Best Places76640, TX Best Neighborhoods
2026–2027 edition · Data updated July 2026
Every neighborhood inside ZIP code 76640, scored on 40 measures of daily life and ranked to fit what matters to you. This page is for people who live here or already know they want to. To work out which city fits you best, start with the best places to live tool.
76640 ranks 13,129th of 33,110 U.S. zip codes on the BestNeighborhood index. It scores highest on a strong job market by a wide margin, and air quality ranks lowest.
The best neighborhoods in 76640
BestNeighborhood is the only ranking that scores 40 measures of daily life neighborhood by neighborhood and lets you re-weight every one of them yourself.
76640's strengths and weaknesses
Where 76640 ranks high
- Local economyBetter than 96% of zip codes
- Low income/sales/gas taxBetter than 91% of zip codes
- Nice weatherabout 144 pleasant days a year, better than 87% of zip codes
- Cell coverageBetter than 84% of zip codes
- Low vacancyBetter than 84% of zip codes
Where 76640 ranks low
- Air qualityBetter than only 11% of zip codes
- Heat safetyBetter than only 13% of zip codes
- School gradeC−, better than only 25% of zip codes
- Tree shadeBetter than only 25% of zip codes
- Healthcare accessBetter than only 26% of zip codes
What it costs to buy a home in 76640
A household needs to earn about $61,000 a year to comfortably buy the median 76640 home, at 20% down and today's 30-year rate. That is below the area's own median income of $69,849, so a typical household can afford the median home outright.
Where the monthly payment goes
Assumes a 20% down payment, a 6.6% 30-year fixed rate, and a 28% share of income going to the payment. The rate is the 2026-07-23 30-year fixed average, series MORTGAGE30US from the St. Louis Fed, which publishes Freddie Mac's weekly survey. Against the median home value, property tax uses 76640's effective rate of 0.95%, and insurance is estimated at 0.4% of home value a year.
Renting versus buying
At today's prices, buying tends to cost more than renting for about the first 10 years, then pulls ahead as rent keeps rising and the mortgage builds equity. The chart tracks the running cost of each.
Who lives in 76640
76640's age mix sits close to the national median.
Residents by age
Racial and ethnic makeup has its own map. See the race and diversity map for 76640.
Who works in 76640, and how
Work in 76640 centers on retail trade and manufacturing. Unemployment is low, and jobs are growing.
Largest industries
How people get to work
- Drive or carpool 90%
- Work from home 7%
- Transit, walk, or bike 2%
Life in 76640
The map and measures below break down dining, culture, and green space by neighborhood across 76640.
What the weather is like in 76640, month by month
76640 sees roughly 144 pleasant days a year. July highs average about 96 degrees. January highs sit near 60, with lows near 38. The comfortable stretch runs March, April, October, and November.
Show the monthly temperatures
| Month | Avg high | Avg | Avg low |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 60° | 50° | 38° |
| April | 78° | 69° | 57° |
| July | 96° | 88° | 75° |
| October | 82° | 71° | 58° |
Flying in and out of 76640
The nearest airport, Waco Regional, is about 10 miles away and is a small airport. The nearest major hub is Dallas Love Field, about 81 miles away.
The best schools in and around 76640
Schools across 76640 average a C−, better than 25% of zip codes.
Top elementary schools
- West ElB+ · 53% proficient
- La Vega ElD+ · 23% proficient
- Connally PriD · 20% proficient
Top middle schools
- West MiddleB+ · 49% proficient
- La Vega J H George Dixon CampusD+ · 27% proficient
- Connally J HD+ · 24% proficient
Top high schools
- West H SB+ · 52% proficient
- La Vega H SC− · 29% proficient
- Connally High SchoolC− · 26% proficient
Grades come from K-12 test scores, with scores projected for schools missing data. See every 76640 school and its grade on SchoolGrade.
76640 measure by measure
Cards are ordered by how much each measure matters to you, so the ones you weighted highest come first. Expand to see every measure. Percentages compare 76640 against the other 33,109 zip codes.
Common questions about living in 76640
Is 76640 a good place to live?
Using BestNeighborhood's default rankings, 76640 ranks 13,129th of 33,110 zip codes. It scores highest on a strong job market, low taxes, and the weather, and lowest on air quality and summer heat. How good it is for you depends on which of those you weight most, which the map lets you set.
Is 76640 expensive to live in?
The median home is worth $227,115. The overall cost of living runs about 15% below the national average. Set against a $69,849 median income, cost of living beats 50% of zip codes.
Is 76640 safe?
Yes, 76640 is safer than 72% of zip codes. Safety varies a lot by neighborhood. Crime costs an estimated $294 per resident a year.
Compare 76640 with other zip codes
Sources and methodology
Every measure on this page is scored for each neighborhood, then rolled up to 76640. Scores are absolute rather than ranked, which means a 60 in 76640 represents the same real quantity as a 60 anywhere else, and the ranking is a weighted average of those absolutes. The map colors come from a national scale calibrated against a population weighted random sample of 5,000 neighborhoods. That absolute scoring is what no other places-to-live ranking does: it puts a single neighborhood, a town, a metro, and a state on one scale, so the same 40 measures answer both which metro to move to and which street inside it to buy on. Read the full methodology.
76640 detail on BestNeighborhood maps:
- Walk Grade for 76640: walkability, transit, and biking, measured on the real street network rather than by straight line distance.
- Noise in 76640: road, rail, and aviation sound modeling calibrated against federal ground truth measurements.
- Conservative vs liberal map of 76640: precinct level election results apportioned to neighborhoods.
- Mobile and cell coverage in 76640: carrier by carrier coverage behind the cell score.
76640 detail on related sites:
- CrimeGrade: neighborhood crime rates behind the crime safety score.
- ISPreports.org: provider by provider internet availability and advertised speeds.
- CoverageWatch: the car insurance premiums behind the cheap car insurance score.
Federal and public data:
- U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey: income, home value, rent, vacancy, commute time and mode, educational attainment, home age, age structure, household type, industry, and race.
- NOAA Global Surface Summary of the Day: the daily station record behind the monthly temperatures and the pleasant-day count.
- FAA Passenger Boarding Data: airport size and annual passenger counts.
- Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey: the 30-year fixed rate used in the cost-to-buy estimate.
- FBI Crime Data Explorer: reported offenses behind the tangible crime cost estimate.
- U.S. EPA Air Quality System: five year average air quality index.
- FEMA National Risk Index: expected annual loss from natural hazards.
- CDC PLACES: disease burden, preventable risk, and barriers to care.
- National Center for Education Statistics: school enrollment and assessment inputs behind the school grade.
- FCC National Broadband Map: internet and wireless availability.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: employment and job growth behind the local economy score.
- Religious activity uses a proprietary religious signal measurement.
Your priorities
Move a slider to say how much a measure matters. Zero turns it off.