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Waco vs Temple: retirement compared

Waco and Temple are the two anchor cities of the Waco, Temple & Brazos Valley region, about a county apart on the Interstate 35 corridor. Neither is a retirement enclave. Waco is the McLennan County seat and a services hub with two large hospital systems, a regional airport and Lake Waco. Temple, in Bell County, is a healthcare-anchored city built around Baylor Scott & White's Temple campuses and the main location of VA Central Texas health care. The practical comparison is therefore about county-level tax structure, which hospitals and airports are in town, how each city handles severe weather and water, and what daily life looks like in two cities with young median ages.

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Waco and Temple at a glance

Figures come from each place page and name their own period; sources are listed on those pages.

MeasureWacoTemple
Population (ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimate)141,92586,358
Residents aged 65 and over (ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimate)13.2%15.1%
Median age (ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimate)29.233.8
Median home value (owner-occupied) (ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimate)$199,600$220,300
Median gross rent (ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimate)$1,098 per month$1,174 per month
Median household income (ACS 2019-2023 5-year estimate)$51,468$64,945
Property tax context (tax year 2025)City of Waco total rate 0.755 per $100 of taxable value (0.5845 maintenance and operations plus 0.1705 debt service); Waco ISD, McLennan County and college rates are separate and not combined hereCity of Temple rate 0.6999 per $100 of taxable value (0.3754 maintenance and operations plus 0.3245 debt service); Temple ISD, Bell County and college rates are separate and not combined here
Hospital access (hospital system page read October 2026)Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Hillcrest, a 260-bed hospital at 100 Hillcrest Medical Blvd with emergency services 24 hours a day, is in the city; the record also names Ascension Providence HospitalBaylor Scott & White Medical Center - Temple, at 2401 S 31st St and listed as open 24 hours, is in the city, with a main hospital campus, a pediatric campus and a long-term care campus
Airport access (airport page read October 2026)Waco Regional Airport, a city department that began as Waco Army Air Field in 1942, is the airport the record names; check its flight information page for current airlinesDraughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport is operated by the City of Temple; the record advises checking current airline options with the airport and airlines
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Waco vs Temple: the short answer

Waco and Temple are the two anchor cities of the Waco, Temple & Brazos Valley region, about a county apart on the Interstate 35 corridor. Neither is a retirement enclave. Waco is the McLennan County seat and a services hub with two large hospital systems, a regional airport and Lake Waco. Temple, in Bell County, is a healthcare-anchored city built around Baylor Scott & White's Temple campuses and the main location of VA Central Texas health care. The practical comparison is therefore about county-level tax structure, which hospitals and airports are in town, how each city handles severe weather and water, and what daily life looks like in two cities with young median ages.

One caution shapes the tax sections. The city, school district, county and college rates below are all from the Texas Comptroller's rate tables for tax year 2025, with versions dated January 28, 2026, so the year matches. The counties do not match, however: Waco is appraised by McLennan Central Appraisal District and Temple by the Tax Appraisal District of Bell County, and each taxing unit sets its own local exemptions. The figures show how each city is taxed, not what a bill would be. For the statewide rules, see property taxes and appraisal districts and homestead and age-65 exemptions.

Full profiles: Waco and Temple.

Which one fits you

Choose Waco if

  • You want a McLennan County address near two hospital systems, a Veterans Affairs location, a regional airport and Lake Waco.
  • You prefer the lowest median home value of the two, since the 2019-2023 survey estimates $199,600 for Waco against $220,300 for Temple, and you are comfortable in a market where about half of households rent.
  • You can accept a higher total city rate, 0.755 for 2025, in exchange for a smaller debt service share, 0.1705 of that total.
  • You want a city with Cameron Park, Cameron Park Zoo, the Waco Mammoth National Monument and a downtown with free parking among its listed attractions.

Choose Temple if

  • You want a hospital campus with main, pediatric and long-term care sites plus the VA Central Texas main location in the same city.
  • You prefer a lower total city rate, with Temple at 0.6999 for tax year 2025 against Waco's 0.755, while accepting that Temple ISD is higher and the college rate is higher.
  • You want a city with recreation-center, indoor-pool and golf-course facilities in its parks system, and are comfortable with a replacement community center that is only a proposal.
  • You want a Bell County appraisal district that publishes a table of the exemptions each taxing entity grants.

Waco and Temple: best for, and think twice if

Waco

Best for

  • Buyers who want two hospital campuses plus a VA location in one city: Ascension Providence Hospital and the 260-bed Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Hillcrest are in Waco, and VA Central Texas lists a Waco location.
  • If lower entry prices matter: the ACS median home value is $199,600 and median rent $1,098, well below Woodway's, and the city runs Waco Regional Airport.

Think twice if

  • Think twice about the city rate: Waco's 2025 rate of 0.755 per $100 is more than twice the 0.363836 shown for Woodway in the same table, before Waco ISD at 1.0266 and the county's 0.334805.
  • Buyers seeking an age-restricted community will find none profiled: 13.2% of residents are 65 or older, the median age is 29.2, and 51.1% of occupied units are renter-occupied.
  • Severe weather is the main insurance question: the National Weather Service says tornadoes can occur at any time of year, and the sources advise checking the flood map near creeks and Lake Waco and the roof's age.

Temple

Best for

  • Buyers who want hospital and VA care in one city: Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Temple (main, pediatric and long-term care campuses) and VA Central Texas's main location on Veterans Memorial Drive are both in Temple.
  • If lower entry prices matter: the ACS median home value is $220,300, above Waco's $199,600 but well below Salado's, and the city maintains an indoor pool, a golf course and a trail system.

Think twice if

  • Think twice about the city tax: the City of Temple's 2025 rate is 0.6999 per $100, with 0.3245 of it debt service, and the county, Temple ISD (1.1372) and the college district (0.2017) add their own amounts.
  • Buyers seeking managed senior living should note that no age-restricted ownership community is profiled, 47.1% of occupied units are renter-occupied, and licensing and fees need checking with each provider.
  • Severe weather is the main insurance question: the National Weather Service says tornadoes can occur at any time of year, and the sources point to roof age and the wind-and-hail deductible.

Each point restates facts from that place's own page and sources. It is not a rating.

Waco and Temple side by side

DimensionWacoTemple
The 2025 rate stack, unit by unitFor tax year 2025 the Texas Comptroller's tables list the City of Waco at 0.755 per $100 of taxable value, made up of 0.5845 for maintenance and operations and 0.1705 for debt service. Waco ISD is listed at 1.0266 (0.7664 and 0.2602), McLennan County at 0.334805 and McLennan Community College District at 0.131974. Waco's city rate is the higher of the two cities, though school and county taxes make up most of a bill in both places.The same tables list the City of Temple at 0.6999, made up of 0.3754 for maintenance and operations and 0.3245 for debt service, and Temple ISD at 1.1372 (0.8022 and 0.335). Bell County is listed at 0.3317, Temple Junior College District at 0.2017 and the Temple Health & Bioscience Economic Development District at 0.013947. The school and college lines are higher than Waco's, so the lower city rate does not by itself make a lower overall stack. What a buyer should check: the exact parcel's units and the current year's figures, because every unit resets its rate each budget year.
How much of the city rate is debtWaco's debt service share is small. Of the 0.755 city rate, 0.1705 repays bonds, a little under a quarter of the total.Temple's debt service share is large. Of the 0.6999 city rate, 0.3245 repays bonds, nearly half the total. Debt service is committed to repay bonds, and Temple has put general obligation bond proposals to voters, so anyone weighing long-run tax levels should check for pending bond elections.
Appraisal districts and how each publishesMcLennan Central Appraisal District, at 315 S 26th Street in Waco, posts a page of the entities it appraises for and a general and exemption FAQ. The FAQ says only a one-time homestead application is required unless a re-application is requested, and that the district's home page offers online homestead filing. The local over-65 amount for each unit should be confirmed with the district or on that unit's notice.The Tax Appraisal District of Bell County lists the City of Temple, Temple ISD, Bell County, Temple College and the Temple Health and Bioscience district among its entities, with offices in Temple, Belton and Killeen. It also publishes a page titled Exemption Granted by Taxing Entity, an adopted-rates page and an exemption information page, which points a Temple buyer to the local amounts. Confirm every amount with the district before relying on it.
Age-65 exemption timing and the school-tax ceilingThe Comptroller states that Tax Code Section 11.13(b) requires school districts to provide a $140,000 residence homestead exemption and Section 11.13(c) an additional $60,000 for homeowners 65 or older or disabled. The McLennan FAQ says a homeowner qualifies for the over-age 65 exemption on the 65th birthday, applies it automatically if the district has a Texas driver's license or ID on file, and says an applicant who is 65 or older must apply no later than one year from the 65th birthday. It also says the exemption stays with a surviving spouse who is 55 or older and owns the home.The Bell district's exemption information says a homeowner may qualify for the age-65 exemption on the date they turn 65 and that the exemption comes with a ceiling limiting school taxes to the amount paid in the year of qualification. A county, city or college district may also limit taxes if it adopts a ceiling. The ceiling can increase if improvements are added, and a surviving spouse who was 55 or older when the spouse died can keep it. Eligible homeowners can defer taxes with 5 percent annual interest. The district also explains that a homestead's assessed value can rise by no more than 10 percent per year under Tax Code Section 23.23 until it reaches market value.
Special districts and extra chargesA Waco bill is built from the city, the school district, the county and McLennan Community College District. Waco ISD is not the only school district in the Waco area, since districts including Midway ISD serve parts of it, so the school line can differ by address. Confirm the district and any special-district line on the parcel's tax statement.Bell County has municipal utility districts, water control districts and emergency services districts that apply only inside their boundaries, and the Comptroller's special-district table lists examples such as Bell County MUD #1 at 0.783 and Bell County ESD #1 at 0.1. Whether a Temple-area home lies in one shows on its tax statement and in the seller's disclosures.
Hospitals and Veterans Affairs careWaco has two major hospital campuses. Ascension Providence Hospital describes itself as a full-service hospital with 24/7 emergency care and a cancer program accredited by the Commission on Cancer. Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Hillcrest, at 100 Hillcrest Medical Blvd, describes a 260-bed hospital with trauma and acute care, orthopedics and a Level III neonatal intensive care unit. VA Central Texas lists a Waco location at 4800 Memorial Drive.Temple's anchor is Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Temple, at 2401 S 31st St, which describes a main hospital campus, a pediatric campus and a long-term care campus, with emergency care 24 hours a day. VA Central Texas lists its main location at 1901 Veterans Memorial Drive in Temple and a clinic at 4501 South General Bruce Drive, Suite 75. Waco offers a choice of two hospital systems, while Temple concentrates one system and the VA's main site in one city; plan networks differ, so match physicians and plan to the hospital.
Airport and getting aroundWaco Regional Airport is a city department near Interstate 35 that says it has served Central Texas for more than 75 years and began as Waco Army Air Field in 1942. Its flight information page says passenger check-in and checked baggage processing close 45 minutes before departure. The City also runs the Waco Transit System with bus routes. Airline schedules change, so check the flight page for the airline and destination a household uses.Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport is operated by the City of Temple. Its page says it covers 922 acres, has two paved runways, 7,000 by 150 feet and 4,740 by 100 feet, and meets the business transportation needs of the region. Current airline options, if any, should be checked with the airport and airlines. No drive times between the two cities or to larger airports are quoted, since they vary by hour and route.
Tornado, hail and flood exposureThe National Weather Service describes tornadoes as capable of completely destroying well-made structures and says they can occur at any time of day or night and at any time of the year. Waco shares hail and roof guidance from the Texas Department of Insurance with Temple, which advises asking whether the wind and hail deductible differs from other deductibles and notes that roof coverage may be replacement cost or actual cash value. Lake Waco, operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has a stated mission that includes water supply for Waco and flood control for the Waco area.Temple has the same tornado and hail exposure and the same insurance guidance. FEMA states that any place with a 1 percent or higher chance of flooding each year is high risk and that floods do not follow city limits or property lines, so check the flood map near creeks and the Belton Lake area. Bell County's website posts burn-ban status. Premiums are not quoted for either city because they vary by insurer, roof and address.
Climate and heatThe National Centers for Environmental Information's 1991-2020 normals for Waco Regional Airport show a normal daily high of 59.1 degrees Fahrenheit in January, 96.7 in July and 97.1 in August. Days at or above 90 degrees number 23.1 in June, 29.1 in July and 28.5 in August. Normal precipitation is lowest in July at 1.82 inches and highest in May at 4.44 inches. Drought and flash flooding both occur in this part of Texas.No normals station in Temple was available, so Temple's reference is the same Waco Regional Airport station, which is a regional figure and not a Temple measurement. Both cities therefore share the same numbers, and the real difference lies in water, storm and flood exposure and in the daily setting more than in heat. The guide to Texas summer heat, humidity and climate by region compares Central Texas with other parts of the state.
Housing cost, age and rentersThe 2019-2023 survey estimates Waco at 141,925 residents with a median age of 29.2 and 18,703 residents aged 65 or older, 13.2 percent. It estimates a median household income of $51,468, a median owner-occupied home value of $199,600, a median gross rent of $1,098 and a median monthly owner cost of $1,683 for homes with a mortgage. Only 48.9 percent of occupied units are owner-occupied, so slightly more than half of households rent.The same survey estimates Temple at 86,358 residents with a median age of 33.8 and 13,059 residents aged 65 or older, 15.1 percent. It estimates a median household income of $64,945, a median home value of $220,300, a median gross rent of $1,174 and a median monthly owner cost of $1,593. The owner-occupied share is 52.9 percent. These are survey estimates with margins of error and lag current prices. No age-restricted ownership community is written up for either city, and households seeking managed senior living should verify licensing, contract terms and fees with each provider.
Parks, lakes and daily lifeThe City of Waco's website lists Cameron Park, Cameron Park Zoo, the Lake Waco Wetlands, the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame, the Waco Mammoth National Monument and free downtown parking among its attractions. The Corps of Engineers says Lake Waco offers fishing, camping and boating, that cash is no longer accepted at Corps-operated campgrounds and that zebra mussels have been found in the lake.The City of Temple's parks directory includes the Lions Junction Family Water Park, Sammons Park Indoor Pool, a skate park, the Central Texas Bark Park and the Sammons Golf Course. The Sammons Community Center is permanently closed and its programs continue at the Wilson Park Recreation Center. The city's outdoor recreation page points to Belton Lake, the Miller Springs Nature Center and Mother Neff State Park, and its arts menu lists the Cultural Activities Center, the Temple Children's Museum and the Temple Symphony Orchestra.

Time-sensitive details

  • Temple's council has called a November 3, 2026 bond election asking voters to consider up to $15 million in general obligation bonds for a replacement community center, a proposal and not an approved project. (as of October 8, 2026; valid through November 3, 2026). Confirm before relying on it.
  • Bell County's website stated on October 1, 2026 that the burn ban was not in effect. (as of October 8, 2026; valid through November 22, 2026). Confirm before relying on it.

Sources and review date

Last reviewed . Facts on this page come from the sources below; where a rule or figure can change, check the linked source before relying on it.

  1. 2025 City Rates and Levies (City Report of Property Value) — Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (accessed 2026-10-08)
  2. 2025 ISD Rates and Levies (ISD Report of Property Value) — Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (accessed 2026-10-08)
  3. 2025 County Rates and Levies (County Report of Property Value) — Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (accessed 2026-10-08)
  4. 2025 Special District Rates and Levies (Special District Report of Property Value) — Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (accessed 2026-10-08)
  5. Property Tax Exemptions — Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (accessed 2026-10-08)
  6. McLennan Central Appraisal District home page — McLennan Central Appraisal District (accessed 2026-10-08)
  7. Entities appraised by McLennan Central Appraisal District — McLennan Central Appraisal District (accessed 2026-10-08)
  8. General and Exemption FAQs — McLennan Central Appraisal District (accessed 2026-10-08)
  9. Tax Appraisal District of Bell County home page — Tax Appraisal District of Bell County (accessed 2026-10-08)
  10. Taxing Entities — Tax Appraisal District of Bell County (accessed 2026-10-08)
  11. Exemption Information — Tax Appraisal District of Bell County (accessed 2026-10-08)
  12. Exemption Granted by Taxing Entity — Tax Appraisal District of Bell County (accessed 2026-10-08)
  13. Bell County home page — Bell County, Texas (accessed 2026-10-08)
  14. Ascension Providence Hospital, Waco — Ascension (accessed 2026-10-08)
  15. Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Hillcrest — Baylor Scott & White Health (accessed 2026-10-08)
  16. Baylor Scott & White Medical Center - Temple — Baylor Scott & White Health (accessed 2026-10-08)
  17. Locations, VA Central Texas health care — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (accessed 2026-10-08)
  18. City of Waco home page — City of Waco (accessed 2026-10-08)
  19. Airport History, Waco Regional Airport — City of Waco (accessed 2026-10-08)
  20. Flight Information, Waco Regional Airport — City of Waco (accessed 2026-10-08)
  21. Draughon-Miller Central Texas Regional Airport — City of Temple (accessed 2026-10-08)
  22. City of Temple home page — City of Temple (accessed 2026-10-08)
  23. Outdoor Recreation — City of Temple (accessed 2026-10-08)
  24. Sammons Community Center — City of Temple Parks and Recreation (accessed 2026-10-08)
  25. Parks directory — City of Temple Parks and Recreation (accessed 2026-10-08)
  26. Wilson Park Recreation Center — City of Temple Parks and Recreation (accessed 2026-10-08)
  27. Waco Lake — U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District (accessed 2026-10-08)
  28. U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020, Waco Regional AP, TX (monthly) — NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (accessed 2026-10-08)
  29. Tornado Safety — National Weather Service (accessed 2026-10-08)
  30. Flood Maps — Federal Emergency Management Agency (accessed 2026-10-08)
  31. Hail damage to your home or car? What to do next. — Texas Department of Insurance (accessed 2026-10-08)
  32. Insurance and your roof: What to know when buying a policy or filing a claim — Texas Department of Insurance (accessed 2026-10-08)
  33. American Community Survey 2019-2023 DP03 Selected Economic Characteristics, Waco city, Texas — U.S. Census Bureau (accessed 2026-10-08)
  34. American Community Survey 2019-2023 DP04 Selected Housing Characteristics, Waco city, Texas — U.S. Census Bureau (accessed 2026-10-08)
  35. American Community Survey 2019-2023 DP05 Demographic and Housing Estimates, Waco city, Texas — U.S. Census Bureau (accessed 2026-10-08)
  36. American Community Survey 2019-2023 DP03 Selected Economic Characteristics, Temple city, Texas — U.S. Census Bureau (accessed 2026-10-08)
  37. American Community Survey 2019-2023 DP04 Selected Housing Characteristics, Temple city, Texas — U.S. Census Bureau (accessed 2026-10-08)
  38. American Community Survey 2019-2023 DP05 Demographic and Housing Estimates, Temple city, Texas — U.S. Census Bureau (accessed 2026-10-08)
  39. Waco, TX, Handbook of Texas Online — Texas State Historical Association (accessed 2026-10-09)
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