Belton receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Belton
Killeen
Opportunity
45 · Bottom 26%
vs38 · Bottom 14%
Growth
68 · Top 20%
vs68 · Top 20%
Climate
69 · Bottom 44%
vs68 · Bottom 42%
Physical resilience
80 · Top 25%
vs79 · Top 26%
Housing affordability
68 · Bottom 30%
vs81 · Top 50%
Schools
56 · Top 44%
vs33 · Bottom 26%
Access
71 · Bottom 13%
vs66 · Bottom 10%
Economic stability
42 · Bottom 20%
vs51 · Bottom 34%
Measured values
| Metric | Belton | Killeen | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 24,356 | 158,159 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $59,130 | $60,977 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $39,520 | $29,531 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,203/sq mi | 2,895/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $258,700 | $215,400 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,252 | $1,208 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 56.0% | 49.5% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.2% | 6.3% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 28.3% | 21.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 16.7% | 17.4% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 230 | 965 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 9.4 | 6.1 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -42.4% | -5.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 95°F | 96°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 36°F | 36°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 37.0" | 34.8" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 47 mi | 55 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.9 min | 27.5 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 32.4 | 30.3 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 40 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 13.54 | 15.74 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 37.5% | 32.0% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 42.5% | 34.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 48.0% | 66.4% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Belton
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Killeen
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Belton, TX · Killeen, TX · How this is calculated: methodology