Plano can add a new title to its growing list of superlatives. A new study from personal finance website SmartAsset ranks the Dallas suburb as the second-safest big city in the U.S. among cities with at least 250,000 residents.

Only Virginia Beach, Virginia ranked higher than Plano.

The 2026 study looked at 83 U.S. cities' violent crimes, property crimes, traffic deaths, and disaster risk.

Plano fared well in three of the four categories: 1.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 14.7 property crimes per 1,000 residents, and 6.9 traffic deaths per 100,000 residents.

However, the study tagged Plano with a “relatively high” risk for natural disasters. You can pin the blame on the potential for tornadoes, flash floods, thunderstorms, and extreme heat in North Texas.

For all cities in the study, disaster risk and traffic deaths were measured at the county level.

“With consistently low crime rates and exceptional police and fire response times, Plano stands among the safest cities in America, ensuring peace of mind for residents and businesses alike,” Plano Economic Development says on its website.

Plano is one of two Texas cities in the SmartAsset study’s top 10. Laredo appears at No. 6. The top 10 cities are:

• 1. Virginia Beach, Virginia
• 2. Plano, Texas
• 3. Madison, Wisconsin
• 4. Honolulu, Hawaii
• 5. Chesapeake, Virginia
• 6. Laredo, Texas
• 7. Lexington, Kentucky
• 8. Boston, Massachusetts
• 9. Lincoln, Nebraska
• 10. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

“While no major population center is entirely free from danger, some are more successful than others at creating environments where people can live, work and travel with confidence,” SmartAsset says.

When it comes to lifestyle, Plano consistently ranks at or near the top of the rankings. It’s recently been named the 12th fittest city in the U.S. and the No. 4 city for raising a family, and its park system has been recognized as the country’s 13th best.

Here’s how other DFW cities rank in the SmartAsset study:

• Arlington, No. 19. It had 4.8 violent crimes per 1,000, 24.1 property crimes per 1,000, 10.8 traffic deaths per 100,000, and a relatively high disaster risk.
• Fort Worth, No. 22. It had 4.6 violent crimes per 1,000, 27 property crimes per 1,000, 10.8 traffic deaths per 100,000, and a relatively high disaster risk.
• Irving, No. 32. It had 2.8 violent crimes per 1,000, 22 property crimes per 1,000, 12.5 traffic deaths per 100,000 and a very high disaster risk.
• Dallas, No. 73, making it the 11th least safe big city. It had 6.6 violent crimes per 1,000, 33.5 property crimes per 1,000, 12.5 traffic deaths per 100,000, and a very high disaster risk.

Elsewhere in Texas:

• Austin landed at No. 26.
• San Antonio landed at No. 54
• Houston landed at No. 82, putting it at No. 2 among the least safe big cities.