New report ranks Houston as America's No. 2 least safe city

Ranking It

Only Memphis ranked worse than Houston. Photo by Ali A on Unsplash

A new study contains bad news for Houston. A report from personal finance website SmartAsset ranks the Bayou City as the second-least safe city in the U.S. among cities with at least 250,000 residents.

Only Memphis ranked worse than Houston.

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

Houston fared poorly in all four: 11.5 violent crimes per 1,000 residents, 42.9 property crimes per 1,000 residents, 11.6 traffic deaths per 100,000 residents, and “very high” risk for natural disasters, which makes sense in a city prone to tropical weather and flooding.

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

Houston is the only Texas city to rank in the bottom 10. The other cities are:

1. Memphis, Tennessee
2. Houston, Texas
3. St. Louis, Missouri
4. San Francisco, California
5. Kansas City, Missouri
6. Albuquerque, New Mexico
7. Oakland, California
8. Nashville, Tennessee
9. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
10. Detroit, Michigan

“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.

Although this study paints Houston in a poor light, other reports take a more positive view. The "America's Best Cities" report from Canada-based real estate and tourism marketing firm Resonance Consultancy ranked as No. 9 in America out of 393 cities with a population of 500,000 or more. Houston also boasts Texas’ 10th best park system, according to its ParkScore Index.

While SmartAsset has bad news for Houston, the Dallas suburb of Plano ranked as the study’s second-safest big city. Compared to Houston, 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. Its only shortcoming is a “relatively high” risk for natural disasters.

Elsewhere in Texas:

Fort Worth ranked No. 22
Austin ranked No. 26
San Antonio ranked No. 54
Dallas ranked No. 73

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This article originally appeared on CultureMap.com. Eric Sandler contributed to this article.

Rescunomics is designing technology to enhance responses to active shooter situations, fires, and rescues. Photo via Getty Images

New Houston co. transforms emergency response with geolocation, AI, and augmented reality tech

to the rescunomics

A Houston startup is innovating on safety using its geolocation, artificial intelligence, and augmented reality technology.

Rescunomics is designing technology to enhance responses to active shooter situations, fires, and rescues.The company, which provides tiered pricing, is currently working on a platform exclusively for first-responders.

Founded by CEO Emmanuel Joel, a retired captain of the Houston Fire Department, Rescunomics is using a “mission driven” approach to safety that is fueled by leveraging technology. As a part of the HFD, Joel experienced the loss of his mentor and Captain at a house fire that inspired him to take future action.

“This dark period for me inspired a vision to find a solution to this problem that has claimed 1,000 firefighter lives in structural fires in the last three decades,” Joel says in a news release. ”Since my retirement, I have focused on the growth of Rescunomics as a solution provider of innovative solutions to global safety for emergency responders.”

The company uses geolocation technology that can enable first responders to pinpoint their positions within a building to a precise location. By collaborating with geolocation service company NextNav, Rescunomics can integrate a nationwide mesh network,which will ensure accurate Z-axis data in real-time. This can still occur even when GPS fails. Rescunomics’ partnership with T-Mobile uses their 5G low-band network to provide affordable geolocation services.

With a voice-activated Hērōs AI chatbot, Rescunomics can provide instant guidance in high-pressure situations. By using predictive analytics, users can optimize resource allocation during large-scale disasters by utilizing IoT connectivity and SMART analytics with the Hērōs platform. The platform also utilizes its Indoor Mapping Data Format (IMDF). The IMDF allows users access to customized indoor maps of venues like stadiums, airports, and campuses.

For active shooter situations, Rescunomics says its discreet SOS signaling system can enable individuals to alert law enforcement directly.Rescunomics says 60 percent of shooting events end before law enforcement arrives.

Going beyond training purposes, Rescunomics' AR lens technology can arm responders with thermal imaging and VR-enhanced visuals via helmet-mounted displays to help monitor live incident footage.

The Detroit Fire Department is just one of the departments in the U.S. using technology similar to this, as the department is in a pilot program using Safety Cloud by HAAS Alert.

The Aldine Independent School District is the first to employ a new technology focused on campus safety. Educational First Steps/Facebook

Houston-area school district to install first-of-its-kind safety technology

A+ in safety

Insight Enterprises has announced a collaboration with the city of Houston, Microsoft, and BeSafe to bring the ActiveShield concept to two Houston-area schools this summer. Aldine Independent School District was selected to be the first school district in the nation to implement an IoT platform like this, a representative says.

Safe Spaces a group of tools developed by Tempe, Arizona-based Insight, a Fortune 500 global systems integrator. The safety technology focuses on emergency situations, such as sound sensors, color-coded LED lighting, and real-time information sharing that can notify first responders with pertinent information as soon as possible.

"Knowledge is power, and our mission is to save lives by providing the right information to the right people at the right time," says Kevin Harrington, CEO of BeSafe Technologies, in a release. "What we see with Insight Safe Spaces is the ability to use IoT to build on our core capabilities to further improve public safety. This creates a communication hub that instantly connects on-site security with police, fire and other emergency responders, as well as building occupants."

The schools will be equipped with several of Safe Spaces' technologies, such as:

Cameras, sound and motion sensors, etc. that capture data that is then integrated with third-party security systems. (This allows for real-time information sharing and emergency response.)
Panic buttons for teachers or staff.
Color-coded smart lights that automatically warn of an emergency and indicate how close you are to danger or the school's safe zones.
Real-time communication to on-site security and emergency services, with different alerts or action plans based on the information being shared with the central system.
Direct lines of communication for people involved in the crisis via a navigation-based mobile app to provide updates and safety instructions in real time.

Together, Insight Safe Spaces and Microsoft Azure IoT solution accelerators combine technological forces to enable Raleigh, North Carolina-based BeSafe to open "new doors to enhanced public safety," says Stan Lequin, vice president and general manager, Insight Digital Innovation, in the release.

"Insight is helping BeSafe expand its foundation of advanced building information technology, transforming these capabilities into interactive action plans that give emergency responders a critical advantage when every second saved potentially means a life saved," Lequin adds.

BeSafe was founded in 1999 to enhance safety in schools by providing emergency response teams advance information about the school's layout, emergency exits, and more. Now, with the new age of technology, the organization is expanding its horizons, and AISD is the first to implement the collaboration of this technology.

"Student and staff safety are a top priority. The partnership with the city of Houston and Microsoft will take our efforts to the next level," says AISD's superintendent of schools, LaTonya M. Goffney, in the release.

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Houston businessman and philanthropist to receive legendary Texas award

Making History

The Texas State History Museum Foundation (TSHMF) has set the date for its 23rd annual Texas Independence Day Dinner and unveiled the 2027 recipients of its prestigious History-Making Texan Award, which includes a prominent Houston businessman.

Since 2005, the organization has honored "living Texas legends whose contributions to the state and the nation have been truly historic and exceptional in scope and nature." Past galas have recognized prominent Texas figures such as former presidents George H.W. and George W. Bush and former first ladies Barbara and Laura Bush, as well as H-E-B chairman Charles Butt, among others.

The two 2027 History-Making Texan Award recipients are Texas Historical Commission chairman, businessman, and philanthropist John L. Nau, III, and trailblazing Texas actor, director, producer, and writer Taylor Sheridan. The 2027 gala will be held at the Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin on March 2, Texas Independence Day.

"Our honorees are national leaders whose accomplishments have elevated Texas’ distinctive place on the national and international stage," Debbie Raynor, dinner chair and TSHMF Trustee, said in a statement. "John L. Nau, III and Taylor Sheridan have each, in very different ways, helped tell the Texas story — one through the preservation of our history and treasured places, the other through the power of storytelling that has brought Texas and the American West to audiences around the world.

"Nau is the former chairman and CEO of Silver Eagle Beverages, one of the largest Anheuser-Busch distributors in the U.S. He has served as chairman of the Texas Historical Commission since 2015. Raynor said Nau's "commitment to preservation" extends further than his protection of Texas historic sites "to the stewardship and conservation of the land itself, including his bay area lodge in South Texas and his ranch in West Texas.

"[Nau's] leadership and lifelong dedication to history have earned him national recognition, but perhaps his greatest legacy is his determination to ensure that the stories and places that shaped Texas endure for generations to come," Raynor said.Quadruple-threat filmmaker Sheridan is most widely recognized for his award-winning neo-Western TV series Yellowstone and its associated spin-offs 1883, 1923, Marshals, and Dutton Ranch. Raynor hailed Sheridan for his success in bringing a "remarkable new dimension to the way the world sees Texas and the American West."

"As a creator, writer, director, and executive producer of some of television’s most successful series, he has captured the imagination of audiences across the globe while bringing the people, landscapes, traditions and enduring spirit of the West into millions of homes," she said. "And he does more than tell the Texas story — he lives it, as a native Texan, accomplished horseman and steward of two legendary Texas ranches."

A release estimates about 450 "business, political, and community leaders" attend the Texas Independence Day Dinner each year, and proceeds will benefit the Bullock Museum's educational programs and special projects.

The 2027 Texas Independence Day Dinner will take place March 2, 2027, at the Bullock Museum in Austin. A VIP reception will start at 6:30 pm, followed by a 7 pm reception, and 7:30 dinner and program.

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This article first appeared on CultureMap.com.

Houston bio-based materials startup breaks into footwear

cleaner shoes

A more sustainable shoe can’t be built on a single material swap. From the hard plastics hidden inside a heel to the material covering a sneaker’s upper, footwear is a collection of components—and each presents a different challenge for companies trying to move away from conventional, petroleum-based materials.

Houston-based Rheom Materials wants to change that equation. The biomaterials company has launched a sustainable footwear platform featuring two of its bio-based alternatives: Benree, a biodegradable plastic designed for hard internal components, and ShoraiDura, a durable leather alternative for footwear uppers.

“A shoe is not one material; it is multiple parts working together as a system. Substituting a single material has never moved the needle,” Rheom founder and CEO Zimri Hinshaw said in a news release. “Rheom wants to make it easier for brands to make a positive impact. By providing an assortment of bio-based materials, brands can change the system, not just a swatch of it.”

Benree is Rheom’s alternative to conventional hard plastics used in footwear construction. The company says it is a 100 percent USDA-certified bio-based, biodegradable material with performance comparable to acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), a widely used engineering plastic.

The material has passed SATRA testing for high-heel applications with Bared Footwear, an Australian footwear brand.

“At Bared, we're constantly on a journey to remove plastic from our shoes. At the same time, our brand won't compromise on quality for the end customer,” Millie Richards, Bared’s head of sustainability, added in the release. “From samples and testing, Rheom has proven to be solving both of those problems for us. We look forward to seeing how they develop as a company and would love to use them in our shoes.”

Rheom says it is also exploring Benree for additional internal components, including toe puffs and heel counters.

Rheom's Benree material was used for a high-heel prototype. Photo courtesy Rheom Materials

The company’s ShoraiDura material addresses another major part of shoe construction: the upper, which must withstand repeated flexing, friction and wear while maintaining its appearance.

Containing about 80 percent bio-based content, ShoraiDura is engineered as a durable leather alternative for footwear. Rheom says the material’s molecular structure is designed to deliver the strength and durability required for demanding applications.

To demonstrate how the material could be used in finished products, Rheom worked with a Los Angeles-based footwear manufacturer to create two prototypes: an athletic sneaker and a textured skater shoe, both featuring ShoraiDura uppers.

The two offerings reflect the company’s broader strategy. Rather than asking brands to evaluate a single material in isolation, Rheom is positioning its platform as a way to explore alternatives across different parts of footwear construction.

The next step is broader industry adoption. Benree’s testing with Bared Footwear and ShoraiDura’s footwear prototypes offer early examples of how the materials could be applied, while commercial use will depend on manufacturers’ evaluations and product-development decisions.

Rheom Materials is a Houston-based biomaterials company developing bio-based alternatives to petrochemical plastics. Its product portfolio includes Shorai, a leather alternative, and Benree, a hard plastic alternative.

The company debuted Shorai at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in 2025 and showed a bio-based "leather" collection in Milan earlier this year. Read more here.

Houston's Rice University named the No. 1 best Texas college for 2027

We're No. 1

With early application season in full swing, a local university is racking up accolades on a new list of the 10 best Texas colleges for 2027.

Rice University topped the list as the No. 1 best university in Texas in WalletHub's annual "College & University Rankings" report, showing Houston students don't have to travel out of state to earn a top-notch degree.

WalletHub analyzed 738 colleges and universities in the U.S. using 30 relevant metrics, including factors like student-faculty ratios, graduation rates, and many more. Universities were ranked nationally, regionally, and across seven key dimensions: student selectivity; cost and financing; faculty resources; campus safety; campus experience; educational outcomes; and career outcomes.

Rice also ranked No. 2 in the regional comparison of best universities in the South, and appeared No. 11 nationwide.

Across the seven main categories, the university performed best for its faculty resources (No. 4), education outcomes (No. 11), and student selectivity (No. 16), and earned top-100 rankings for its career outcomes (No. 28) and campus experience (No. 58).

Rice only lagged behind in the national rankings for campus safety (No. 632) and cost and financing (No. 666), but neither category swayed the university's top-performing overall position.

Meanwhile, the University of Houston ranked 75th regionally and 339th nationally. UH's cost and financing rank among the top 200 nationally, landing 177th, and it ranked 284th for its campus safety.This is how the report ranked UH in the five remaining categories out of all 738 schools:

No. 306 – Career outcomes
No. 324 – Student selectivity
No. 343 – Education outcomes
No. 383 – Campus experience
No. 715 – Faculty resources

Four more local schools ranked among the best universities in the South: Houston Christian University (No. 204), Prairie View A&M University (No. 245), University of Houston-Downtown (No. 251), and Texas Southern University (No. 254).The Houston-area universities, including their graduate and online programs, have earned heaps of national and worldwide praise this year from prestigious educational reviewing authorities U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Rice University also topped Niche's list of the best Texas universities for 2027.

These are WalletHub's top 10 best colleges and universities in Texas for 2027:

No. 1 – Rice University
No. 2 – Trinity University
No. 3 – The University of Texas at Austin
No. 4 – Texas A&M University-College Station
No. 5 – Southwestern University
No. 6 – University of Dallas
No. 7 – Austin College
No. 8 – Texas Christian University
No. 9 – LeTourneau University
No. 10 – The University of Texas at Dallas

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