METRO AREA
Waco Metro
Waco, TX · 3 counties · 308,807 residents (2025 est.) · 2,785 sq mi
Time machine
VIEWING
COMPARE TO
The short version
With 302,045 people, Waco is a metro area. The median age is 35.1, younger than the US median of 38.9. 28% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Home values have more than tripled since 2000, reaching $233,362. The population is up 21% since 2000. 8% of people across the metro were born outside the United States.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Younger
median age 35.1
US median: 38.9
Less educated
28% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Less affordable
home values up 100%, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth
302,045
+21%since 2000
from 249,297 in 2000
308,807 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
1990 – 2025
Land area
2,785 sq mi
Population, 1990 – 2024
2024302K
Age distribution, 2024
Under 56.2%(18,662)
5 to 96.5%(19,728)
10 to 146.7%(20,288)
15 to 198.2%(24,647)
20 to 249.5%(28,825)
25 to 3412.8%(38,640)
35 to 4412%(36,377)
45 to 5410.6%(32,130)
55 to 6411.2%(33,851)
65 to 749.4%(28,344)
75 to 845%(15,137)
85 and over1.8%(5,416)
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy
$66,246
+10%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $33,083 in 2000
US average: $82,259
1990 – 2024
Households earning $100K+
44.6%
+22.4 ptssince 2009
from 22.2% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
Workforce by industry, 2024
Information12.5%
Retail trade10.2%
Wholesale trade8.1%
Finance & insurance6.8%
Other services5.6%
Professional, scientific, technical5.4%
Public administration4%
Transportation & warehousing2.6%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing1.5%
Education & health services1.4%
Arts, entertainment, food1.1%
Construction1%
Manufacturing0.5%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 03
Housing
$233,362
+100%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $64,167 in 2000
US average: $376,019
1990 – 2024
3.5
+49%since 2009
from 2.4 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
89
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity
2000
White, non-Hispanic65.3%(162,879)
Black15%(37,449)
Hispanic / Latino17.4%(43,278)
Asian0.9%(2,275)
Other0%
2024
White, non-Hispanic55.1%(166,477)
Black13%(39,309)
Hispanic / Latino26.4%(79,661)
Asian1.6%(4,871)
Other3.9%(11,727)
75
+11%since 2009
from 68 in 2009
2009 – 2024
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
41
Unchangedsince 2020
from 41 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry
Hispanic origin
Mexican23.5%(70,832)
Central American0.7%(2,213)
Puerto Rican0.6%(1,923)
Honduran0.3%(858)
Salvadoran0.3%(831)
Spaniard0.2%(674)
South American0.2%(619)
Cuban0.2%(540)
Nicaraguan0.1%(292)
Colombian0.1%(181)
Peruvian0%(132)
Venezuelan0%(109)
+ 8 more hispanic origin groups with data
Costa Rican0%(86)
Panamanian0%(77)
Guatemalan0%(69)
Chilean0%(60)
Ecuadorian0%(60)
Argentine0%(40)
Bolivian0%(37)
Dominican0%(32)
Asian origin
Vietnamese0.4%(1,226)
Asian Indian0.3%(934)
Chinese0.3%(763)
Cambodian0.3%(761)
Korean0.2%(476)
Filipino0.1%(448)
Pakistani0.1%(341)
Laotian0.1%(261)
Nepalese0.1%(182)
Japanese0%(72)
Thai0%(51)
Taiwanese0%(49)
+ 5 more asian origin groups with data
Pacific Islander origin
Samoan0.1%(233)
Native Hawaiian0.1%(168)
Tongan0%(110)
Chamorro0%(63)
Fijian0%(17)
Guamanian0%(8)
Ancestry
German12.9%(38,999)
English10%(30,236)
Irish8.5%(25,598)
American4.2%(12,587)
Czech2.1%(6,451)
Italian1.9%(5,855)
Scottish1.7%(5,068)
French1.5%(4,667)
Scotch-Irish1.1%(3,313)
Norwegian0.8%(2,498)
Polish0.8%(2,460)
Subsaharan African0.7%(2,103)
+ 43 more ancestry groups with data
Swedish0.5%(1,499)
Dutch0.5%(1,487)
Welsh0.4%(1,351)
British0.4%(1,111)
Danish0.2%(695)
Arab0.2%(676)
West Indian0.2%(633)
Nigerian0.2%(493)
French Canadian0.2%(484)
Greek0.1%(420)
Russian0.1%(403)
Syrian0.1%(310)
Hungarian0.1%(272)
Romanian0.1%(236)
Finnish0.1%(229)
Jamaican0.1%(222)
Austrian0.1%(215)
Swiss0.1%(212)
Lebanese0.1%(201)
Canadian0.1%(185)
Portuguese0.1%(181)
Ukrainian0.1%(178)
Slovak0.1%(158)
Australian0.1%(137)
Cape Verdean0.1%(135)
Armenian0%(126)
Turkish0%(91)
Ghanaian0%(87)
Lithuanian0%(65)
Slovene0%(40)
Croatian0%(37)
Brazilian0%(32)
Palestinian0%(31)
Barbadian0%(28)
Iranian0%(17)
Moroccan0%(15)
Haitian0%(15)
Ethiopian0%(11)
Belgian0%(9)
Egyptian0%(7)
Guyanese0%(5)
Macedonian0%(2)
Section 05
Education
High school or higher
88.0%
+12.2 ptssince 2000
from 75.8% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
Section 06
Commute & transportation
Section 07
Work & employment
Women 20-64 in the labor force
71.8%
+1.6 ptssince 2020
from 70.2% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
Section 08
People & community
Computer in household
95.1%
+5.8 ptssince 2020
from 89.3% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married38.1%(44,944)
Married50.6%(59,654)
Widowed2.9%(3,398)
Divorced8.4%(9,865)
Women 15+
Never married32.1%(40,309)
Married47.1%(59,072)
Widowed8.6%(10,735)
Divorced12.3%(15,390)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage
Direct-purchase
13.0%
+0.7 ptssince 2020
from 12.3% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
VA health care
3.0%
Unchangedsince 2020
from 3.0% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
64.4%
−0.3 ptssince 2020
from 64.7% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
32.7%
−0.4 ptssince 2020
from 33.1% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans
Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later)31.2%(5,324)
Gulf War (1990s)25.3%(4,315)
Vietnam era29.5%(5,040)
Korean War3.5%(589)
World War II1.1%(189)
Share of the 17,066 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
In this metro
Largest cities
WacoCENTRAL147,788Hewitt16,754Robinson13,028Bellmead10,592Woodway9,753Lacy-Lakeview7,240Marlin5,599Clifton3,523West2,629Willow Grove2,080Beverly Hills1,835Lorena1,817Moody1,650Laguna Park1,596Bruceville-Eddy1,483Meridian1,403Rosebud1,344Valley Mills1,293Gholson1,274China Spring1,126Riesel1,061Crawford934Walnut Springs907Golinda704Chilton698Lott686Morgan475Hallsburg455Leroy361Iredell314
The 30 most populous of 34 cities and towns in this metro. CENTRAL marks the metro's principal cities.
What's inside
3 component counties
Drill deeper
Metros similar to Waco
Head to head
Compare Waco side by side
WACO VS
Longview
Income$66,775+1%
Home value$186,821−20%
Population297,315−4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WACO VS
Merced
Income$65,510−1%
Home value$391,800+68%
Population297,260−4%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WACO VS
South Bend
Income$67,435+2%
Home value$196,800−16%
Population324,538+5%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WACO VS
Roanoke
Income$70,385+6%
Home value$244,820+5%
Population316,547+3%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Waco, TX?
Waco, TX has about 302,045 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Waco, TX?
The typical household in Waco, TX earns about $66,246 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Waco, TX expensive?
In Waco, TX, the median home is worth about $233,362, and the typical rent is about $1,133 a month.
How educated are people in Waco, TX?
About 27.6% of adults age 25 and over in Waco, TX hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Waco, TX?
About 16.0% of people in Waco, TX live below the federal poverty line.
Has Waco, TX grown since 1990?
Yes, Waco, TX has grown since 1990. The population has added about 80,085 residents, a change of about 36 percent over that period.
Keep going
Explore from here
DATA: US CENSUS BUREAU ACS 5-YEAR + DECENNIAL CENSUS · METRO ROLLUP OF COMPONENT COUNTIES · UPDATED 2024