City comparison
Austin, TX is about 90 miles (150 km) from Waco, TX in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 125 miles, or about 2 h behind the wheel at highway speeds.
Driving distance is a rough estimate (great-circle × 1.25); driving time assumes a 60 mph blended average. Real trips run 10–20% longer with stops.
A direct flight from Austin, TX to Waco, TX takes about 11 min, covering roughly 90 miles in a straight line. Connecting itineraries with a layover typically add 1–3 hours.
Block-to-block estimate at ~500 mph cruise, including taxi, climb, and descent — what an airline would publish, not pure airborne time.
Austin has a population of 958,202, vs 140,545 in Waco — about 6.8× larger by population. By land area, Austin covers about 325 sq mi vs 91 sq mi for Waco.
Population from US Census ACS. Land area from the Census Gazetteer (city proper, excluding inland water).
Cost indices by category, with the US city average (100) marked.
Index: 100 = US city average. Lower is more affordable.
Side-by-side costs, salaries, and sub-category indices.
| Metric | Austin | Waco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $1,038/mo | 49.2% higher in Austin |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $174,100 | 165.1% higher in Austin |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $47,421 | 82.5% higher in Austin |
| Groceries index | 94.2 | 94.2 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 83.2 | 82.2 | 1.2% higher in Austin |
| Transportation index | 96.6 | 96.6 | ≈ equal |
| Healthcare index | 96.1 | 96.1 | ≈ equal |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Austin, you'd need $84,962 in Waco to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Waco, TX is about 15% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 45% higher in Austin than in Waco. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $67,970 in Waco to keep the same standard of living.