Head-to-Head · City Comparison
Urban Honolulu, HI
VS
Waco, TX
🏆 Urban Honolulu leads 15 of 22 categories
Urban Honolulu
Hawaii
15
wins
Cost of Living Index
106.8⚠ High
Median Household Income
$82,772 ✓ Higher
Violent Crime Index
49 ✓ Safer
Population
348,547 ✓ Larger
Waco
Texas
7
wins
Cost of Living Index
90.8 ✓ Cheaper
Median Household Income
$47,421
Violent Crime Index
112⚠ High
Population
140,545
Pros & Cons
Auto-generated from official data — head-to-head differences and gaps vs the national average.
Urban Honolulu, HI
Pros
Households earn $35,351 more per year on average
57% less violent crime than Waco
Violent crime is well below the national average (185.2 vs 380/100k)
More college-educated — 39.2% hold a bachelor's or higher
Milder winters — January highs near 76°F vs 59°F
Cooler summers — July highs near 79°F vs 95°F
Cons
Pricier housing — median home is $805,500
Higher rents — median is $1,734/mo
Cost of living runs 16% higher than Waco
Waco, TX
Pros
Homes cost $631k less ($174,100 vs $805,500)
Rent averages $696/mo less ($1,038 vs $1,734)
16% cheaper overall cost of living than Urban Honolulu
Stronger job market — unemployment is 0.6 pts lower (4.5%)
Commutes run 5 min shorter each way
Living costs sit below the national average (index 90.8)
Cons
Median income trails Urban Honolulu by $35,351/yr
Key Differences at a Glance
Urban Honolulu
Median Income
$35,351
$82,772 vs $47,421/yr
Urban Honolulu
Violent Crime
57% lower
185.2 vs 425.9 per 100k
Waco
Cost of Living
16% cheaper
COL index 90.8 vs 106.8 (100 = US avg)
Waco
Median Home Value
$631k less
$174,100 vs $805,500
Waco
Unemployment
0.6 pp lower
4.5% vs 5.1% unemployment
Waco
Summer Heat
15.5°F warmer
July avg high 94.5°F vs 79.0°F
Full Data Comparison
| Metric | Urban Honolulu, HI | Waco, TX |
|---|---|---|
| 💰 Cost of Living | ||
| Cost of Living Index National avg = 100 · lower = cheaper | 106.8⚠ High | 90.8 ✓ Cheaper |
| Median Home Value | $805,500⚠ High | $174,100 ✓ Lower |
| Median Monthly Rent | $1,734⚠ High | $1,038 ✓ Lower |
| 📈 Income & Economy | ||
| Median Household Income | $82,772 ✓ Higher | $47,421 |
| Unemployment Rate | 5.1%⚠ High | 4.5%⚠ High ✓ Lower |
| Avg Commute Minutes each way | 22.5 min | 17.5 min ✓ Shorter |
| Work From Home % | 7.7% ✓ Higher | 7.4% |
| 🔒 Safety | ||
| Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer · 60% violent / 40% property | 63 ✓ Safer | 108⚠ High |
| Violent Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 49 ✓ Safer | 112⚠ High |
| Property Crime Index 100 = national avg · lower = safer | 85 ✓ Safer | 101⚠ High |
| 🎓 Education | ||
| School Quality 100 = national avg · grad rate, staffing & attainment | B+ (108) ✓ Better | B- (96) |
| Student-Teacher Ratio Lower = smaller classes | 13.7:1 ✓ Smaller | 14.3:1 |
| Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 39.2% ✓ Higher | 27.9% |
| High School or Higher | 90.5% ✓ Higher | 85.0% |
| School District Name only — no quality rating available | Hawaii Department of Education | WACO ISD |
| 🌤 Weather | ||
| Avg High — January | 76.0°F ✓ Warmer | 58.5°F |
| Avg High — July | 79.0°F | 94.5°F ✓ Warmer |
| Annual Precipitation | 31.2" ✓ Drier | 38.7" |
| Annual Snowfall | 0.0" | 0.0" |
| 👥 Demographics | ||
| Population | 348,547 ✓ Larger | 140,545 |
| Median Age | 42.5 ✓ Older | 28.8 |
| Homeownership Rate | 48.0% ✓ Higher | 47.3% |
| Under 18 | 16.8% | 23.2% ✓ More |
| Over 65 | 21.3% ✓ More | 12.9% |
Frequently Asked Questions
Urban Honolulu's cost of living index is 106.8 vs Waco's 90.8 (US average = 100).
Waco is 16% less expensive overall.
Based on the 22 decided categories above, Urban Honolulu leads 15 of 22 categories. Urban Honolulu wins 15 and Waco wins 7. The right choice depends on your priorities — use the Pros & Cons and full table above to weigh what matters to you.
Whether you're moving from Urban Honolulu to Waco or relocating the other way, focus on the biggest gaps: housing ($805,500 vs $174,100 median home), income ($82,772 vs $47,421), safety, and schools — all covered in the full table above.
Urban Honolulu, HI and Waco, TX are about 3,772 miles apart (straight-line distance). Driving distance will be longer depending on the route.