Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety45#505/924
Economy43#532/925
Housing18#763/925
Health54#425/925
Healthcare24#698/923
Environment22#718/917
Education48#479/925
Infrastructure38#571/925
Community17#771/925
Leisure & amenities17#770/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Waco, TX metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Child care cost burden · low22.9%
85/100Texas 24.5%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Injury deaths · low72 /100k
84/100Texas 69 /100kUnited States 87 /100k2019-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Comfortable days · high30.6%
83/100Texas 30.7%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Drug overdose deaths · low10.4 /100k
80/100Texas 13.4 /100kUnited States 18.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Suicide rate · low14.7 /100k
77/100Texas 14.4 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Average weekly wage · high$1,214
75/100Texas $1,499United States $1,5142025U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Weaknesses

Hot days · high106 days
6/100Texas 111 daysUnited States 42 days2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationAggregated from counties
Rent as share of income · high32.9%
10/100Texas 30.9%United States 30.6%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25071
Uninsured residents (under 65) · high17.1%
10/100Texas 19.1%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Pharmacies · low0.9 /10k
11/100Texas 1.5 /10kUnited States 1.8 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsAggregated from counties
Rent-burdened households · high55.4%
11/100Texas 51.7%United States 51.1%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25070
Median Air Quality Index · high51
12/1002025U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureWorsening
21% (2021) → 36% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+15 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
76.8% (2015-2019) → 88.6% (2020-2024)
+12 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
New business applicationsImproving
7.8 /1k (2020) → 12.4 /1k (2025)
+58%5 yearsUS 13.1 /1k → 16.6 /1k
Homicide rateImproving
7.7 /100k (2021) → 3.9 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−49%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Property crime rateImproving
2,439 /100k (2020) → 1,396 /100k (2025)
−43%5 yearsUS 1,929 /100k → 1,535 /100k
Median household incomeImproving
$49,077 (2015-2019) → $66,205 (2020-2024)
+35%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Waco, TX metro area improved on 17 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 3. 5 moved within the margin of error and 6 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved17

Poverty−3.6 points19.6% → 16.0%
High school++3.6 points84.3% → 88.0%
Household income+35%$49,077 → $66,205
Restaurants+12%5.5 /10k → 6.2 /10k
Firearm deaths−27%17.5 /100k → 12.8 /100k

Declined3

Commute+2.1 min19.9 min → 21.9 min
Price / income+0.7×2.8× → 3.5×
Pharmacies−16%1.0 /10k → 0.9 /10k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Waco, TX metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.7 /10k2020	2.7 /10k2025	−2.8%	Little change	23%
Average commute time	19.9 min2015-2019	21.9 min2020-2024	+2.1 min	Declined	12%
Bachelor's degree or higher	23.4%2015-2019	27.5%2020-2024	+4.1 points	Improved	80%
Broadband subscriptions	76.8%2015-2019	88.6%2020-2024	+12 points	Improved	77%
Child poverty rate	25.8%2015-2019	19.7%2020-2024	−6.1 points	Improved	83%
Distance to an airport	89 mi2020	89 mi2025	+0 mi	Little change	21%
Drug overdose deaths	12.4 /100k2020	10.4 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−16%	Improved	41%
Effective property tax rate	1.62%2015-2019	1.30%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Little change	92%
Firearm deaths	17.5 /100k2020	12.8 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−27%	Improved	89%
Grocery stores	1.2 /10k2020	1.3 /10k2025	+6.9%	Improved	72%
Gyms and fitness centers	0.9 /10k2020	0.9 /10k2025	−0.5%	Little change	40%
High school diploma or higher	84.3%2015-2019	88.0%2020-2024	+3.6 points	Improved	88%
Home price to income ratio	2.8×2015-2019	3.5×2020-2024	+0.7×	Declined	25%
Homicide rate	8.5 /100k2020	3.9 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−54%	Improved	81%
Income adjusted for local prices	$45,3612019	$61,0972024	+35%	Improved	70%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4742015-2019	0.4812020-2024	+0.007	Within the margin of error	34%
Median household income	$49,0772015-2019	$66,2052020-2024	+35%	Improved	85%
New business applications	7.8 /1k2020	12.4 /1k2025	+58%	Improved	68%
Pharmacies	1.0 /10k2020	0.9 /10k2025	−16%	Declined	29%
Poverty rate	19.6%2015-2019	16.0%2020-2024	−3.6 points	Improved	90%
Property crime rate	2,439 /100k2020	1,396 /100k2025	−43%	Improved	71%
Public libraries	0.5 /10k2019	0.5 /10k2024	−4.6%	Little change	26%
Public transit commuters	0.4%2015-2019	0.3%2020-2024	−0.1 points	Within the margin of error	75%
Rent as share of income	31.7%2015-2019	32.9%2020-2024	+1.2 points	Within the margin of error	32%
Rent-burdened households	53.4%2015-2019	55.4%2020-2024	+2 points	Within the margin of error	40%
Restaurants and bars	5.5 /10k2020	6.2 /10k2025	+12%	Improved	83%
Suicide rate	16.6 /100k2020	14.7 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−12%	Improved	80%
Traffic deaths	15.7 /100k2015-2019	15.3 /100k2020-2024	−2.7%	Little change	67%
Unemployment rate	6.2%2020	4.0%2025	−2.2 points	Improved	28%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	17.0%2015-2019	17.1%2020-2024	+0.1 points	Within the margin of error	40%
Violent crime rate	439 /100k2020	300 /100k2025	−32%	Improved	78%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Waco, TX metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Waco, TX metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Waco, TX metro area itself moved +4.5 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

302,045 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

111,178 households (±1,016)

Waco, TX metro area
United States share

Under $25k18%20,355
$25k–50k20%22,283
$50k–75k17%18,932

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

111,178 households (±1,016)

Waco, TX metro area
United States share

Own64%70,690
Rent36%40,488

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (+3.6 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

137,455 workers (±1,921)

Waco, TX metro area
United States share

Drive alone78%106,643
Carpool9.5%13,063
Public transit0.3%†464

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Waco, TX employ 29,940 people. 1 pay a median above the US median and 9 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Waco, TX by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Fast Food and Counter Workers5,100 jobs	5,100	$27,750US $31,200	−11%	1.59×
General and Operations Managers3,690 jobs	3,690	$92,990US $105,770	−12%	1.26×
Stockers and Order Fillers3,540 jobs	3,540	$37,500US $37,330	0%	1.5×
Customer Service Representatives3,260 jobs	3,260	$38,810US $44,770	−13%	1.51×
Retail Salespersons3,140 jobs	3,140	$29,810US $35,410	−16%	0.96×
Registered Nurses2,570 jobs	2,570	$92,890US $97,550	−5%	0.91×
Cashiers2,570 jobs	2,570	$28,610US $32,880	−13%	0.99×
Home Health and Personal Care Aides2,200 jobs	2,200	$23,910US $35,800	−33%	0.61×
Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand1,980 jobs	1,980	$35,270US $40,240	−12%	0.8×
Office Clerks, General1,890 jobs	1,890	$38,270US $45,010	−15%	0.92×

Look up any occupation

Search more than 800 occupations and see what they pay in Waco, TX.

Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025-05 (all industries and ownerships) bls.gov/oes

Reference period: 2025-05. BLS publishes metro areas, states and the nation (not counties or cities), so a county or city page shows its metro area.
Pay is not adjusted for the cost of living, so a higher median does not mean more purchasing power.
BLS caps the highest wages it publishes: where a figure is shown as “or more”, the real value is at least that much.
Some occupations (teachers, performers) are published by the hour or school year and shown here as an annual figure.

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Waco, TX has 6,481 employer establishments, 212 for every 10,000 residents (0.86× the US rate of 248), with 115,925 paid employees at an average annual pay of $50,658. The Census Bureau also counts 24,286 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 6,481; 24,286 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 212; US 248
Paid employees: 115,925
Average annual pay: $50,658; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Waco, TX by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	524	17.2	0.94×About typical	11,121	$20,326	147
Ambulatory health care services	490	16.1	0.77×Fewer than typical	7,349	$79,361	907
Specialty trade contractors	421	13.8	0.89×About typical	5,560	$60,363	2,403
Lessors of real estate	272	8.9	0.72×Fewer than typical	879	$53,677	2,037
Limited-service restaurants	262	8.6	1.07×About typical	5,387	$19,237	55
Religious organizations	254	8.3	1.50×More than typical	1,964	$22,523	—
Building equipment contractors	193	6.3	1.05×About typical	2,953	$64,720	402
Construction of buildings	190	6.2	0.82×About typical	1,008	$63,552	889
Full-service restaurants	170	5.6	0.73×Fewer than typical	4,474	$22,696	59
Services to buildings and dwellings	163	5.3	0.79×Fewer than typical	1,435	$35,319	1,632
Automotive repair and maintenance	157	5.1	1.02×About typical	911	$43,029	363
Offices of physicians	139	4.6	0.70×Fewer than typical	2,289	$112,967	160

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 305,076 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $451.8M on contracts performed in Waco, TX metro area: $1,463 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $451.8M; +83% vs FY2025
Per resident: $1,463; US $1,994
Sole-source: 75%; US 30%
Single offer: 2.1%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Department of the Air Force$312.3M69%
Defense Contract Management Agency$59M13%
Department of Veterans Affairs$56.9M13%
Defense Logistics Agency$7.3M1.6%
Department of the Navy$5.4M1.2%
Department of the Army$3.4M0.8%
Federal Acquisition Service$3.1M0.7%
U.S. Coast Guard$2.9M0.6%

Top recipients

L3HARRIS TECHNOLOGIES INTEGRATED SYSTEMS L.P.$375M83%
HURLEY JV 2, LLP$23.2M5.1%
WICHITA FALLS TRI-TECH, LLC$14.9M3.3%
DECISIVE POINT CONSULTING GROUP, LLC$10M2.2%
ACT1 FEDERAL LLC$4.7M1.0%

Spending by fiscal year

179.3MFY2017
235.9MFY2018
182.5MFY2019
234.4MFY2020
216MFY2021
256.1MFY2022
423.8MFY2023
561M

Top industries (NAICS)

Aerospace product and parts manufacturing · 3364$336.9M75%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$43.4M9.6%
Support activities for air transportation · 4881$39.4M8.7%
Computer systems design and related services · 5415$8.1M1.8%
Architectural, engineering, and related services · 5413$6.4M1.4%
Other electrical equipment and component manufacturing · 3359

Largest awards

BIG SAFARI$660.1M
L3HARRIS TECHNOLOGIES INTEGRATED SYSTEMS L.P.· McLennan County, TX· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Feb 17, 2023 – Feb 2, 2026· FA862023F4781
AFLCMC/WI$232.3M
L3HARRIS TECHNOLOGIES INTEGRATED SYSTEMS L.P.· McLennan County, TX· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· May 19, 2026 – May 19, 2026· FA862026FB101
C-130H AVIONICS MODERNIZATION PROGRAM INCREMENT 2$187.4M
L3HARRIS TECHNOLOGIES INTEGRATED SYSTEMS L.P.· McLennan County, TX· Weapons, aircraft, ships & vehicles· Jun 4, 2019 – Feb 26, 2026· FA862519C9000
CONTRACT HSCG23-15-C-2DA002 INCORPORATES PROPOSAL L3PID-CG2015-P001 DATED 02 JULY 2015. THIS IS A FIRM FIXED PRICE, NON-COMMERCIAL CONTRACT FOR C-130 MINOTAUR MISSIONIZATION. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: 09/25/2015 - 09/24/2020.

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $1.9B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Waco, TX metro area: $6,160 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $1.9B; −3.7% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,160; US $12,955
Loan face value: $103.2M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 1.3%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$1B53%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$279.1M15%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$129.5M6.8%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$103.9M5.5%
84.063 · Federal Pell Grant Program$84.9M4.5%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$59.1M3.1%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$28.4M1.5%
64.110 · Veterans Dependency and Indemnity Compensation for Service-Connected Death$20.9M1.1%

Top recipients (organizations)

TEXAS STATE TECHNICAL COLLEGE$52.8M2.8%
WACO, TX
TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$41.2M2.2%
AUSTIN, TX
BAYLOR UNIVERSITY$38.4M2.0%
WACO, TX
HOUSING AUTHORITY OF CITY OF WA$33.6M1.8%
WACO, TX
MCLENNAN COUNTY JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT$22.2M

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$1.3B68%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$324.8M17%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Department of Education$93.9M4.9%
Federal Highway Administration$53.3M2.8%
Department of Transportation
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$35.9M

Assistance by fiscal year

1.8BFY2021
1.6BFY2022
1.7BFY2023
1.8BFY2024
2BFY2025
1.9BFY2026

County aggregates

86%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Waco, TX

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

WacoPrincipal city143,570

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Texas

Areas based in Texas, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M47380

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved17

Declined3

Metro and micro areas like Waco, TX metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Look up any occupation

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Waco, TX

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Texas

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved17

Declined3

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought