CitytisticsShortlist

Cost of living, pay and housing

31.56° N · 97.30° W · GEOID 4879456

Willow Grove

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

Limited data population under 5,000

TexasWillow Grove, TXWillow GroveWillow Grove

The short answer

Willow Grove is home to 2,080 people. Median household income is $89,036 a year and median rent is $1,220 a month, 16.4% of income (a ratio of two medians, not any one household's burden). Rent pressure is lighter than in most places. The median home is valued at $269,600, about 3.0x annual median household income.

Median gross rent
$1,220
11% below the median place
Median household income
$89,036
11% above the median place
Median home value
$269,600
16% 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 Willow Grove

  • Between the 2020 and 2022 surveys, rent rose 31.8% a year while household income rose 11.7%, so rent outran pay by more than in 99% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-highest of 415 Texas places.
  • Only 0% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 98% of places its size. It is the lowest of 379 Texas places.
  • 12% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, a smaller share than in 92% of places its size.
  • 88% of homes are owner-occupied, more than in 87% of places its size.

Rent is light relative to pay, but the county has a FEMA natural hazard risk score of 91 out of 100. Budget for insurance before counting the savings.

01

Moving to Willow Grove

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, 0.0% 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
$48,800 a year to rent the median home at the 30% line. From your city
Rent or buy
Median rent is $1,220 a month; owners with a mortgage pay $1,689 a month including taxes and insurance, on a median home of $269,600.
Getting to work
24 minutes each way on average; 15.3% work from home.
If it is close but not quite
Trenton, OH matches it on character. Compare the two
Moved from another state1
0.0%
below the median place (median 2.0%)
Income of households moving out6
$59,495
15% below the median place
Moved here in the past year1
7.2%
25% above the median place
All 5 moving measures
MeasureWillow GroveAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Moved here in the past year1County figure7.2%25% above
Moved from another state10.0%below (median 2.0%)
Net movers per 1,000 people6County figure1.7above (median -0.6)
Income of households moving in6County figure$63,9789% below
Income of households moving out6County figure$59,49515% below
02

What it costs to live here

Renters paying 30%+ is 0.0%, below the median place (median 50.6%).

Willow Grove16.4%
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
$48,800
a year, at the 30% line
Rent to income
16.4%
20% below the median place
Home price to income
3.0x
20% below the median place

Could you afford it?

The median rent would take
16%
comfortably under the 30% line
Left after rent, in US prices
$78,800
a year
Vs the typical household here
Same
as the median household

Uses the median rent in Willow Grove, $1,220 a month, and local prices for everything else (94.4 against a US average of 100). It runs in your browser and stores nothing.

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

Sponsored · exampleMoving to Willow Grove? Compare quotes from licensed movers. No partner is signed yet. Sponsored offers are always labelled and never change the data.
Renters paying 30%+1
0.0%
below the median place (median 50.6%)
Homeownership1
88.1%
33% above the median place
Median year built1
1986
0% above the median place
All 15 cost and housing measures
MeasureWillow GroveAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median gross rent1$1,22011% below
Rent to income116.4%20% below
Property tax rate10.9%0% above
Home price to income13.0x20% below
Prices vs US average2Metro figure92.58% below
Fair market rent, 2 bedrooms3County figure$1,29720% below
Property tax paid (median)1$2,44825% below
Median home value1$269,60016% below
Home prices, 1-year change4County figure1.2%62% below
Home prices, 5-year change4County figure48.7%6% below
Homeownership188.1%33% above
Renters paying 30%+10.0%below (median 50.6%)
Owner costs with a mortgage1$1,68910% below
Vacant homes1County figure10.3%45% above
Median year built119860% 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
7.3%
32% below the median place
Works from home1
15.3%
23% above the median place

More on work and pay, against the typical place

Income per person$36,232 −10%
Median household income$89,036 +11%
Mean commute24 min −3%
All 10 work and pay measures
MeasureWillow GroveAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Median household income1$89,03611% above
Income per person1$36,23210% 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 rate17.3%32% below
Mean commute124 min3% below
Works from home115.3%23% above
Commutes by transit10.0%below (median 0.8%)
04

Who lives here

Bachelor's or higher is 12.3%, 62% below the median place.

Bachelor's or higher1
12.3%
62% below the median place
No health insurance1
12.3%
92% above the median place
Homes with broadband1
89.3%
3% below the median place

More about who lives here, against the typical place

Median age36.9 −5%
Household size2.6 +3%
High school or higher91.5% −1%
All 8 people measures
MeasureWillow GroveAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Population12,0806646th largest
Median age136.95% below
Bachelor's or higher112.3%62% below
High school or higher191.5%1% below
Household size12.63% above
Born abroad1County figure8.6%3% below
No health insurance112.3%92% above
Homes with broadband189.3%3% below
05

Life in Willow Grove

24 sites are on the National Register of Historic Places.

Out the door, against the typical place

Parks per 10k residents0.0 −100%
Playgrounds per 10k14.4 +53%
Grocery stores per 10k0.0 −100%
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k0.0 −100%
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.

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.

Public schools10
107
above the median place (median 9)
Public school students10
45,603
above the median place (median 4,897)
Child care centers per 10k7
1.9
17% below the median place
All 16 schools and local life measures
MeasureWillow GroveAmong 6,645 placesVs median
Public schools10County figure107above (median 9)
Public school students10County figure45,603above (median 4,897)
Students per teacher10County figure14.18% below
Restaurants and bars per 10k7County figure21.11% above
Shops per 10k7County figure33.210% above
Arts, recreation and fitness per 10k7County figure3.515% below
Doctors' offices and clinics per 10k7County figure17.712% below
Child care centers per 10k7County figure1.917% below
Parks per 10k80.0below (median 10.2)
Playgrounds per 10k814.453% above
Grocery stores per 10k80.0below (median 2.1)
Restaurants, cafes and bars per 10k80.0below (median 11.2)
Libraries per 10k80.0below (median 0.9)
Named paths and bike trails80.0below (median 2.0)
Transit stops per sq mi80.0below (median 0.2)
National Register listings9County figure2485% above
06

Safety, weather and risk

July average high is 95°F, 10% above the median place.

No crime figure yet. Either the city police department did not report to the FBI for the latest year, or our monthly fetch has not reached Willow Grove. Larger places are fetched first.

July average high11
95°F
10% above the median place
Tornado risk12
98.8
21% above the median place
Average temperature11
67°F
21% above the median place
All 11 weather and risk measures
MeasureWillow GroveAmong 6,645 placesVs median
July average high11County figure95°F10% above
January average low11County figure37°F45% above
Average temperature11County figure67°F21% above
Annual precipitation11County figure37.8 in14% below
Natural hazard risk12County figure91.21% below
Hurricane risk12County figure81.315% above
Tornado risk12County figure98.821% above
Wildfire risk12County figure90.047% above
Heat wave risk12County figure96.07% above
Median air quality index13County figure5119% above
Good air days13County figure46.6%32% below
08

Willow Grove in 2030: where the trends point

If recent trends hold, the median rent will take about 19% of the median income in 2030, up from 16% 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.

MeasureLatest2030 projectionLikely rangeAvg. per year
Median rent$1,220/mo (2022)$1,890/mo$1,510 to $2,380/mo+5.6%
Median household income$89,036 (2024)$117,000$99,000 to $138,500+4.7%
Median home value$269,600 (2024)$408,000$296,000 to $562,000+7.2%

The median home would be worth 3.5 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 Willow Grove

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

PlaceRentIncome
Trenton, OH$1,284$80,635Compare
Burbank, IL$1,265$80,116Compare
Coalinga, CA$1,093$75,451Compare
Lockwood, MT$1,138$75,700Compare
Lockwood, MTCoalinga, CABurbank, ILTrenton, OHWillow Grove, TXWillow GroveTrentonBurbankCoalingaLockwoodWillow GroveTrentonBurbankCoalingaLockwood

Common questions

Is Willow Grove a good place to live?

It depends on what you need, so here is what the numbers say. Between the 2020 and 2022 surveys, rent rose 31.8% a year while household income rose 11.7%, so rent outran pay by more than in 99% of the 2,476 places under 10,000 people we track. It is the 2nd-highest of 415 Texas places. Only 0% of renter households spend 30% or more of income on rent, a lower share than in 98% of places its size. It is the lowest of 379 Texas places. On cost, space and class size it scores 94 out of 100 for families. See how it ranks with your own weights.

Is Willow Grove expensive to live in?

The median rent takes 16.4% of the median household income, against 20.4% in the typical place we track. Housing is a lighter load here than usual. The median home is valued at $269,600.

What salary do you need to live in Willow Grove?

To rent the median home without spending more than 30% of income on rent, a household needs about $48,800 a year. Work it out from your current city.

What places are similar to Willow Grove?

On income, rent, home value, education and age, the closest matches are Trenton, OH, Burbank, IL, Coalinga, CA and Lockwood, MT.

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. 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.
  7. County Business Patterns · US Census Bureau · 2023 data
  8. OpenStreetMap · © OpenStreetMap contributors, available under the Open Database License (ODbL) · Map data as of 2026-11
  9. National Register of Historic Places · National Park Service · Listings through 2026-05-22
  10. Common Core of Data · National Center for Education Statistics · 2024 release
  11. 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
  12. National Risk Index · Federal Emergency Management Agency · Latest release, retrieved 2026-11-14NRI data and maps
  13. 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 Willow Grove with places of a similar size, using only figures measured for Willow Grove itself; county and metro figures never count. Survey figures are estimates with margins of error. Formulas and definitions: methodology. API: /api/v1/places/willow-grove-texas

Citytistics. “Willow Grove, Texas.” Data as of 2026-11-14. https://www.citytistics.com/city/willow-grove-texas/

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