HOUSTON – The ZIP codes with the most sex offenders are 77078, 77028 and 77026 in northeast Houston, according a Channel 2 Investigates review of registered sex offender data.
Hundreds of sex offenders live in each.
"I'm not surprised," said Sex Offender Compliance Sgt. Richard Callis of the Houston Police Department. "A lot of it has to do with cheap housing and no one bothers them when they live in that area."
Channel 2 also found ZIP codes in suburban areas with nearly a hundred offenders in each.
ZIP codes 77084 and 77449 are among the suburban ZIP codes with many offenders. They are in the area between the Beltway and Grand Parkway.
The Dickenson area just south of League City on the Gulf Freeway had 119 in 77539.
Baytown's 77520 ZIP code had 109.
Where sex offenders can live
"Most sex offenders don't have any stipulations on where they are supposed to live," Callis told investigative reporter Jace Larson. "I get calls from concerned citizens, 'Hey, this guy is living on my street and it is right down from an elementary school.' I have to explain to them that by law he's allowed to live there."
Some states have bans on sex offenders living within a certain distance of a school, but there is no state law in Texas.
That means unless a probation officer tells a sex offender he can't be near a school, sex offenders can live anywhere in most cities.
Mother Veronica Martinez said she worries about her young son's safety as he plays in a local park.
"I worry about someone grabbing my kid," she said. "That's scary for any parent, I would think. I keep a close eye on my kids, even my daughter who is 12."
Callis' team sees 120 new offenders register in Houston each month.
Zip codes with fewer sex offenders
Channel 2 found some zip codes with few registered sex offenders.
The ZIP codes of 77005, 77401, 77498, 77059, 77565, 77056 and 77094 are among the lowest.
Callis says areas with strong neighborhood groups sometimes drive offenders away.
"They know when sex offenders move into their area and they make noise," he said. "They kind of do things to make it uncomfortable for them and eventually they move out."
Map sex offenders
To map sex offenders, visit the state's sex offender website and enter your ZIP code.