City comparison
Waco, TX is about 700 miles (1,200 km) from West Des Moines, IA 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 Waco, TX to West Des Moines, IA takes about 1 h 26 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 68,744 in West Des Moines — about 2.0× larger by population. By land area, Waco covers about 91 sq mi vs 47 sq mi for West Des Moines.
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 | Waco | West Des Moines | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,038/mo | $1,153/mo | 11.1% higher in West Des Moines |
| Median home value | $174,100 | $266,700 | 53.2% higher in West Des Moines |
| Median household income | $47,421 | $82,345 | 73.6% higher in West Des Moines |
| Groceries index | 94.2 | 94.0 | ≈ equal (Waco slightly higher) |
| Utilities index | 82.2 | 85.2 | 3.7% higher in West Des Moines |
| Transportation index | 96.6 | 93.3 | 3.6% higher in Waco |
| Healthcare index | 96.1 | 93.5 | 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 Waco, you'd need $100,056 in West Des Moines to maintain your standard of living.
Climate, safety, and demographics side by side.
Waco and West Des Moines have nearly identical overall cost-of-living indices. If you earn $80,000 in Waco, you'd need about $80,045 in West Des Moines to keep the same standard of living.