City comparison
Laredo, TX is about 1,100 miles (1,800 km) from Waterloo, IA in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 1,400 miles, or about 23 hours (about 2 days at 10 h/day) 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 Laredo, TX to Waterloo, IA takes about 2 h 13 min, covering roughly 1,100 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.
Laredo has a population of 255,293, vs 67,256 in Waterloo — about 3.8× larger by population. By land area, Laredo covers about 110 sq mi vs 62 sq mi for Waterloo.
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 | Laredo | Waterloo | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $968/mo | $865/mo | 11.9% higher in Laredo |
| Median home value | $164,400 | $142,000 | 15.8% higher in Laredo |
| Median household income | $60,928 | $54,104 | 12.6% higher in Laredo |
| Groceries index | 94.2 | 94.0 | ≈ equal (Laredo slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 81.9 | 84.4 | 3.0% higher in Waterloo |
| Transportation index | 96.6 | 93.3 | 3.6% higher in Laredo |
| Healthcare index | 96.1 | 93.5 | 2.8% higher in Laredo |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Laredo, you'd need $100,213 in Waterloo to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Laredo and Waterloo have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. Housing costs are roughly 4% higher in Waterloo than in Laredo. If you earn $80,000 in Laredo, you'd need about $80,170 in Waterloo to keep the same standard of living.