CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

31.60° N · 97.09° W · GEOID 4807408

Bellmead

McLennan County, Texas · part of the Waco, TX metro

TexasBellmead, TXBellmeadBellmead

The short answer

Bellmead is home to 10,566 people. Median household income is $52,075 a year and median rent is $1,107 a month, 25.5% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is moderate. The median home is valued at $155,100, about 3.0x annual median household income.

The story in Bellmead is how fast things are changing. Housing became less affordable between 2019 and 2024: rent went from 21.5% to 25.5% of income. Also notable: After the median rent, with other prices set to the US average, the median household keeps about $41,100 a year, less than in 91% of places its size.

11OF 100

CTXCitytistics Index

Weak

Bellmead scores better than 11% of the 6,612 places we rate, and ranks 351st of 407 in Texas.

How the CTX is built

Category ratings · 0 to 100, typical place 50

Affordability 20%47
Economy 20%37
Safety 20%19
Amenities 15%24
Education 10%6
Commute 10%63
Growth 5%40
Median gross rent
$1,107
19% below the median place
Median household income
$52,075
35% below the median place
Median home value
$155,100
51% below the median place
Unemployment
4.5%
9% below the median place

Compared with the median of the 6,645 places we track. The bundle was checked 2026-11-14; each measure may refer to an older release.

What stands out about Bellmead

  • HousingOwning with a mortgage costs only about $107 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 91% of the 2,298 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.
  • GrowthCompared with the 25 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Liberty, TX, Willis, TX and Cleveland, TX), home value growth here is higher: 15.8% a year against a typical 9.5% a year.
01

Moving to Bellmead

McLennan County gains about 1.7 residents per 1,000 a year to moves between counties.

Moved in10,633
Moved out10,280
Net+353

Where people come from and where they go, top counties

Bell County, TX790816−26
Tarrant County, TX487587−100
Bosque County, TX278

Within Texas, other states or abroad

Arrivals
Leavers
Within TexasOther statesAbroad

Income per tax return

Arrivals$64K
Leavers$59K

People on tax returns who moved between counties, from IRS migration data, 2022 to 2023. Figures are for all of McLennan County; flows under 20 returns are not published.

Who moves here
7.2% of residents arrived from another county in the past year, 2.5% from another state. County figure.
Who arrives and who leaves
Households moving into McLennan County report $64,000 a year in income on average; those leaving, $59,500, so newcomers earn more than leavers.
Income you would need
$44,300 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,107 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,214 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $155,100.
Getting to work
23 minutes each way on average; 9.8% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
South Apopka, FL matches it on character for less of your income. Compare the two
Income of households moving out7
$59,495
15% below the median place
Moved here in the past year1
7.2%
25% above the median place
Net movers per 1,000 people7
1.7
above the median place (median -0.6)
All 5 moving measures
MeasureBellmeadAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure7.2%25% above
Moved from another state1County figure2.5%26% above
Net movers per 1,000 people7County figure1.7above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in7County figure$63,9789% below
Income of households moving out7County figure$59,49515% below
02

What it costs to live here

77% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a higher share than in 98% of the 2,222 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track.

Bellmead25.5%
Typical place20.4%

Share of the median household income that goes to the median rent. Above 30% is the usual stress line.

Income needed to rent
$44,280
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
25.5%
25% above the median place
Home price to income
3.0x
22% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
26%
just under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$41,000
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Bellmead, $1,107 a month, and local prices for everything else (94.4 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

Like Bellmead, but easier on the budget

Places that match Bellmead on character (size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, remote work and climate) but where rent takes a clearly smaller share of income. Cost was left out of the match on purpose.

PlaceMatchRent to incomeMore left a year
South Apopka, FL9521.4% vs 25.5%$8,500Compare
Cleveland, TX9420.5% vs 25.5%$3,400Compare
Bridgeport, TX9416.7% vs 25.5%$38,800Compare
Russellville, AL9314.1% vs 25.5%n/aCompare

Moving from somewhere else? Work out the salary you would need in Bellmead.

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Bellmead? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
77.4%
53% above the median place
Owner costs with a mortgage1
$1,214
35% below the median place
Median home value1
$155,100
51% below the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureBellmeadAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,10719% below
Rent to income125.5%25% above
Property tax rate11.1%21% above
Home price to income13.0x22% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure92.58% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,29720% below
Property tax paid (median)1$1,71048% below
Median home value1$155,10051% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure1.2%62% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure48.7%6% below
Homeownership159.8%10% below
Renters paying 30%+177.4%53% above
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,21435% below
Vacant homes16.5%8% below
Median year built119840% above
03

Work and pay

Commutes by transit is 0.0%, below the median place (median 0.8%).

Commutes by transit1
0.0%
below the median place (median 0.8%)
Poverty rate1
24.9%
131% above the median place
Median household income1
$52,075
35% below the median place
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureBellmeadAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$52,07535% below
Income per person1$27,87630% below
Unemployment1County figure4.5%9% below
Average annual pay5County figure$63,4834% below
Pay growth, 1 year5County figure5.1%38% above
Jobs5County figure122,99218% below
Poverty rate124.9%131% above
Mean commute123 min8% below
Works from home1County figure9.8%21% below
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

No health insurance is 28.3%, 342% above the median place.

No health insurance1
28.3%
342% above the median place
High school or higher1
70.8%
23% below the median place
Bachelor's or higher1
13.4%
58% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Household size3.0 +18%
Born abroad19.3% 2.2×
Homes with broadband88.5% −4%
Median age36.1 −7%
All 9 people measures
MeasureBellmeadAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population110,5663981st largest
Population change since 202060.9%21% below
Median age136.17% below
Bachelor's or higher113.4%58% below
High school or higher170.8%23% below
Household size13.018% above
Born abroad119.3%118% above
No health insurance128.3%342% above
Homes with broadband188.5%4% below
05

Life in Bellmead

The nearest National Park Service site is Waco Mammoth National Monument, about 5 miles away.

24 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places. Its history on Wikipedia

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents5.7 −44%
Playgrounds per 10k7.6 −20%
Grocery stores per 10k3.8 +79%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k7.6 −32%
Libraries per 10k0.0 −100%
Named paths and bike trails0 km −100%
Bus and rail stops per sq mi0.0 −100%

Mapped by volunteers in OpenStreetMap inside the city limits (Census boundaries), so coverage is fuller in some places than others. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.

National Park Service sites nearby

  • Waco Mammoth National Monument 5 miles
  • El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail 98 miles
  • Lyndon B. Johnson National Historical Park 131 miles

Businesses per 10,000 residents (county figures)

Restaurants and bars21.1 +1%
Shops33.2 +10%
Arts, recreation and fitness3.5 −15%
Doctors' offices and clinics17.7 −12%
Child care centers1.9 −17%

Counts businesses with paid staff, so small owner-run shops are not included.

Nearest National Park Service site10
5.1
83% below the median place
Public schools13
107
above the median place (median 9)
Public school students13
45,603
above the median place (median 4,897)
All 18 schools and local life measures
MeasureBellmeadAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools13County figure107above (median 9)
Public school students13County figure45,603above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher13County figure14.18% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k8County figure21.11% above
Shops per 10k8County figure33.210% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k8County figure3.515% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k8County figure17.712% below
Child care centers per 10k8County figure1.917% below
Parks per 10k95.744% below
Playgrounds per 10k97.620% below
Grocery stores per 10k93.879% above
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k97.632% below
Libraries per 10k90.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails90.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi90.0below (median 0.2)
Nearest National Park Service site105.183% below
National Park Service sites within 60 miles10150% below
National Register listings11County figure2485% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

Violent crime per 100k is 348, 81% above the median place.

Violent crime per 100k
348
81% above the median place
Property crime per 100k
2,784
130% above the median place
Months reported
12 of 12
by the city police department to the FBI

Counts only offenses reported by the city police department. Sheriff, state and campus police are not included, and some departments do not report to the FBI at all, so compare with care.

July average high14
95°F
10% above the median place
Tornado risk15
98.8
21% above the median place
Average temperature14
67°F
21% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureBellmeadAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high14County figure95°F10% above
January average low14County figure37°F45% above
Average temperature14County figure67°F21% above
Annual precipitation14County figure37.8 in14% below
Natural hazard risk15County figure91.21% below
Hurricane risk15County figure81.315% above
Tornado risk15County figure98.821% above
Wildfire risk15County figure90.047% above
Heat wave risk15County figure96.07% above
Median air quality index16County figure5119% above
Good air days16County figure46.6%32% below
08

Bellmead in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 26% of the median income in 2030, up from 26% now.

Citytistics projections to 2030: each figure's own trend, blended with the typical trend across the places we rate, eased toward long-run US growth and carried forward from the latest release. The range is where 80% of places landed when we tested the same method on past releases. On projected 2030 affordability, Bellmead does better than 42% of places. Its projected home value growth beats 97%.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,107/mo (2024)$1,440/mo$1,180 to $1,760/mo+4.5%
Median household income$52,075 (2024)$66,500$56,000 to $78,500+4.1%
Median home value$155,100 (2024)$237,000$172,000 to $327,000+7.3%
Population10,592 (2025)10,71010,280 to 11,170+0.2%

The median home would be worth 3.6 years of the median income in 2030, against 3.0 now.

A projection of recent trends, not a prediction of the economy or advice to buy or sell. How we project.

09

Places like Bellmead

The closest matches on income, rent, home value, education and age, and the places nearby.

PlaceRentIncome
Whitehall, OH$1,145$51,759Compare
Liberty, TX$1,060$53,833Compare
Monticello, NY$1,166$50,583Compare
Gray, LA$1,025$54,559Compare
Gray, LAMonticello, NYLiberty, TXWhitehall, OHBellmead, TXBellmeadWhitehallLibertyMonticelloGrayBellmeadWhitehallLibertyMonticelloGray

Places built like Bellmead

Its statistical peers: the closest matches on size, age, education, homeownership, household size, housing age, origin and remote work, in the same part of the country. Cost and outcomes are left out of the match, so the table shows how Bellmead performs against places like it.

PlaceRent to incomeIncome growthPop. change
Bellmead, TX25.5%4.5%/yr0.9%
Liberty, TX23.6%-1.5%/yr10.7%Compare
Willis, TX22.2%10.4%/yr19.4%Compare
Cleveland, TX20.5%5.7%/yr33.4%Compare
El Campo, TX19.2%6.4%/yr-1.7%Compare
Uvalde, TX23.3%4.2%/yr1.6%Compare
Town of Pecos, TX19.5%4.3%/yr-19.9%Compare

Common questions

Is Bellmead a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Its Citytistics Index is 11 out of 100, better than 11% of the places we rate and 351st of 407 in Texas. Owning with a mortgage costs only about $107 a month more than the median rent, a smaller gap than in 91% of the 2,298 places of 10,000 to 25,000 people we track. Compared with the 25 places most like it in size, age, education, housing and region (such as Liberty, TX, Willis, TX and Cleveland, TX), home value growth here is higher: 15.8% a year against a typical 9.5% a year. On cost, space and class size it scores 37 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Bellmead expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 25.5% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a heavier load here than usual. The median home is valued at $155,100.

What salary do you need to live in Bellmead?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $44,280 a year. Work it out from your current city.

Is Bellmead safe?

There were 348 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, against 192 in the typical place.

What places are similar to Bellmead?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Whitehall, OH, Liberty, TX, Monticello, NY and Gray, LA.

Sources and methods

The small numbers beside each measure point here. Every dataset is public; links go to the publisher.

  1. American Community Survey 5-year estimates · US Census Bureau · 2020 to 2024 estimatesTables B01002, B01003, B05002, B07003, B08013, B08301, B15003, B17001, B19013, B19301, B23025, B25002, B25003, B25010, B25035, B25064, B25070, B25077, B25088, B25103, B28002, S2701
  2. Regional Price Parities · US Bureau of Economic Analysis · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  3. Fair Market Rents · US Department of Housing and Urban Development · Fiscal year 2027
  4. House Price Index · Federal Housing Finance Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14
  5. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages · US Bureau of Labor Statistics · 2025 annual averages
  6. Population Estimates · US Census Bureau · Vintage 2025
  7. SOI Tax Stats, county-to-county migration · Internal Revenue Service · Tax years 2022 to 2023Counts tax returns and the people on them; flows under 20 returns are suppressed.
  8. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  9. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  10. National Park Service sites · Wikidata (CC0), units operated by the National Park Service · Retrieved 2026-11
  11. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  12. Crime Data Explorer · Federal Bureau of Investigation · 2025 data
  13. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  14. 1991-2020 climate normals · NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · Series updated 2026-11-05Averages for 1991 to 2020 computed from NOAA's county climate series (nClimDiv).nClimDiv county series
  15. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  16. Air Quality System, annual AQI by county · US Environmental Protection Agency · 2025 dataAirData download files

Derived by Citytistics from the tables above: rent to income (B25064, B19013); property tax rate (B25103, B25077); home price to income (B25077, B19013).

What stands out compares Bellmead with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Bellmead itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/bellmead-texas

Citytistics. “Bellmead, Texas.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/bellmead-texas/

This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.