Houston vs Waco
The short version
- Waco is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 6% lower than in the Houston area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $221,700 in Waco and $277,800 in Houston.
- Households earn more in Houston ($64,813 vs $54,365 median).
- Houston has the warmer winter: January highs of 64°F vs 59°F.
- Commutes are shorter in Waco (19 vs 27 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Houston, TX | Waco, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 2,397,315 | 147,788 |
| Growth since 2020 | +4.2% | +5.5% |
| People per square mile | 3,741 | 1,624 |
| Median age | 34.4 | 29.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37% | 29% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $64,813 | $54,365 |
| Median home value | $277,800 | $221,700 |
| Home value to income | 4.3× | 4.1× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,361 | $1,165 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 98.6 | 92.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 104.5 | 83.5 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $74,000 | $69,400 |
| Homeowners | 42% | 49% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 8.2% | 8.2% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 27.2 | 18.7 |
| Work from home | 13% | 10% |
| Take public transit | 3% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 6.9% | 4.6% |
| Poverty rate | 19.9% | 23.1% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 64° / 44° | 59° / 36° |
| July high / low | 95° / 76° | 97° / 74° |
| Precipitation per year | 52 in | 36 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 1 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 111 | 115 |
| Nights below freezing | 10 | 34 |
| Comfortable months | 6 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Very High | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 99.9 | 91.2 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 10% | 47% |
| Home prices, past year | +3.4% | +1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +32.7% | +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: Houston: November to April. Waco: March to May and October to November.
Full monthly tables: Houston 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 $74,000 in Houston and $69,400 in Waco. Moving from Houston to Waco, you would need about $70,400 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Houston 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 Houston and Waco.
Which would you pick?
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