Dallas-area neighborhood shortlist

Safe Neighborhoods in the Dallas Area: 6 Places to Start Your Home Search

By Dustin Pitts · Dallas Real Estate Agent & Broker

If safety is a major priority, I would start by comparing Prestonwood, Preston Hollow East, Lakewood and Northaven Park for a Dallas house search. For an urban option, look at Uptown’s district safety services. If you are open to a separate municipality, add University Park.

These recommendations have specific reasons behind them: documented extra patrols, organized crime-watch resources or published municipal crime figures. Here is what makes each worth a closer look—and what I would check before choosing a home.

My starting shortlist

The table compares services and research starting points; it is not a numerical ranking of neighborhood crime rates. Patrol coverage and reported incidents answer different questions.

Prestonwood: my first comparison for round-the-clock supplemental patrol coverage

Prestonwood stands out because its association explicitly describes PID funding for 24/7 Dallas police patrol cars. If an organized, funded patrol arrangement is high on your list, this is a concrete reason to investigate the covered area.

For a candidate home, confirm the district boundary, current service plan and assessment. Then compare the property itself: garage access, door and window condition, outdoor lighting and the route from parking to the house. Do not assume every listing marketed as Prestonwood has identical coverage.

Preston Hollow East: a clear option for association-organized police patrols

The Preston Hollow East Homeowners Association describes an Expanded Neighborhood Patrol using uniformed, off-duty Dallas police officers in marked cars. Its fundraising determines how many patrol hours can be purchased.

I would shortlist this defined area for buyers who specifically want a neighborhood organization that funds extra police presence. Ask about current hours and the exact boundaries; this program should not be described as a blanket service for all of Preston Hollow.

When comparing homes, evaluate the driveway and garage, fencing, gates and any access from an alley. Those property details remain important alongside the patrol arrangement.

Lakewood: an East Dallas option with a documented Crime Watch program

The Lakewood Neighborhood Association’s Crime Watch program describes additional patrols by off-duty Dallas police officers in marked cars and periodic crime-statistic reports. Annual subscriptions fund the program and influence patrol hours.

I would put Lakewood on the list for a buyer who wants an East Dallas location and an established way to participate in supplemental neighborhood security. Ask the association about the address, coverage and current subscription details.

Keep Lakewood separate from Lakewood Heights, Lakewood Hills and other similarly named areas. A patrol program in one does not establish coverage in another.

Northaven Park: a practical option for an organized Crime Watch network

Northaven Park’s association identifies Dallas Police Beat 554 and Reporting Areas 3011 and 3019, and describes its Crime Watch representative’s participation in Northwest Division meetings.

That makes it a useful candidate for buyers who value an organized source of neighborhood incident information and police coordination. Use the named reporting areas to focus your research rather than relying on a broad Northwest Dallas label.

This recommendation concerns the documented organization and access to local information. I would still compare current incidents around each shortlisted property before deciding where to buy.

Uptown: my urban comparison for coordinated district safety services

Uptown Dallas Inc. reports a safety headquarters opened in June 2025, deployed security professionals and more than 16 surveillance cameras monitored around the clock. That gives an urban buyer specific district services to investigate.

I would compare Uptown when the goal is condo or townhome living with district-level safety infrastructure. The building decision matters just as much: check controlled entry, garage access, visitor handling, package delivery and who maintains shared systems.

Those services do not prove that Uptown has a lower crime rate than the residential areas above. Evaluate the immediate block and building on their own terms.

University Park: a nearby option with concrete municipal crime figures

University Park is a separate city, and its published 2025 police summary gives buyers actual numbers to examine: 5 robberies, 15 residential burglaries, 55 vehicle thefts and 123 burglaries of motor vehicles. The city also reports 3,183 direct alarm-monitoring customers at the end of 2025.

I would include University Park for buyers who want to compare a separate municipal police department and its direct alarm service. The report also makes a useful ownership point: vehicle-related theft deserves attention even in an area buyers often put on a safety shortlist. Secure parking and garage use should be part of the home comparison.

These are counts for University Park in one calendar year, not population-adjusted rates or evidence that it outranks every Dallas neighborhood.

How I would choose between them

Start with Prestonwood if documented 24/7 supplemental police patrols are the priority. Compare Preston Hollow East and Lakewood if you want association-funded extra patrols in a defined area. Add Northaven Park for its organized Crime Watch network. Compare Uptown for an urban building search and University Park for a separate municipal option.

Then use the Dallas Police crime resources or the relevant municipality’s reports to examine the specific addresses. Use matching dates and offense categories when comparing results. No program or neighborhood label guarantees a particular outcome.

For home types, layouts and ownership tradeoffs, see the Dallas neighborhood comparison guide.