalities (2024)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What it measures:<\/strong> Deaths from all firearm causes (homicide, suicide, unintentional) per 100,000 population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

County Rankings (2024):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

County<\/strong><\/td>Rate<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead>
Hood County<\/td>20.77 \u2190 Highest (reported)<\/td><\/tr>
Hunt County<\/td>16.86<\/td><\/tr>
Navarro County<\/td>16.62<\/td><\/tr>
Kaufman County<\/td>16.12<\/td><\/tr>
Wise County<\/td>14.69<\/td><\/tr>
Tarrant County<\/td>13.40<\/td><\/tr>
Parker County<\/td>12.78<\/td><\/tr>
Johnson County<\/td>12.25<\/td><\/tr>
Rockwall County<\/td>11.16<\/td><\/tr>
Palo Pinto County<\/td>11.06<\/td><\/tr>
Ellis County<\/td>11.48<\/td><\/tr>
Denton County<\/td>9.02<\/td><\/tr>
Collin County<\/td>8.44 \u2190 Lowest<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Several counties (Bosque, Jack, Hamilton, Somervell, Stephens) have suppressed data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Key Observations:<\/strong> Hood County at 20.8<\/strong> leads \u2014 notable because it has a relatively low homicide rate (3.6), which means its firearm fatalities are likely driven predominantly by suicide<\/strong>, not violent crime. This is a critical distinction: firearm fatality rates aggregate all causes. Rural counties with high White populations tend to have elevated firearm suicide rates, which inflates their overall firearm fatality figures even when violent crime is low.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Collin (8.4) and Denton (9.0) remain the lowest \u2014 consistent across all three violence metrics, reflecting their suburban demographic and socioeconomic profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Racial Breakdown (2024):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

County<\/strong><\/td>Black<\/strong><\/td>Hispanic<\/strong><\/td>White<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead>
Dallas<\/td>26.5<\/td>8.9<\/td>15.8<\/td><\/tr>
Tarrant<\/td>21.0<\/td>7.7<\/td>15.8<\/td><\/tr>
Kaufman<\/td>28.6<\/td>\u2014<\/td>19.2<\/td><\/tr>
Ellis<\/td>15.4<\/td>4.8<\/td>14.3<\/td><\/tr>
Collin<\/td>10.3<\/td>4.2<\/td>11.1<\/td><\/tr>
Denton<\/td>13.2<\/td>4.6<\/td>11.0<\/td><\/tr>
Hood<\/td>\u2014<\/td>\u2014<\/td>23.8<\/td><\/tr>
Navarro<\/td>\u2014<\/td>\u2014<\/td>20.3<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Black residents face the highest firearm fatality rates in urban and semi-urban counties. Kaufman’s Black rate of 28.6<\/strong> is the highest recorded. White residents face elevated rates in rural counties (Hood 23.8, Comanche 25.6, Navarro 20.3) \u2014 the suicide-driven pattern described above. Hispanic rates are consistently the lowest of the three groups where data exists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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4. Traffic Volume (2024)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What it measures:<\/strong> Average daily traffic volume per meter of major roadways \u2014 a proxy for urbanization and economic activity density.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

County Rankings (2024):<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

County<\/strong><\/td>Rate<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead>
Dallas County<\/td>247.9 \u2190 Highest<\/td><\/tr>
Tarrant County<\/td>156.3<\/td><\/tr>
Collin County<\/td>140.7<\/td><\/tr>
Denton County<\/td>118.7<\/td><\/tr>
Rockwall County<\/td>63.4<\/td><\/tr>
Erath County<\/td>52.4<\/td><\/tr>
Brown County<\/td>48.3<\/td><\/tr>
Navarro County<\/td>44.3<\/td><\/tr>
Hunt County<\/td>43.6<\/td><\/tr>
Johnson County<\/td>46.1<\/td><\/tr>
Ellis County<\/td>45.8<\/td><\/tr>
Parker County<\/td>36.2<\/td><\/tr>
Kaufman County<\/td>38.8<\/td><\/tr>
Wise County<\/td>20.0<\/td><\/tr>
Comanche County<\/td>15.3<\/td><\/tr>
Bosque County<\/td>18.4<\/td><\/tr>
Eastland County<\/td>17.5<\/td><\/tr>
Jack County<\/td>7.5 \u2190 Lowest<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Key Observations:<\/strong> Dallas at 247.9<\/strong> and Tarrant at 156.3<\/strong> form the undisputed urban core. The DFW metro counties (Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, Denton) together form a high-density corridor that dwarfs all other counties. The sharp drop-off after Rockwall (63.4) down to Erath (52.4) and below marks the transition from suburban fringe to rural Texas. Jack County at 7.5<\/strong> is the least-trafficked in the dataset \u2014 consistent with it being one of the most sparsely populated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The critical insight from the dashboard is the inverse relationship between traffic volume and MV crash deaths<\/strong>: Dallas (247.9 traffic, 12.1 MV deaths) vs. Comanche (15.3 traffic, 38.9 MV deaths). High-volume urban roads kill fewer people per capita than low-volume rural roads \u2014 speed, infrastructure quality, and emergency response are the driving factors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cross-Dashboard Summary (2024)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

County<\/strong><\/td>Homicide<\/strong><\/td>MV Deaths<\/strong><\/td>Firearm Fat.<\/strong><\/td>Traffic Vol.<\/strong><\/td>Profile<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead>
Dallas<\/td>9.1<\/td>12.1<\/td>14.4<\/td>247.9<\/td>Urban high-violence, high-traffic<\/td><\/tr>
Tarrant<\/td>6.3<\/td>10.5<\/td>13.4<\/td>156.3<\/td>Large urban, moderate across all<\/td><\/tr>
Comanche<\/td>\u2014<\/td>38.9<\/td>22.0<\/td>15.3<\/td>Rural, extreme MV & firearm risk<\/td><\/tr>
Navarro<\/td>6.6<\/td>22.3<\/td>16.6<\/td>44.3<\/td>Semi-rural, elevated on all metrics<\/td><\/tr>
Kaufman<\/td>6.1<\/td>20.9<\/td>16.1<\/td>38.8<\/td>Semi-rural, high disparity<\/td><\/tr>
Hunt<\/td>5.0<\/td>24.5<\/td>16.9<\/td>43.6<\/td>Semi-rural, broad risk<\/td><\/tr>
Collin<\/td>2.4<\/td>6.4<\/td>8.4<\/td>140.7<\/td>Suburban, lowest risk overall<\/td><\/tr>
Denton<\/td>2.1<\/td>7.7<\/td>9.0<\/td>118.7<\/td>Suburban, lowest risk overall<\/td><\/tr>
Rockwall<\/td>2.1<\/td>8.3<\/td>11.2<\/td>63.4<\/td>Suburban, consistently low<\/td><\/tr>
Hood<\/td>3.6<\/td>16.9<\/td>20.8<\/td>28.6<\/td>Exurban, firearm-suicide driven<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\n

Three Core Findings for 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. The Urban Violence Concentration Problem:<\/strong> Homicide and firearm-related violent death is concentrated in Dallas and Tarrant counties, and within those counties, is heavily concentrated among Black residents \u2014 with rates 5\u20137x higher than White residents in the same geography.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. The Rural Road Safety Crisis:<\/strong> Motor vehicle crash deaths are a predominantly rural problem. Counties like Comanche, Hamilton, and Jack face crash death rates that rival national crisis-level thresholds, driven by road design, speed, and lack of trauma infrastructure \u2014 not traffic volume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. The Firearm Fatality Duality:<\/strong> Firearm deaths reflect two distinct problems overlapping in one metric \u2014 urban gun violence (concentrated in non-White communities in Dallas\/Tarrant\/Kaufman) and rural firearm suicide (concentrated in White residents in Hood, Navarro, and Comanche). A single dashboard filter on firearm fatalities captures both patterns simultaneously, which is worth calling out explicitly in any presentation of this data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dataset Snapshot \u2014 2024 The dashboard covers 24 counties across North and Central Texas for the year 2024. All four metrics \u2014 Homicides, Motor Vehicle Crash Deaths, Firearm Fatalities, and Traffic Volume …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":689,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-fullwidth.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-5932","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"coauthors":[],"author_meta":{"author_link":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/tieuc\/author\/bkurdle\/","display_name":"Webmaster"},"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 4 days ago","modified":"Updated 4 days ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on May 1, 2026","modified":"Updated on May 1, 2026"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on May 1, 2026 1:06 pm","modified":"Updated on May 1, 2026 1:58 pm"},"featured_img_caption":"","featured_img":false,"series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/tieuc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5932","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/tieuc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/tieuc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/tieuc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/689"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/tieuc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5932"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/tieuc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5932\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5936,"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/tieuc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/5932\/revisions\/5936"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/tieuc\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5932"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}