Denton vs Waco
The short version
- Waco is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 10% lower than in the Denton area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $221,700 in Waco and $348,200 in Denton.
- Households earn more in Denton ($76,019 vs $54,365 median).
- Denton is growing faster: +21.1% since 2020 vs +5.5%.
- Commutes are shorter in Waco (19 vs 24 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Denton, TX | Waco, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 169,431 | 147,788 |
| Growth since 2020 | +21.1% | +5.5% |
| People per square mile | 1,748 | 1,624 |
| Median age | 31.4 | 29.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 42% | 29% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $76,019 | $54,365 |
| Median home value | $348,200 | $221,700 |
| Home value to income | 4.6× | 4.1× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,420 | $1,165 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 103.1 | 92.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 117.9 | 83.5 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $77,300 | $69,400 |
| Homeowners | 50% | 49% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 8.2% | 8.2% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 23.7 | 18.7 |
| Work from home | 14% | 10% |
| Take public transit | 1% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.1% | 4.6% |
| Poverty rate | 15.8% | 23.1% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 56° / 32° | 59° / 36° |
| July high / low | 96° / 73° | 97° / 74° |
| Precipitation per year | 36 in | 36 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 1 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 104 | 115 |
| Nights below freezing | 52 | 34 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 96.9 | 91.2 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 28% | 47% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.5% | +1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +35.4% | +36.7% |
Highlighted cells are the better value where "better" is clear (lower prices, higher income, shorter commutes). Sources: Census Bureau 2025 estimates and ACS 2020-2024, BEA 2024, NOAA 1991-2020, Tax Foundation 2026.
Weather, month by month
Most comfortable months: Denton: March to April and October to November. Waco: March to May and October to November.
Full monthly tables: Denton weather by month and Waco weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $77,300 in Denton and $69,400 in Waco. Moving from Denton to Waco, you would need about $67,300 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Denton and Waco
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Denton and Waco.
Which would you pick?
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