Population 346 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Waco
Household size in Waco
| Period | Waco | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.79 | 2.58 | 2.54 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.48 | 2.64 | 2.58 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.17 | 2.60 | 2.56 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.00 | 2.59 | 2.53 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.79 | +0.01 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Waco is a place of small households, averaging 2.00 people against 2.65 for the U.S., which points to many singles, couples and roommates and relatively few children. Household size has dropped from 2.79 in 2006–10, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Waco
| Period | Waco | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 39.6 | 36.3 | 37.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 45.4 | 36.6 | 37.8 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 50.9 | 37.4 | 38.5 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 53.6 | 37.8 | 38.8 | 40.1 |
| Change | +14.0 | +1.6 | +1.4 | +2.3 |
Waco skews older: half of its residents are older than 53.6, well above the national median of 40.1. That usually means more empty nesters and retirees, and fewer young families.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Waco
| Period | Waco | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.5% | 11.9% | 10.8% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 5.8% | 11.6% | 10.9% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 9.1% | 11.6% | 10.4% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.9% | 11.7% | 10.5% | 11.6% |
| Change | −3.6 pts | −0.2 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 4.9% of households in Waco, well below the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Waco
Renters in Waco
| Period | Waco | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 3.6% | 31.2% | 30.6% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 17.0% | 33.5% | 32.9% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 19.0% | 35.0% | 33.7% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 9.7% | 34.7% | 32.8% | 34.8% |
| Change | +6.1 pts | +3.5 pts | +2.3 pts | +1.5 pts |
Only 9.7% of households in Waco rent their homes, far below the national share of 34.8%, so most residents are owners who tend to stay put. Just over half of owners (52.3%) have paid off their mortgages, well above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Waco
| Period | Waco | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 12.5% | 9.1% | 10.1% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 13.8% | 10.1% | 10.4% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.5% | 10.2% | 11.3% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 14.0% | 9.8% | 9.7% | 9.6% |
| Change | +1.5 pts | +0.7 pts | −0.4 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is high in Waco: 14.0% of homes are empty, far above the national rate of 9.6%. In resort and lake areas that usually means seasonal and vacation homes; elsewhere it can point to weak demand.
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Waco
| Period | Waco | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1979 | 1973 | 1971 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1978 | 1974 | 1972 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1978 | 1976 | 1973 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1992 | 1978 | 1976 | 1980 |
| Change | +13 | +6 | +5 | +6 |
Waco has newer housing than the country as a whole: the median home was built in 1992, versus 1980 nationally.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Waco
| Period | Waco | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $715 | $763 | $769 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $901 | $847 | $858 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,028 | $947 | $950 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,003 | $1,118 | $1,159 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$289 | +$355 | +$390 | +$606 |
Rent in Waco runs $1,003 a month at the median, utilities included, well below the U.S. median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 22.3% of household income on rent, comfortably under the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, and a smaller share than renters pay nationally.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Waco
Bachelor's degrees in Waco
| Period | Waco | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 16.3% | 27.4% | 30.8% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 15.7% | 29.2% | 31.7% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 36.2% | 30.6% | 33.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 32.8% | 32.0% | 35.6% | 35.6% |
| Change | +16.5 pts | +4.7 pts | +4.8 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are about as common in Waco as nationally: 32.8% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Waco
| Period | Waco | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.5% | 88.6% | 89.5% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.1% | 89.3% | 90.0% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.1% | 89.9% | 90.8% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 95.8% | 90.2% | 91.7% | 89.3% |
| Change | +5.4 pts | +1.6 pts | +2.2 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion is high in Waco: 95.8% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Waco
| Period | Waco | Wichita area | Kansas | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.4% | 7.3% | 6.1% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 1.8% | 7.7% | 6.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 12.3% | 4.8% | 4.1% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 4.1% | 5.0% | 4.0% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.2 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.1 pts | −2.7 pts |
Jobs have been a little easier to find in Waco than nationally: unemployment was 4.1%, against 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Waco compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waco | 2.00 | 53.6 | 4.9% | 9.7% | 14.0% | 1992 | $1,003 | 32.8% | 95.8% | 4.1% |
| Peck | 2.30 | 49.9 | 7.5% | 5.8% | 8.5% | 1989 | $1,022 | 30.7% | 95.6% | 5.6% |
| Belle Plaine | 2.38 | 45.5 | 12.3% | 27.7% | 12.1% | 1962 | $830 | 23.5% | 94.1% | 6.0% |
| Haysville | 2.67 | 38.4 | 13.8% | 18.7% | 5.6% | 1983 | $1,078 | 22.0% | 93.0% | 3.8% |
| Cicero | 2.04 | 47.6 | 6.4% | 17.3% | 11.2% | 1980 | $779 | 25.1% | 93.5% | 2.8% |
| Millerton | 3.05 | 36.1 | 4.4% | 2.8% | 10.0% | 1984 | $1,110 | 31.3% | 98.5% | 5.2% |
| Mulvane | 2.57 | 44.7 | 8.7% | 16.1% | 7.0% | 1984 | $841 | 33.3% | 95.5% | 7.6% |
| Clearwater | 2.93 | 39.5 | 9.1% | 15.3% | 2.1% | 1986 | $1,166 | 35.1% | 97.5% | 2.9% |
| Derby | 2.52 | 39.4 | 8.0% | 28.5% | 7.4% | 1993 | $1,257 | 36.7% | 96.4% | 3.0% |
| Viola | 2.79 | 42.5 | 5.6% | 3.6% | 2.4% | 1985 | $1,300 | 36.9% | 96.3% | 8.1% |
| Udall | 3.00 | 35.1 | 9.9% | 22.2% | 10.6% | 1974 | $890 | 17.6% | 93.5% | 2.1% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Pottsville, TN · Mount Carbon, WV · Mount Eagle, PA · Mount Vernon, WI · Mount Victory, KY · Myra, TX · Nevins, IL · Potomac Shores, MD · Potts Grove, PA · Mossy Head, FL
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Waco. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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