Odessa vs Waco
The short version
- Overall prices are about the same in both metro areas (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $221,700 in Waco and $223,100 in Odessa.
- Households earn more in Odessa ($73,472 vs $54,365 median).
- Commutes are shorter in Waco (19 vs 22 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Odessa, TX | Waco, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 122,707 | 147,788 |
| Growth since 2020 | +7.2% | +5.5% |
| People per square mile | 2,358 | 1,624 |
| Median age | 31.1 | 29.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 19% | 29% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $73,472 | $54,365 |
| Median home value | $223,100 | $221,700 |
| Home value to income | 3.0× | 4.1× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,315 | $1,165 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 93.9 | 92.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 89.7 | 83.5 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $70,400 | $69,400 |
| Homeowners | 60% | 49% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 8.2% | 8.2% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 22.4 | 18.7 |
| Work from home | 3% | 10% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 5.9% | 4.6% |
| Poverty rate | 16.2% | 23.1% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 59° / 33° | 59° / 36° |
| July high / low | 96° / 73° | 97° / 74° |
| Precipitation per year | 14 in | 36 in |
| Snowfall per year | 4 in | 1 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 115 | 115 |
| Nights below freezing | 58 | 34 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 82.8 | 91.2 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 72% | 47% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.1% | +1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +24.8% | +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: Odessa: March to April and October. Waco: March to May and October to November.
Full monthly tables: Odessa 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 $70,400 in Odessa and $69,400 in Waco. Moving from Odessa to Waco, you would need about $73,900 to match a $75,000 salary.
Which would you pick?
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