Waco, Texas Population 2024

146,241

Waco is a city located in Bosque County, Coryell County, Falls County, and McLennan County Texas. Waco has a 2024 population of 146,241. It is also the county seat of McLennan County. Waco is currently growing at a rate of 0.98% annually and its population has increased by 4.06% since the most recent census, which recorded a population of 140,541 in 2020.

The average household income in Waco is $69,561 with a poverty rate of 24.77%. The median age in Waco is 28.8 years: 27.3 years for males, and 30.3 years for females.

Waco is a city located in the state of Texas, and it is the county seat of McLennan County. Waco marks the halfway point between the larger cities of Dallas and Austin. Recent estimates show that the population of this city – which is dubbed the “Heart of Texas” -- is {pop}.

Waco Population Statistics

The city’s schools and higher education institutions drive the economy and employ many of Waco’s residents. The top employers are Baylor University, Waco Independent School District, Providence Health Center, L3 Technologies, and Baylor Scott & White Health.

Waco Population Growth

At the time of almost every census, Waco has shown growth in its population. The city’s population grew to over 50,000 at the time of the 1930 census, then increased to over 100,000 in 1990. The city’s population has continued to grow at a slow but steady rate over the last two polls taken during 2000 and 2010. Recent estimates show that the population has grown over 7% since the last census, and Waco is heading toward 150,000 residents. Based on past trends, the city will no doubt hit its next milestone in the years ahead.

Waco, like many other cities in the United States, was originally inhabited by indigenous tribes, primarily the Wichita tribe, also known as the Waco. Thomas Duke explored the area during the 1820s after the tribes fought off European settlers. A treaty was signed with the people in 1825, but the tribe was eventually forced off of the land and settled near what is now Fort Worth. The first settler in the area is noted as Neil McLennan in 1838. The first city block was designed in 1849, and later that year, the first home was constructed. Though the name Lamartine was proposed, the area was instead called Waco Village after the tribe that had lived there before.

During the next decade, the citizens of Waco aimed to build a bridge over the Brazos River. To take on the project, the Waco Bridge Company was formed. The company created the brick Waco Suspension Bridge, a 475-foot bridge that was finished in 1870. The construction of the bridge led to a boost in the economy, as a toll was required to pass. The population then began to grow as more immigrants made their way over. The bridge still stands today and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The city was thriving, and the population was growing through the 19th century. Other notable things that occurred during this period were the invention of Dr. Pepper in 1885 and the relocation of Baylor University from Independence to Waco. Toward the end of the 1800s, Waco published the Iconoclast newspaper, which was very successful. The city, which had an economy centered on agriculture, built a fair and exhibition center, which drew in more than eight million attendees. Unfortunately, the original building burned in a fire in the early 1900s, and the rebuilt structure was torn down following the Great Depression.

An odd event in Waco was the “Crash” of 1896. This was meant to be entertaining for citizens and featured two trains that were going to crash head-on. Unfortunately, this stunt resulted in the deaths and injuries of multiple people when the boilers exploded.

This wasn’t the only bad thing to happen in Waco. The Waco Horror became national news after a young teenager was tortured and burned in the town square after citizens took matters into their own hands following the conviction of the teenager, who had been accused of killing a white woman. After this incident, the city worked to improve protections for African Americans.

Waco Army Air Field was opened in 1942, later becoming Connally Air Force Base, then James Connally Air Force Base. Though it closed in the 1960s, it is now the site of the Texas State Technical College. Waco’s airfield, however, is still open today and is the TSTC Waco Airport.

The next few decades saw more highs and lows for the city. A tornado killed hundreds in the 1950s and remains one of the deadliest tornados in US and state history. In the 1970s, bones were found that were dated to be over 68,000 years old and are thought to have belonged to a mammoth. Other animal remains were also found at the site.

Waco was once the home of the White House Press Center. In recent years, the city has constructed a riverwalk, which is one of its many attractions. Other attractions include museums, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame, parks, and the Dr. Pepper Museum. The city is also home to many professional sports teams.

Waco Demographics

According to the most recent ACS, the racial composition of Waco was:

  • White: 59.93%
  • Black or African American: 20.42%
  • Two or more races: 14.07%
  • Other race: 3.3%
  • Asian: 1.95%
  • Native American: 0.29%
  • Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.03%
State
Texas
Land Area (mi²)
91.0 sq mi
Density (mi²)
1,607.0/sq mi
Growth Since 2020
4.06% (5,700)
The current population of Waco, Texas is 146,241 based on our projections of the latest US Census estimates (released May 2024). The last official US Census in 2020 recorded the population at 140,541.

Population by Race

Race
Population
Percentage (of total)
White84,22459.93%
Black or African American28,70620.42%
Two or more races19,78014.07%
Other race4,6453.3%
Asian2,7351.95%
Native American4120.29%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander430.03%

White

Black or African American

Two or more races

Other race

Asian

Native American

Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Waco Population by Race

Waco Population Pyramid 2024

Waco Median Age

28.8

Total

27.3

Male

30.3

Female

Waco Adults

There are 107,871 adults, (18,142 of whom are seniors) in Waco.

Waco Age Dependency

56.6

Age Dependency Ratio

20.2

Old Age Dependency Ratio

36.4

Child Dependency Ratio

Waco Sex Ratio

Female72,19051.36%
Male68,35548.64%

Waco Population by Age

Waco Renter vs Owner Occupied by Household Type

Household Type
Count
Average Size
Owner
Renter
All52,2562.5247.352.7
Non Family22,5701.4729.470.6
Married18,7653.2972.227.8
Female8,4953.4637.862.2
Male2,4263.0653.746.3

3.24

Average Family Size

2.52

Average Household Size

47.3%

Rate of Home Ownership

Married

Male

Female

NonFamily

owner

renter

Waco Households and Families

Male

Female

Education Attained
Count
Percentage
9th to 12th Grade7,0768.94%
Associates Degree6,6898.45%
Bachelors Degree13,35016.86%
Graduate Degree8,77811.09%
High School Graduate20,63626.06%
Less Than 9th Grade4,7806.04%
Some College17,87222.57%

Less Than 9th Grade

9th to 12th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Associates Degree

Bachelors Degree

Graduate Degree

Waco Educational Attainment by Sex (over 25)

Waco Educational Attainment by Race

High School Graduation Rate

Bachelors Rate

Race
Total
High School
Bachelors
White38,39137,07816,388
Hispanic22,14714,2702,119
Black16,17113,7092,277
2+ Races9,4006,841943
Other Race2,7471,788286
Asian1,3661,216895
Native American26618462
Islander34300

The highest rate of high school graduation is among white people with a rate of 96.58%.

The highest rate of bachelors degrees is among asian people with a rate of 65.52%.

Waco Educational Attainment by Race

All

Male

Female

Name
Average
Male
Female
Bachelors Degree$53,352$64,678$45,732
Graduate Degree$72,213$92,083$61,355
High School Graduate$27,545$34,374$20,875
Less Than 9th Grade$25,398$29,418$19,597
Overall$36,628$42,053$32,009
Some College$36,567$43,336$32,938

$36,628

Average Earnings

$42,053

Average Male

$32,009

Average Female

Waco Earnings by Educational Attainment

Waco Language by Age

Only English

Spanish

Other Indo-European Languages

Asian and Pacific Island Languages

Other Languages

Waco Language

77.06% of Waco residents speak only English, while 22.94% speak other languages. The non-English language spoken by the largest group is Spanish, which is spoken by 20.35% of the population.

Waco Language

Waco Poverty by Race

rate

Name
Total
In Poverty
Poverty Rate
Black27,22711,11640.83%
White57,91810,90218.82%
Hispanic41,3329,46822.91%
Multiple18,9213,72619.69%
Other4,58095320.81%
Asian2,22066730.05%
Native39010827.69%

24.77%

Overall Poverty Rate

23.44%

Male Poverty Rate

26%

Female Poverty Rate

Poverty in Waco

The race most likely to be in poverty in Waco is Black, with 40.83% below the poverty level.

The race least likely to be in poverty in Waco is White, with 18.82% below the poverty level.

The poverty rate among those that worked full-time for the past 12 months was 6.35%. Among those working part-time, it was 38.96%, and for those that did not work, the poverty rate was 34.71%.

Waco Poverty

rate

Rate
Poverty
Less Than 9th Grade28.08%
High School20.08%
Some College14.26%
Bachelors or Greater5.38%

Waco Poverty Rate by Education

rate

Rate
Poverty
Female Unemployed47.65%
Male Unemployed38.69%
Female Employed16.47%
Male Employed13.94%

Waco Poverty Rate by Employment Status and Sex

Waco Income by Household Type

Households

Families

MarriedFamilies

NonFamilies

Name
Median
Mean
Families$65,196$88,912
Households$47,421$69,561
Married Families$90,483$113,953
Non Families$27,396$41,633

mean

median

Income by Household Type

Waco Marital Status

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Marriage Rates

37.0%

Overall Marriage Rate

39.6%

Male Marriage Rate

34.7%

Female Marriage Rate

Waco Married by Age and Sex

male

female

Waco Marriage

The age group where males are most likely to be married is 45-54, while the female age group most likely to be married is 35-44.

Waco Marital Status by Race

Married

Widowed

Divorced

Separated

NeverMarried

Waco Marital Status

Second Gulf War

First Gulf War

Vietnam

Korea

World War II

7,022

Number of Veterans

6,170

Male Veterans

852

Female Veterans

War
Veterans
Second Gulf War2,006
Vietnam1,982
First Gulf War1,749
Korea419
World War II141

Waco Veterans by War

count

Age Group
Veterans
35 to 542,020
75+1,640
55 to 641,311
65 to 741,293
18 to 34758

Waco Veterans by Age

count

Name
Veterans
% of Total
White5,0150.07392066978170186
Black1,2330.059761535478867776
Hispanic1,0820.03710816928458742
2+ Races5230.0406055900621118
Other Race1930.05358134369794559
Asian330.01327433628318584
Native American190.06188925081433225
Islander60.13953488372093023

Waco Veterans by Race

Waco Veterans by Education

Less Than 9th Grade

High School Graduate

Some College

Bachelors or Greater

6.77%

Veteran Poverty Rate

36.81%

Veteran Disability Rate

Waco Veterans by Education

LaborForceParticipation

60.7%

Labor Force Participation

57.9%

Employment Rate

4.5%

Unemployment Rate

Waco Employment by Age

LaborForceParticipation

Waco Employment by Race

LaborForceParticipation

Waco Employment by Education

Origin of Non-Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

Non citizens include legal permanent residents (green card holders), international students, temporary workers, humanitarian migrants, and illegal immigrants.

Origin of Naturalized Citizens

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

Latin America

North America

67.42%

Born in Waco

89.92%

Native Born

10.08%

Foreign Born

7.5%

Non Citizen

2.58%

Naturalized

Place of Birth

89.92% of Waco residents were born in the United States, with 67.42% having been born in Texas. 7.5% of residents are not US citizens. Of those not born in the United States, the largest percentage are from Latin America.

Waco Place of Birth

Note: data after 2022 is projected based on recent change

34 Rows

Year
Population
Growth
Change
2029153,3661,4250.94%
2028151,9411,4250.95%
2027150,5161,4250.96%
2026149,0911,4250.97%
2025147,6661,4250.97%
2024146,2411,4250.98%
2023144,8161,5781.1%
2022143,2389040.64%
2021142,3341,7931.28%
2020140,5411,0020.72%
2019139,5391,7241.25%
2018137,8159330.68%
2017136,8823,4992.62%
2016133,3831,6101.22%
2015131,7731,9361.49%
2014129,8378490.66%
2013128,9881,5121.19%
2012127,4761,0460.83%
2011126,4301,0700.85%
2010125,36000%
2000113,72610,1369.78%
1990103,5902,3292.3%
1980101,2615,9356.23%
197095,326-2,482-2.54%
196097,80813,10215.47%
195084,70628,72451.31%
194055,9823,1345.93%
193052,84814,34837.27%
192038,50012,07545.7%
191026,4255,73927.74%
190020,6866,24143.21%
189014,4457,15098.01%
18807,2954,287142.52%
18703,008-150,358-98.04%

Waco Population by Year