Last week, the FBI released its annual Uniform Crime Report, confirming that overall crime rates dropped across the United States in 2024. One of the most revealing findings, however, was that several U.S.-Mexico border cities—frequently portrayed in political rhetoric as hotbeds of violence—were, in fact, safer than many parts of the country.
An independent analysis by Axios looked at 11 border cities across four states: Brownsville, McAllen, Laredo, Eagle Pass, Del Rio and El Paso in Texas; Sunland Park in New Mexico; Nogales and Yuma in Arizona; and Calexico and San Diego in California. The study found that these cities had an average violent crime rate of 356.5 incidents per 100,000 residents in 2024, slightly below the national average of 359.1, according to FBI data.
