Wichita Falls vs Denton
The short version
- Wichita Falls is cheaper overall: prices in its metro run 13% lower than in the Denton area (BEA 2024).
- The median home costs $156,800 in Wichita Falls and $348,200 in Denton.
- Households earn more in Denton ($76,019 vs $60,177 median).
- Denton is growing faster: +21.1% since 2020 vs -0.3%.
- Commutes are shorter in Wichita Falls (14 vs 24 minutes each way).
Side by side
| Wichita Falls, TX | Denton, TX | |
|---|---|---|
| People | ||
| Population (2025) | 101,951 | 169,431 |
| Growth since 2020 | -0.3% | +21.1% |
| People per square mile | 1,412 | 1,748 |
| Median age | 33.8 | 31.4 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25% | 42% |
| Money and housing | ||
| Median household income | $60,177 | $76,019 |
| Median home value | $156,800 | $348,200 |
| Home value to income | 2.6× | 4.6× |
| Median rent (with utilities) | $1,022 | $1,420 |
| Metro price level (US = 100) | 89.5 | 103.1 |
| Housing price level (US = 100) | 68.2 | 117.9 |
| $75,000 elsewhere equals | $67,100 | $77,300 |
| Homeowners | 56% | 50% |
| Top state income tax | None | None |
| Combined sales tax | 8.2% | 8.2% |
| Work and commute | ||
| Average commute (minutes) | 14.3 | 23.7 |
| Work from home | 7% | 14% |
| Take public transit | 0% | 1% |
| Unemployment (2020-24 avg) | 3.8% | 5.1% |
| Poverty rate | 17.7% | 15.8% |
| Weather | ||
| January high / low | 55° / 30° | 56° / 32° |
| July high / low | 97° / 72° | 96° / 73° |
| Precipitation per year | 28 in | 36 in |
| Snowfall per year | 3 in | 0 in |
| Days 90°F or hotter | 105 | 104 |
| Nights below freezing | 58 | 52 |
| Comfortable months | 3 | 4 |
| Risks, air and home prices | ||
| Natural hazard risk (FEMA, county) | Relatively Moderate | Relatively High |
| FEMA risk score (lower is safer) | 81.9 | 96.9 |
| Good air days, 2025 | n/a | 28% |
| Home prices, past year | +0.8% | +0.5% |
| Home prices, past 5 years | +34.2% | +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: Wichita Falls: April to May and October. Denton: March to April and October to November.
Full monthly tables: Wichita Falls weather by month and Denton weather by month.
What $75,000 is worth
A $75,000 salary in an average-priced US city buys about the same as $67,100 in Wichita Falls and $77,300 in Denton. Moving from Wichita Falls to Denton, you would need about $86,400 to match a $75,000 salary.
Moving between Wichita Falls and Denton
IRS county-to-county migration, 2022 to 2023 tax years, for the counties that contain each city. See where else people move from Wichita Falls and Denton.
Which would you pick?
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