WACO AT A GLANCE
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Distance To...
- Austin: 90 miles
- Dallas: 90 miles
- Fort Worth: 90 miles
- Houston: 180 miles
- San Antonio: 185 miles
Area
- Waco: 105 sq. mi.
- McLennan County: 1,041.8 sq. mi.
Geography
- McLennan County sits on the Grand Prairie where the Blackland Prairie meets the Balcones Fault Zone
Population
- City of Waco: 124,075
- Waco MSA: 230,213
- Seven County Region: 680,440
Employment
- MSA Labor Force: 116,374 (January 2010)
- Unemployment Rate: 7.4% (January 2010)
Government
- Waco is a municipal corporation with a council manager form of government.
- McLennan County has 19 incorporated cities, including Waco.
Public Services
- Fire: (City of Waco)
-ISO rating 2
-14 fire stations
-195 firefighters
- Police: (City of Waco) 246 officers
- Sheriff: (McLennan County)
-341 peace officers and jailers
-356 total employees Utilities
- Telephone: fiber optics, high capacity digital available
- Electricity: Visit PowertoChoose.com
- Natural Gas: ATMOS Energy
- Water:
-Source: Lake Waco
-Provider: City of Waco
- Sewer: Waco Metropolitan Area Regional Sewer System
Education
- 20 public school districts in McLennan County
- Baylor University: 13,813 enrolled
- McLennan Community College: 9,928 enrolled
- University Center: 900 enrolled
- Texas State Technical College Waco: 5,714 enrolled
Transportation
- Railroads: Union Pacific, Burlington Northern/Santa Fe, Amtrak
- Buses: Waco Transit System, Greyhound Bus Lines, Waco Eagle/The Streak shuttle service
- Highways: Interstate-35, U.S. Hwys 77 & 84, State Hwys 6, 31, 164, 317
- Air: Waco Regional Airport (American, Continental), TSTC Airport, McGregor Executive Airport
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QUALITY OF LIFE
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Some say Waco is one of Texas' best-kept secrets. No traffic, central location, vibrant community spirit and excellent quality of life are just a few reasons people love to live here.
Waco is a place where your money goes further. With a cost of living index of 88.2%, compared with the U.S. average of 100%, Waco is affordable. An average home value is $136,700, and the average cost of a new four bedroom home is $242,005. Take into consideration the purchasing power for groceries, transportation, and miscellaneous goods and services, and you'll see that living in Waco is a walk in the park. You can use the cost of Living Calculator here..
Greater Waco residents enjoy an abundance of park space in the community. Small neighborhood and lakeside parks for picnics; fishing, swimming and boating; riverfront areas for recreation and urban spaces for a quiet weekday lunch offer something for everyone.
Cameron Park, situated along the Bosque and Brazos Rivers, offers an impressive landscape of scenic limestone cliffs and wooded hills. the 416-acre park features one of the most recognized natural trail systems in Texas. The trails zigzag and climb 100-foot bluffs that overlook both rivers. The daring can rip down bike trails like Vortex and Root Canal, or for a slower pace, park visitors can stroll along the River trail and bamboo-filled California 56.
The Cameron Park Zoo, in the heart of the park, is a world-class adventure for a natural habitat zoo. The 52-acre "park in a park" includes a 50,000-gallon aquarium and the Brazos River Country Exhibit that follows the diverse landscape and animals of Texas' longest river from the western Plains to the Gulf of Mexico Coast.
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CLIMATE
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| January |
34.2°F |
45.2°F |
56.1°F |
| April |
56.2°F |
67.1°F |
78°F |
| July |
74.4°F |
85.6°F |
96.8°F |
| October |
56.8°F |
68.5°F |
80.3°F |
| Annual Relative Humidity |
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73.5% |
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| Annual Precipitation |
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32 in. |
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| Annual Snowfall |
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1.4 in. |
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| Annual Average Wind Speed |
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11.1 mph |
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Source: National Climactic Data Center
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COST OF LIVING INDEX
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| Cost of Living Index: (U.S.= 100%) |
90.6% |
| Cost of Home (New – 4 bdrm.) |
$244,152 |
| Monthly Apartment Rent (<10 years) |
$779 |
| Index Categories |
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| Grocery |
84.1% |
| Housing |
89.5% |
| Utilities |
85.5% |
| Transportation |
98.7% |
| Health Care |
90.5% |
| Misc. Goods/Services |
92.7% |
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Source:ACCRA Cost of Living Index, Second Quarter 2010
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Cost of Living Calculator
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Waco participates in the Council for Community and Economic Research (C2ER) "Cost of Living Index" program. This index
is compiled from data submitted on a quarterly basis from over 300 metropolitan
areas. Each participating community "shops" 64 items in their
respective communities on the same day of each quarter. These prices
for goods and services are sent to C2ER, where a quarterly index is
compiled. The national average for each item is given a rating of 100. You can use the cost of living calculator here.
For more information about the C2ER Cost of Living Index or to subscribe
to the service, please contact (703) 522-4980.
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BUILDING PERMITS
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HOUSING
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| Average Home Price |
$136,700 |
| Median Home Price |
$117,800 |
| Total Households |
88,160 |
| Average Household Income |
$55,063 |
| Median Household Income |
$43,063 |
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Sources:
Experian/Applied Geographic Solutions
Texas A&M Real Estate Center
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Housing Starts
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| McLennan County |
1111 |
1220 |
1224 |
1254 |
986 |
485 |
| China Spring ISD |
199 |
229 |
162 |
187 |
146 |
36 |
| Midway ISD |
317 |
420 |
474 |
481 |
359 |
240 |
| Robinson ISD |
75 |
73 |
109 |
131 |
90 |
25 |
| Waco ISD |
100 |
137 |
124 |
137 |
154 |
61 |
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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
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From art museums and galleries to the Waco Symphony Orchestra, Greater Waco is rich in culture. Baylor University and McLennan Community College offer numerous performances each year along with the Waco Hippodrome and Waco Civic Theatre in outdoor venues on the Brazos and Bosque rivers and in three performing arts theaters. For a calendar of Arts & Entertainment events in the Waco area, see WacoWeDoArts.com.
Entertainment opportunities include:
3,287 Hotel & Motel Rooms
325 Restaurants
14 museums
3 movie theaters
10 Bed & Breakfasts |
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RECREATION
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Waco is within 200 miles of 3 national parks and more than 50 state parks and historic sites. There are more than 60 parks within the community, including Cameron Park, offering scenic hiking and biking trails, rock climbing and the Cameron Park Zoo. For a calendar of events, see WacoWeDoSports.com. Other recreation and entertainment attractions include:
- 2 country clubs
- 5 recreation centers
- 36 tennis courts
- Athletic Complex
- 9 golf courses
- Softball & Little League fields
- Water Park
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MEDIA
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One daily newspaper and 5 weekly newspapers service the community.
Waco Tribune Herald
Twelve local radio stations provide programming in English and Spanish.
National Public Radio (NPR) provided through Baylor University
There are 6 local television stations within the community.
KCEN- NBC affiliate
KWBU - Public Television
KWKT - FOX affiliate
KWTX - CBS affiliate
KXXV- ABC affiliate
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HEALTH CARE
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| Providence Healthcare Network |
6 |
214 |
General acute, Operational psychiatric, Long term care |
| Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center |
12 |
236 |
Level II Trauma, Women's & Children's, Long term care |
| VA Medical Center |
1 |
433 |
Veteran's health: Acute, Intermediate, Long-term psychiatric care |
| Family Health Center |
12 |
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Primary, Preventive health care |
| Scott & White Clinic |
5 |
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14 regional clinics, multi-specialty |
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Waco’s health care industry is alive and well with both major hospitals in an expansion phase and a growing work force in this important target industry.
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Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center
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Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center
3000 Herring Ave.
(254)202-2000
Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center (HBMC), Waco’s only Level II trauma center and neonatal intensive care unit, and have completed construction on a 74-acre campus at the Legends Crossing development at Interstate 35 and Loop 340. The $185 million campus is approximately 500,000 square feet and includes a women’s and children’s hospital and healthcare center.
Hillcrest’s 12 clinics are neighborhood-based, so that medical care is available where it is needed. Primary care clinics are also the gateway to more than 30 medical specialists, though the support of HBMC.
HBMC is jointly operated by Scott & White Healthcare and Hillcrest Health System. As a “community-owned” health care organization, Hillcrest puts all profits back into the local community by providing services such as new cardiology equipment. No individual shareholder or corporation makes any profit. A local board of trustees, made up of community members, serves without pay and manages Hillcrest operations.
HBMC is 5th highest employer with 1,513 employees. The Hillcrest family involves Hillcrest Baptist Medical Center, a fully-accredited, 236-bed acute care facility with specialty services in Level II Trauma, women and children and long term care.
-www.hillcrest.net
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Providence Healthcare Network
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Providence Healthcare Network
6901 Medical Parkway
(254)751-400
Providence Healthcare Network, founded in 1904 by the Daughters of Charity, has recently completed a $48.5 million expansion that increased its service throughout the health center.
Providence Healthcare Network- consist of Providence Health Center, Providence Home Care, De Paul Center, the new Providence Pack, Providence Clinics, Providence Foundation, and Providence Health Alliance. Providing a full range of care including: outpatient care, inpatient care, emergency services, long-term care, mental health care, chemical dependency treatment, child care and senior adult care services and more.
Providence Health Center campus includes a 214-bed, acute-care hospital; an Ambulatory Service Building for outpatient procedures and the MRI Center at Providence and Providence Clinic-Family Medicine Center, a primary care facility. The new Providence Park, five-story addition at the front of the hospital has changed the face of Providence, and expansion to the rear of the hospital has significantly increased Emergency Department capability.
Know as the Heart Hospital, Providence has a strong emphasis on cardiac diagnosis and treatment and a cardiopulmonary rehabilitation center.
Providence was named in 2009 a national Top 100 Hospital for overall care, has three time been named a Top 100 Heart Hospital, and has been recognized by CareScience as a recipient of the Select Practice National Quality Leader Award placing Providence in the top two percent of the hospitals in the nation.
Providence Health Center is listed 3rd for Waco’s major employers with 2,495 employees, with eight clinics throughout the area.
-www.providence.net
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Scott & White Clinic
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Scott & White Clinic
7700 Fish Pond Road
(254)741-4444
A Top 100 Hospital for the sixth straight year, Scott & White has been ranked among the Thomson 100 Top Hospitals in the country. Based upon clinical excellence, patient safety and satisfaction, operating efficiency and community responsiveness, the benchmark study names Scott & White among the elite major teaching hospitals in the country.
Healthcare Like No Other for More Than 100 Years; when Arthur C. Scott, M.D., and Raleigh R. White Jr., M.D., began their medical practice in Temple, Texas in 1897, they shared one fundamental conviction: medicine must serve the people.
Today, Scott & White Healthcare is a fully integrated health system — the largest multi-specialty practice in Texas and the sixth largest group practice in the nation. Scott & White employs more than 800 physicians and research scientists who care for patients covering 25,000 square miles across Central Texas through 14 regional clincs with five in Greater Waco.
-www.SW.org |
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Family Health Center
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Family Health Center
1600 Providence Drive
(254)750-8200
The Family Health Center has 12 locations throughout McLennan County to provide high-quality, comprehensive primary and preventative health care for underserved residents.
The center also trains family practice physicians through the Family Practice Residency Program, which is recognized nationally for the quality of its faculty. More than half of the practicing family medicine physicians in McLennan County are graduates of the program. The program began in 1970 and is the oldest family medicine residency west of the Mississippi River.
-www.wacofpc.org |
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Waco VA Medical Center
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Waco VA Medical Center
4800 Memorial Drive
(254)752-6581
The Waco VA Medical Center, in operation since 1932, is a major referral facility for acute, intermediate and long-term psychiatric care for veterans. The facility is part of the Central Texas Veterans Health Care System which also includes a hospital in Temple and outpatient clinics in Austin and five other communities.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder treatment, an inpatient rehabilitation center for the blind and a Psychosocial Rehabilitation Program are among the services the VA Medical Center provides.
Outpatient Services also are offered for primary care, mental health and specialty care.
-www.centraltexas.va.gov |
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FAITH & NON-PROFIT COMMUNITIES
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Waco has a strong religious community that dates back generations. The First United Methodist Church traces its origins to the earliest pioneer days when it was started in 1850 by a circuit rider. In 1851, the First Baptist Church of Waco began.
Faith-based organizations in Waco focus on reaching out to the elderly, hungry and impoverished populations. For information on opportunities to get involved, see ActLocallyWaco.org.
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Worship Facilities
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The religious landscape in Waco today is diverse. More than 200 places of worship representing more than 30 denominations and multiple faiths offer services from traditional to contemporary. For more information on worshiping in Waco, visit WacoTrib.com and click on the Living tab for the Faith Directory.
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Civic & Non-profit Organizations
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| Advocacy Center of Crime Victims & Children |
Girl Scouts of Central Texas |
The Bernard and Audre Rapoport Foundation |
| American Cancer Society |
Goodwin Industries |
The Salvation Army |
| American Football Coaches Assoc. |
Heart of Texas Region MH-MR Ctr. |
United Way of Waco-McLennan County |
| American Heart Assoc. |
HOT Apartment Assoc., Inc. |
Waco Assoc. of Realtors, Inc. |
| American Red Cross |
HOT Bed & Breakfast Owners Assoc. |
Waco Big-12- Bear Force One |
| Arthritis Foundation |
HOT Builders Assoc. |
Waco Crime Stoppers, Inc. |
| Associated General Contractors- Central Texas |
HOT Chapter of the Society of H.R. Management |
Waco Foundation |
| Baylor Alumni Assoc. |
Junior League of Waco |
Waco Founder Lions Club |
| Baylor Bear Foundation |
Keep McLennan Beautiful |
Waco Habitat for Humanity |
| Baylor- Waco Foundation |
Keep Waco Beautiful |
Waco Outreach Foundation |
| Better Business Bureau |
March of Dimes |
Waco Police Assoc. |
| Cameron Park Zoological & Botanical Society |
McLennan County Medical Society |
Waco Professional Fire Fighters Assoc. |
| Care Net Pregnancy Center |
Muscular Dystrophy Assoc. |
Waco Scottish Rite Bodies |
| Caritas of Waco |
National Assoc. of Purchasing Management |
Waco Symphony Assoc. |
| Carter Blood Care |
Northwest Optimist Club of Waco |
Waco-McLennan County Library System |
| Central Texas Economic Development District |
Quinn Campus, Inc. |
Women of Waco Business Networking Group |
| Cooper Foundation |
Susan G. Komen for the Cure- Central Texas |
YMCA of Central Texas |
| Family Abuse Center |
Texas AFT |
Young Life |
| Friends for Life |
The Bair Foundation |
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