Tyler and Waco recorded the highest 2025 reported NIBRS rape offense rates among Texas cities with populations above 100,000, according to an analysis of Texas DPS offense counts and U.S. Census Bureau population estimates.
DPS reported 110 rape offenses for Tyler and 140 for Waco in 2025. The Census Bureau estimated Tyler’s population at 113,723 and Waco’s at 147,788. That works out to 96.7 reported rape offenses per 100,000 residents in Tyler and 94.7 in Waco. Both were roughly twice the statewide 2025 rate of 48.03 per 100,000 reported by DPS.
John Basham highlighted the figures in a September 17 X post that ranked 15 Texas cities using DPS crime data and Census population estimates. His chart expressed the rates per 50,000 residents. For this article, The Dallas Express standardized the comparison to offenses per 100,000 residents, matching the rate used by DPS for statewide comparisons.
TROUBLING!@TxDPS Data Reveals The Top 15 Cities For Rape.
2025 Texas DPS Crime In Texas Data Uses The DOJ NIBRS “Rape” Category Including (Forcible Rape, Sodomy, & Sexual Assault With An Object).
Tyler, Texas Tops This Terrible List. With The @cityofwaco 2nd. pic.twitter.com/0vDeIYoIcD— John Basham (@JohnBasham) September 18, 2026
Tyler and Waco moved against statewide trend
The statewide number of reported NIBRS rape offenses fell from 16,878 in 2024 to 15,163 in 2025, a 10.16% decline. The statewide rape rate fell 11.48%, according to the 2025 Crime in Texas report.
Tyler moved in the opposite direction. Tyler Police Department reported 96 rape offenses in 2024 and 110 in 2025, an increase of about 14.6%. The city recorded 61 such offenses in 2021, making the 2025 total about 80.3% higher than five years earlier.
Waco also increased, from 132 reported rape offenses in 2024 to 140 in 2025, or about 6.1%. Its 2025 total was about 21.7% higher than the 115 offenses reported in 2021.
That increase stands out against Waco’s broader crime trend. The city reported that overall crime fell 7% in 2025 and reached its lowest level since accurate records began in 1993.
DFW cities show wide gap
The same calculation shows a wide range across North Texas. Arlington recorded 261 NIBRS rape offenses, or about 64.9 per 100,000 residents. Irving recorded 122, or about 47.5 per 100,000. Fort Worth recorded 483, or about 47.0 per 100,000.
Dallas recorded 408 offenses, but its larger population put the rate at about 30.7 per 100,000. The Dallas Express previously reported that Dallas police said broader violent crime had fallen 13.4% year over year as of February 2026.
What the rape category measures
DPS states that NIBRS rape offenses include 11A, forcible rape; 11B, sodomy; and 11C, sexual assault with an object. DPS calculates crime rates as the number of identified offenses per 100,000 people, allowing comparisons among jurisdictions of different sizes.
The figures represent reported offenses, not convictions or unique victims. DPS says its annual report is a static snapshot based on local agency NIBRS data reported by March 20, 2026. The agency’s online crime portal can change as local agencies submit or revise records.
Selected 2025 reported NIBRS rape rates per 100,000 residents. Sources: Texas DPS and U.S. Census Bureau. Illustration created by DX.
