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CITY

Waco

Texas · 147,788 residents (2025 est.) · 91.005 sq mi
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Notable rankings
#189Largest by populationof 4,896147,788
The short version

Waco has notably lower household income than the US average, with a median household income of $54,365. Population has grown 26% since 2000. Median home value has more than tripled since 2000, reaching $221,700. At a median age of 29.7, residents skew younger than the country as a whole. The poverty rate of 23.1% is well above the national figure. Households here earn about 31% less than the Texas median.

At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 29.7
US median: 38.9
Less educated
29% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 129%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01

Population & growth

Total population
143,570
+26%since 2000
from 113,726 in 2000
1990 – 2025
Population density
1,578 / sq mi
+17%since 2009
from 1,349 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
Median age
29.7
+6%since 2000
from 27.9 in 2000
US average: 38.9

PEP 2025 EST:147,788 residents (Census Bureau Vintage 2025, released March 2026)

Population, 1990 – 2024
100K112K124K136K148K1990201020202024Waco
2024144K
1990201020202024
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.6%(9,503)
US avg: 5.6%
5 to 96.2%(8,895)
US avg: 6%
10 to 146.5%(9,351)
US avg: 6.4%
15 to 199.3%(13,326)
US avg: 6.6%
20 to 2413.6%(19,479)
US avg: 6.5%
25 to 3414.5%(20,846)
US avg: 13.7%
35 to 4411.3%(16,237)
US avg: 13.2%
45 to 549.1%(13,027)
US avg: 12.2%
55 to 649.5%(13,614)
US avg: 12.7%
65 to 747.9%(11,272)
US avg: 10.2%
75 to 843.8%(5,482)
US avg: 5.1%
85 and over1.8%(2,538)
US avg: 1.9%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02

Income & economy

Median household income
$54,365
+14%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $26,264 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Per capita income
$30,942
+112%since 2000
from $14,584 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
36.3%
+21.3 ptssince 2009
from 15.0% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Poverty rate
23.1%
−3.2 ptssince 2000
from 26.3% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
Income inequality (Gini)
0.511
+2%since 2010
from 0.499 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information13.4%
US avg: 10.8%
Retail trade9.3%
US avg: 9.9%
Wholesale trade6.9%
US avg: 6.9%
Finance & insurance6%
US avg: 5.9%
Other services5.9%
US avg: 6.7%
Professional, scientific, technical5.2%
US avg: 5.1%
Public administration4.4%
US avg: 4.8%
Transportation & warehousing1.8%
US avg: 2.2%
Arts, entertainment, food1.2%
US avg: 1.9%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing0.9%
US avg: 1.6%
Education & health services0.9%
US avg: 0.9%
Construction0.5%
US avg: 1.2%
Manufacturing0.3%
US avg: 0.4%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03

Housing

Median home value
$221,700
+129%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $53,200 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
Median gross rent
$1,165
+31%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $490 in 2000
US average: $1,442
Owner-occupied
49.4%
+3.1 ptssince 2000
from 46.4% in 2000
50.6% rent
Vacancy rate
11.9%
−1.3 ptssince 2009
from 13.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
Owner cost-burdened
25.6%
−0.7 ptssince 2009
from 26.3% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
Renter cost-burdened
54.7%
−0.4 ptssince 2009
from 55.1% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
Afford Score
4.1
+48%since 2009
from 2.7 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index: median home value divided by median household income. Lower is more affordable.
Gentrification Score
77
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
RELATED:See current rent listings in Waco on RentDataNow
Section 04

Race & ethnicity

2000
White, non-Hispanic51.1%(58,096)
Black22.4%(25,477)
Hispanic / Latino23.6%(26,885)
Asian1.4%(1,542)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic44.2%(63,404)
Black19.3%(27,671)
Hispanic / Latino30.6%(43,971)
Asian2.1%(2,964)
Other3.9%(5,560)
Diversity Score
84
+3%since 2009
from 81 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
Section 04 · Origins

Detailed origins & ancestry

Hispanic origin
Mexican27%(38,762)
Central American1.2%(1,684)
Puerto Rican0.9%(1,246)
Honduran0.6%(814)
Salvadoran0.5%(689)
Spaniard0.3%(448)
Cuban0.3%(428)
Peruvian0.1%(129)
Costa Rican0.1%(86)
Venezuelan0.1%(75)
Colombian0.1%(74)
+ 7 more hispanic origin groups with data
Asian origin
Chinese0.4%(645)
Asian Indian0.4%(545)
Korean0.3%(383)
Vietnamese0.2%(320)
Pakistani0.2%(311)
Laotian0.2%(261)
Filipino0.2%(253)
Nepalese0.1%(182)
Thai0%(23)
Japanese0%(20)
Taiwanese0%(16)
Cambodian0%(15)
+ 4 more asian origin groups with data
Uzbek0%(9)
Hmong0%(1)
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(179)
Tongan0.1%(110)
Chamorro0%(12)
Fijian0%(8)
Ancestry
German10.8%(15,567)
English8.5%(12,206)
Irish6.7%(9,632)
American3.1%(4,487)
Italian1.9%(2,725)
French1.6%(2,336)
Scottish1.5%(2,109)
Czech1.2%(1,747)
Scotch-Irish1%(1,430)
Norwegian0.7%(1,015)
Polish0.7%(964)
+ 38 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.6%(908)
Dutch0.6%(860)
Welsh0.5%(647)
British0.4%(562)
West Indian0.3%(441)
Nigerian0.3%(413)
Arab0.2%(304)
Greek0.2%(255)
Russian0.2%(216)
Hungarian0.1%(209)
Danish0.1%(168)
Austrian0.1%(152)
Lebanese0.1%(142)
Cape Verdean0.1%(135)
Finnish0.1%(133)
Ukrainian0.1%(129)
Armenian0.1%(125)
Romanian0.1%(102)
Jamaican0.1%(99)
Portuguese0.1%(88)
Canadian0%(65)
Slovak0%(63)
Swiss0%(52)
Turkish0%(47)
Brazilian0%(32)
Croatian0%(31)
Iranian0%(17)
Moroccan0%(15)
Haitian0%(15)
Syrian0%(13)
Ethiopian0%(11)
Ghanaian0%(11)
RANKED:Largest Mexican population · Largest German population · Largest English population · Largest Irish population · Largest American population
Section 05

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher
28.7%
+10.1 ptssince 2000
from 18.6% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
86.0%
+14.4 ptssince 2000
from 71.6% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Graduate degree
11.5%
+4.1 ptssince 2000
from 7.4% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06

Commute & transportation

Average commute
18.7 min
+65%since 2000
from 11.3 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
Drive alone to work
75.7%
−1.7 ptssince 2009
from 77.4% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
Carpooled to work
10.3%
−3.7 ptssince 2009
from 14.0% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
Public transit
0.7%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 0.7% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
Worked from home
9.7%
+7.7 ptssince 2009
from 2.1% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
Walked to work
2.8%
−1.9 ptssince 2009
from 4.7% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
Biked to work
0.3%
−0.1 ptssince 2009
from 0.3% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
No vehicle available
6.8%
−2.2 ptssince 2009
from 9.0% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07

Work & employment

Unemployment rate
4.6%
−4.5 ptssince 2011
from 9.1% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
Labor force participation
62.2%
+2.1 ptssince 2011
from 60.1% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Self-employed
13.2%
+0.1 ptssince 2009
from 13.1% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
Management & professional
35.0%
−26.2 ptssince 2009
from 61.2% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08

People & community

Male
48.3%
+0.8 ptssince 2009
from 47.5% in 2009
Female
51.7%
−0.8 ptssince 2009
from 52.5% in 2009
Foreign born
10.5%
Unchangedsince 2009
from 10.6% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
Veterans
6.4%
−39.9 ptssince 2009
from 46.3% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
With a disability
12.6%
−0.5 ptssince 2012
from 13.1% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
Uninsured
15.2%
−64.1 ptssince 2013
from 79.3% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
Broadband at home
88.9%
+22.2 ptssince 2017
from 66.7% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
English only at home
76.7%
+1.0 ptssince 2016
from 75.8% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
Spanish at home
20.4%
−1.1 ptssince 2016
from 21.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married46.7%(25,652)
Married42.8%(23,474)
Widowed2.7%(1,499)
Divorced7.8%(4,265)
Women 15+
Never married40.6%(24,711)
Married39%(23,767)
Widowed7.5%(4,582)
Divorced12.9%(7,871)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Drill deeper

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Frequently asked

How many people live in Waco, Texas?

Waco, Texas has about 143,570 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.

What is the median household income in Waco, Texas?

The typical household in Waco, Texas earns about $54,365 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.

Is Waco, Texas expensive?

In Waco, Texas, the median home is worth about $221,700, and the typical rent is about $1,165 a month.

How educated are people in Waco, Texas?

About 28.7% of adults age 25 and over in Waco, Texas hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

What is the poverty rate in Waco, Texas?

About 23.1% of people in Waco, Texas live below the federal poverty line.

Has Waco, Texas grown since 1990?

Yes, Waco, Texas has grown since 1990. The population has added about 39,980 residents, a change of about 39 percent over that period.

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DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · UPDATED 2024

How we source and harmonize this data →