City comparison
Urbandale, IA is about 700 miles (1,200 km) from Waco, TX in a straight line. By road, the drive is roughly 900 miles, or about 15 hours 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 Urbandale, IA to Waco, TX takes about 1 h 27 min, covering roughly 700 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.
Waco has a population of 140,545, vs 45,591 in Urbandale — about 3.1× larger by population. By land area, Waco covers about 91 sq mi vs 23 sq mi for Urbandale.
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 | Urbandale | Waco | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,108/mo | $1,038/mo | 6.7% higher in Urbandale |
| Median home value | $298,500 | $174,100 | 71.5% higher in Urbandale |
| Median household income | $111,888 | $47,421 | 135.9% higher in Urbandale |
| Groceries index | 94.0 | 94.2 | ≈ equal (Waco slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 85.2 | 82.2 | 3.7% higher in Urbandale |
| Transportation index | 93.3 | 96.6 | 3.6% higher in Waco |
| Healthcare index | 93.5 | 96.1 | 2.8% higher in Waco |
How much you'd need to earn in the other city to keep the same standard of living.
If you earn $100,000 in Urbandale, you'd need $100,101 in Waco to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Urbandale and Waco have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Urbandale, you'd need about $80,081 in Waco to keep the same standard of living.