Killeen vs Mesquite
The short version
- Killeen is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 12% lower than in the Mesquite area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $215,400 in Killeen and $245,700 in Mesquite.
- Households earn more in Mesquite ($72,537 vs $60,977 median).
- Killeen is growing faster: +5.7% since 2020 vs +0.3%.
- Commutes are shorter in Killeen (26 vs 32 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Killeen, TX | Mesquite, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 161,883 | 150,693 |
| Growth since 2020 | +5.7% | +0.3% |
| People per square mile | 2,963 | 3,069 |
| Median age | 30.3 | 32.9 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22% | 20% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $60,977 | $72,537 |
| Median home value | $215,400 | $245,700 |
| Home value to income | 3.5× | 3.4× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,208 | $1,513 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 91.1 | 103.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 77.9 | 117.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $68,300 | $77,300 |
| Homeowners | 50% | 63% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 8.2% | 8.2% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 25.5 | 32.1 |
| Work from home | 8% | 10% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 9.7% | 5.4% |
| Poverty rate | 17.4% | 13.4% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 60° / 36° | 58° / 38° |
| July high / low | 96° / 72° | 97° / 78° |
| Precipitation per year | 35 in | 38 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 2 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 105 | 108 |
| Nights below freezing | 31 | 23 |
| Comfortable months | 4 | 3 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Very High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 91.1 | 99.7 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 66% | 28% |
| Home prices, past year | +1.7% | +0.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +39.3% | +35.4% |
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: Killeen: March to April and October to November. Mesquite: March to April and November.
Full monthly tables: Killeen weather by month and Mesquite weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $68,300 in Killeen and $77,300 in Mesquite. Moving from Killeen to Mesquite, you would need about $84,800 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Killeen and Mesquite
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Killeen and Mesquite.
Which would you pick?
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