Austin, TX vs Waco, TX

Side-by-side comparison of housing, income, commute, safety, and quality of life.

Score Snapshot

No universal winner

Scores summarize the published model. Use the objective metric differences below and your own priorities to choose.

Austin

68.3

#1322 nationally

Waco

77.1

#281 nationally

Austin leads in median household income ($91,461 vs $47,421). Waco leads in average commute (17.5 min vs 26.8 min). Waco leads in cost of living index (93 vs 129).

Metric-by-Metric Breakdown

Metric	Austin, TX	Waco, TX
WhereAtHome Score	68.3 (#1322)	77.1 (#281)
Population	967,862	144,816
Typical Home Value (ZHVI)	$504,148	$197,359
Median Household Income	$91,461	$47,421
Average Commute	26.8 min	17.5 min
Walk Score	42	35
Crime Level	Moderate	11.7
School Rating	7.2	N/A
Cost of Living Index	129	93
Political lean County 2024 presidential margin — context only, not scored	D+39.3	R+30.9