Round Rock vs Waco
The short version
- Waco is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 6% lower than in the Round Rock area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $221,700 in Waco and $418,600 in Round Rock.
- Households earn more in Round Rock ($99,287 vs $54,365 median).
- Round Rock is growing faster: +18.2% since 2020 vs +5.5%.
- Commutes are shorter in Waco (19 vs 25 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Round Rock, TX | Waco, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 141,282 | 147,788 |
| Growth since 2020 | +18.2% | +5.5% |
| People per square mile | 3,704 | 1,624 |
| Median age | 36.2 | 29.7 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 45% | 29% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $99,287 | $54,365 |
| Median home value | $418,600 | $221,700 |
| Home value to income | 4.2× | 4.1× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,763 | $1,165 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 98.1 | 92.6 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 120.4 | 83.5 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $73,500 | $69,400 |
| Homeowners | 56% | 49% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 8.2% | 8.2% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 24.9 | 18.7 |
| Work from home | 25% | 10% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3.8% | 4.6% |
| Poverty rate | 7.8% | 23.1% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 60° / 36° | 59° / 36° |
| July high / low | 96° / 72° | 97° / 74° |
| Precipitation per year | 37 in | 36 in |
| Snowfall per year | 0 in | 1 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 112 | 115 |
| Nights below freezing | 28 | 34 |
| Comfortable months | 5 | 5 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively Moderate |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 90.1 | 91.2 |
| Good air days, 2025 | 44% | 47% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.3% | +1% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +15.2% | +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: Round Rock: March to May and October to November. Waco: March to May and October to November.
Full monthly tables: Round Rock 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 $73,500 in Round Rock and $69,400 in Waco. Moving from Round Rock to Waco, you would need about $70,800 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Round Rock 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 Round Rock and Waco.
Which would you pick?
One vote per person. Results show after you vote.