Slideshow: Most Dangerous Cities in Texas

What makes a city dangerous? A newly released report from the Darrow Law Firm in Houston hopes to answer that question.

They've ranked the 34 “most dangerous cities in Texas” and among the top 15 are Waco and Killeen.

The study relied on FBI statistics from 2014, the U.S. Bureau of Labor statistics, and local police departments.

Those numbers were then used to rank the cities, with populations over 100,000, based on three factors: the amount of crime, the number of police officers and the department's budget (called “police investment”), and “community risk factors.”

The “community risk factors” sub-heading includes the amount of poverty in the area, unemployment rates and the average education level of the city’s population.

Killeen tied with Lubbock as the 7th most dangerous city in Texas, while Waco came in at number 13 out of 34.

Though Killeen had a higher rate of violent crimes, Waco had a higher instance of total crimes.

Looking at the data, it appears as though a higher poverty rate and fewer people graduating from high school increased Waco's "community risk factor."

Meaning that even with fewer instances of violent crimes in that city, there may still be a higher rate of people who are breaking the law.

In Killeen, “police investment" seemed to be its biggest “community risk factor.”

According to data, that city has fewer police officers and a smaller budget for the department.

In March, KPD released a statement saying it was hoping a grant would help them afford 12 more officers, specifically dedicated to targeting violent crime.

News Channel 25 reached out to Darrow Law Firm and to officials in both Waco and Killeen, and is still waiting for a response.

Click here to see a slideshow of the top 25 cities listed in the report.

Taylor Corbett contributed to this story.