Census place 4876000

Waco

A Census profile of the people, homes, and daily patterns that shape this place.

Official Census name: Waco city

Relocation snapshot

What stands out in Waco.

According to the 2025 estimate, Waco has a population of 147,788 and 1,624 residents per square mile. Of the six relocation measures evaluated, the three largest relative differences from the median among 256 covered Texas places are: median household income is $54,365, below the comparison median of $73,005; typical commute is 18.7 minutes, below the comparison median of 25.1 minutes; and median gross rent is $1,165, below the comparison median of $1,360. These unweighted medians compare covered Census places and are not statewide estimates.

median household income
$54,365
Below the comparison median of $73,005
typical commute
18.7 minutes
Below the comparison median of 25.1 minutes
median gross rent
$1,165
Below the comparison median of $1,360

National context

Follow the metrics.

Compare Waco's values with other covered Census places. Rankings are descriptive, not recommendations.

At a glance

A city in numbers.

Population
147,788
2025 estimate
Annual change
+0.7%
Population estimate
Density
1,624/sq mi
91 sq mi land area
Median age
29.7 years
ACS 5-year estimate

Living here

The everyday equation.

Households, homes, education, and the time it takes to get around.

Median household income
$54,365
Median home value
$221,700
Median gross rent
$1,165
Bachelor’s degree or higher
28.7%
Typical commute
18.7 min
Drive-alone commute
75.7%
Public transit commute
0.7%
Walked to work
2.8%

Housing

Who rents, and what it takes.

Renter share and rent burden help describe the housing choices visible in this place.

Renter-occupied homes
50.6%
Renters paying 30%+ of income
58.3%

Work

How the workday lands.

Employment status and working-from-home share add context to income and commuting patterns.

Employed residents 16+
59.2%
Unemployed residents 16+
2.9%
Working from home
9.7%

Community

The everyday infrastructure.

Access, mobility, housing growth, and household composition add another layer to a place's day-to-day picture.

Households with broadband
88.9%
Homes built 2020+
2.5%
Households without a vehicle
6.8%
Households with children
29.2%
Residents with a disability
12.6%
Residents without insurance
15.2%

Environmental context

A record of declared events.

FEMA declarations for McLennan County provide historical context, not a forecast or a property-level risk assessment.

Environmental declarations since 2000
11
Hurricane declarations
5
Fire declarations
2
Severe Ice Storm declarations
2

Climate normals

The long view of weather.

Thirty-year averages, not a forecast. Temperature and precipitation describe the typical conditions recorded from 1991 through 2020.

Representative station: WACO RGNL AP (5 mi from place center)
Average high
78.6°F
Average low
55.6°F
Annual rainfall
36.4"
Annual snowfall
0.7"

Month by month

A year in Waco.

Typical high and low °F
20°F40°F60°F80°F100°F
JFMAMJJASOND
Typical precipitation inches

Data vintage

Population is from the 2025 Population Estimates Program. Household, housing, education, and commute data are from the 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-year release. Disaster declarations are from FEMA's OpenFEMA dataset and are refreshed with this edition.

Similar places

More places to consider.

Selected by the closest mix of population, density, median home value, and average annual high.

Savannah, GA

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
149,440
Median home
$248,900

Palm Bay, FL

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
148,092
Median home
$283,200

Shreveport, LA

Population, housing, work, and travel data for this Census place.

Population
175,902
Median home
$178,900

Keep exploring

Compare Waco with Savannah