Wichita Falls, TX — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Texas·Wichita Falls

Wichita County · Wichita Falls · population 102,372

Affordability
Wichita Falls, TX
Image: Wikipedia · Wichita Falls, Texas
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
65
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Wichita Falls stands

At or near all-time high. rents up 5.8% in the last year.

Median home $174,763
1-year -0.5%
5-yr CAGR +5.4%
vs 5-yr peak -1.0%
Population +0.0%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2025-02$175k$87k$119k$151k$184k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
25/100
Very car-dependent
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
30/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
95/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,272/mo$859$1,104$1,348202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent130139100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 11.4
Buy

At a 11.4 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Wichita Falls on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 11.4 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
47 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
67 · w22%
Distance from peak
84 · w18%
Population growth
45 · w16%
Rent YoY
83 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
70 · w10%
Long thesis

Wichita Falls offers a $174,763 median home with +5.4% annualized 5-year appreciation. Affordability + positive trend is one of the better risk/reward setups in US residential — small downside, room to compound.

Short thesis

Wichita Falls's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Wichita Falls

Wichita Falls is a city in Wichita County, Texas, with an estimated population of 102,372. The median home value in Wichita Falls is $174,763 as of 2026-04, down 0.5% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +5.4% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Wichita Falls average $1,272 per month, up 5.8% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 65 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +5.4% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Held the highs: currently -1.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
●Cheap entry point: $174,763 median home is well below the US median of $355k — room to grow without overpaying.
●Hot rental market: rents up 5.8% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Wichita Falls (Wikipedia)

Wichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States. It is the principal city of the Wichita Falls metropolitan statistical area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay, and Wichita Counties. According to the 2020 census, it had a population of 102,316, making it the 43rd-most populous city in Texas. Wichita Falls is home to Midwestern State University, enrolling more than 5,500 students.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorTim Short
Area72.03 sq mi
Elevation951 ft
Densityauto/sq mi

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Things to see in Wichita Falls(Landmarks)

  • Newby-McMahon Building

Extracted from the Wikipedia article. Names linked in the source — open the city’s Wikipedia page for details.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Wichita County right now.

NWS active alerts (TX)Texas Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Wichita County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Wichita Falls

1 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Lakeside City$303,270+2.7%

Cities like Wichita Falls

Harlingen, TX58 · StableSugar Land, TX57 · StableMission, TX63 · RisingPearland, TX61 · Stable

Run the numbers for Wichita Falls

ToolCan I afford Wichita Falls?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Wichita Falls rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Wichita Falls to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolWichita Falls cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
60° / 39°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
95° / 73°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
232
~64% of year
Annual precip
29″ rain
1″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
High
Tornado
Very high
Wildfire
Moderate
Earthquake
Low
Flood
Very high

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Wichita Falls listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Wichita Falls area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.

Local economy & environment

Humidity
64%
Moderate climate
Median household income
$73,000
Texas state median
Top industries (state-level)
Energy/Oil & GasTech (Austin)Healthcare

Humidity is annual average relative humidity (NOAA). Income is Census ACS 5-year estimate. Industries are largest employment sectors statewide (BLS); the local mix in a given city may vary.

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