City comparison
Austin, TX is about 250 miles (400 km) from Wichita Falls, TX in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 325 miles, or about 5 h 15 min 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 Wichita Falls, TX takes about 30 min, covering roughly 250 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 102,482 in Wichita Falls — about 9.3× larger by population. By land area, Austin covers about 325 sq mi vs 72 sq mi for Wichita Falls.
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 | Wichita Falls | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,549/mo | $949/mo | 63.2% higher in Austin |
| Median home value | $461,500 | $128,800 | 258.3% higher in Austin |
| Median household income | $86,556 | $55,584 | 55.7% higher in Austin |
| Groceries index | 94.2 | 94.2 | ≈ equal |
| Utilities index | 83.2 | 85.0 | 2.2% higher in Wichita Falls |
| 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 $79,338 in Wichita Falls to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Wichita Falls, TX is about 20.7% cheaper overall than Austin, TX, based on our cost-of-living index. Housing costs are roughly 75% higher in Austin than in Wichita Falls. If you earn $80,000 in Austin, you'd need about $63,470 in Wichita Falls to keep the same standard of living.