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Bellmead vs Waco

Next-door neighbors. The biggest differences: trails (95.7× in Waco) and size (13.6× in Waco).

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Bellmead, TXHomes around $158KTexas · 10,566 people
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Waco, TXAn outdoors townTexas · 143,570 people
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Where each one shines

Two towns, two different strengths

What each town does better than most of its state (not better than each other). Tap one to see the page behind it.

BellmeadHomes around $158K
Housing$158K typical home47% below the TX typical home Health93% of U.S. towns are healthieron CDC estimates Outdoors#271 most walkable in TX0.6 miles of trails across 2 parks and preserves All about Bellmead →
WacoAn outdoors town
Outdoors#21 most conserved land in TX57 miles of trails across 48 parks and preserves History23 historic places23 places on the National Register College town3 collegesBaylor University All about Waco →
The biggest differences

Where they part ways

The rows below where the towns are furthest apart, beyond the Census margin of error. The full table is further down.

Trails95.7×
Waco has more miles of trail
Waco 57.4 miBellmead 0.6 mi
Size13.6×
Waco is the bigger place
Waco 143,570Bellmead 10,566
Property tax bill2.1×
Tax bills are bigger in Waco
Waco $3,537Bellmead $1,710
Work in town+44 pts
More of Waco’s workers stay in town
Waco 48.8%Bellmead 4.8%
Home values+43%
Homes cost more in Waco
Waco $221,700Bellmead $155,100
Conserved land+23.6 pts
Waco has more conserved land
Waco 24.1%Bellmead 0.5%
★ What stands out · Monthly cost

A typical home costs $330 more a month in Waco

A typical home in each town, bought with 20% down at 6.3% for 30 years, plus property tax at the town’s own rate and insurance. Change the numbers to fit you.

Bellmead$970/mo
Typical home $158K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.10% · or rent about $1,107/mo · Housing →
Waco$1,300/mo
Typical home $198K (Zillow) · tax rate 1.60% · or rent about $1,165/mo · Housing →

The difference: $330 a month, about $3,900 a year, between Waco and Bellmead.

Estimates, not a quote: your price, rate, tax bill and insurance will differ. Tax rate = the Census median tax bill over the median home value.

Report cards

Waco places higher on 16 of 21 TX lists

Our letter grades for safety, schools and health, then every Texas ranking list both towns are on. A grade is one measure; read the page behind it.

Safety
DBellmeadSafer than 14% of U.S. towns C−WacoSafer than 17% of U.S. towns
Schools
CBellmeadBetter than 30% of districts in the state C+WacoBetter than 39% of districts in the state
Health
DBellmeadHealthier than 7% of U.S. towns C−WacoHealthier than 25% of U.S. towns
4Bellmead
16Waco

Lists won, of 21 where both are ranked. Ties go to nobody.

Most conserved landOutdoors · 572 towns #488#21 Most educatedPeople · 653 towns #524#240 Most remote workersWork · 624 towns #525#289 Most new homesHousing · 535 towns #387#194 Lowest property taxCost of living · 647 towns #133#364 Fewest smokersHealth · 652 towns #581#381 Closest to a top hospitalHealth · 632 towns #304#115 HealthiestHealth · 651 towns #587#403

Left end = #1 in Texas. Showing the lists where the towns are furthest apart. All of Bellmead’s rankings →

Where they are

Bellmead and Waco share a border

And the people who already live in one and work in the other.

BellmeadWacoBellmeadWaco
Bellmead ↔ Waco6.6 miles apart · They share a border
Who commutes between them
1,742 Bellmead residents work in Waco (39.9% of its workers)
756 Waco residents work in Bellmead (1.4% of its workers)
Work & commute in Bellmead →
Life in each

What daily life feels like in each

The weather, the land, the history and the people, row by row. None of it is a grade: more snow is a plus to a skier.

Seasons
BellmeadWaco
Snow a year1″0″
January low36°F—
July high97°F—
Growing season (days)245d—
Hazard risk (U.S. pctl)4th12th
Outdoors & history
BellmeadWaco
Trails1 mi57 mi
Conserved land0.5%24.1%
National Register places—23
Community
BellmeadWaco
Library hours a week—58 hrs
Colleges in town—3
Posts this month00
Neighbors joined00

A dot marks the most on each row. Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 normals at the nearest station. Hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, expected yearly damage vs U.S. towns.

Everything, side by side

What matters to you?

Pick a few. Those rows jump to the top and the best fit on each is marked. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

BellmeadWaco
People
Population 10,566Lowest 143,570Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census +6%Lowest TX: +15.9% +11%Highest TX: +15.9%
Median age 36.1±4.7Highest about the TX average 29.7±0.6Lowest 17% below TX
Kids under 18 33%±5.8Highest TX: 25% 22.8%±1Lowest TX: 25%
Age 65+ 14.1%±3.8Highest TX: 13.4% 13.4%±0.7Lowest TX: 13.4%
Bellmead and Waco are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ 13.4%Lowest TX: 33.8% 28.7%Highest TX: 33.8%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents 0.9%±0.9Lowest TX: 6.2% 14.7%±1.1Highest TX: 6.2%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian $52,075±$10kLowest 34% below TX $54,365±$2kHighest 31% below TX
Waco and Bellmead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied $155,100±$12kLowest 45% below TX $221,700±$8kHighest 22% below TX
Rentmedian gross, monthly $1,107±$77Lowest 21% below TX $1,165±$28Highest 17% below TX
Waco and Bellmead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly $1,710Lowest 60% below TX $3,537Highest 16% below TX
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent 77.4%±10.2Highest TX: 51.7% 58.3%±3.5Lowest TX: 51.7%
Below poverty line 24.9%Highest TX: 13.8% 23.1%Lowest TX: 13.8%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes 59.8%Highest TX: 62.6% 49.4%Lowest TX: 62.6%
Typical home builtmedian year 1984Highest 8 yrs older than TX 1979Lowest 13 yrs older than TX
Getting to work
Average commuteone way 23 minHighest 14% below TX 19 minLowest 30% below TX
Work from home 3.3%±2.6Lowest TX: 14.4% 9.7%±1.1Highest TX: 14.4%
Work in townworking residents 4.8%Lowest 48.8%Highest
Typical commute distancemedian, straight-line 10.3 miHighest 7.8 miLowest
Jobs per working residentover 1.5 = a job hub 0.75Lowest 1.49Highest
Top workplaceoutside town Waco (40%)Austin (4%)
Between these townsresidents who work in the others 40% work in Waco1% work in Bellmead
Outdoors
Conserved landshare of the town 0.5%Lowest 24.1%Highest
Trailsmapped miles 0.6 miLowest 57.4 miHighest
Trail densitymiles per sq mi 0.1 miLowest 0.6 miHighest
Parks & preservesnamed on the map 2Lowest 48Highest
Street connectivityintersections per sq mi, a walkability measure 68.4Highest 53.4Lowest
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading #483 of 583 in TX#421 of 583 in TX
School district LA VEGA ISDRAPOPORT ACADEMY PUBLIC SCHOOL · PREMIER HIGH SCHOOLS
High school in town La Vega H SMidway H S
Students per teacherat that high school 13.7Lowest 16.2Highest
Texas average“±” Census margin of errorACS 2020–2024
Deciding?

Ask the people who live there

The numbers stop at the town line. Neighbors can tell you about the commute at 7am, the schools, the winters and the feel of the place.

Bellmead neighborsTown Square →

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Waco neighborsTown Square →

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Bordering Bellmead

L
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Lacy-Lakeview7,274 people · $161K homes

Towns like Bellmead

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Bonham10,697 people · $202K homes
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Wharton8,724 people · $149K homes
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Mineral Wells15,244 people · $161K homes
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Hillsboro8,506 people · $158K homes

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2010 & 2020 censuses, LEHD commute flows; Zillow Home Value Index; NCES Common Core of Data; FBI crime reporting; CDC PLACES; FEMA National Risk Index; NOAA U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020; USGS PAD-US and OpenStreetMap. “±” is the Census margin of error; differences inside it are never called. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. There is no overall score: which town is better depends on what matters to you.

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