Temple receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Killeen
Temple
Opportunity
38 · Bottom 14%
vs49 · Bottom 35%
Growth
68 · Top 20%
vs72 · Top 14%
Climate
68 · Bottom 42%
vs69 · Bottom 44%
Physical resilience
79 · Top 26%
vs80 · Top 25%
Housing affordability
81 · Top 50%
vs86 · Top 41%
Schools
33 · Bottom 26%
vs52 · Top 49%
Access
66 · Bottom 10%
vs75 · Bottom 17%
Economic stability
51 · Bottom 34%
vs49 · Bottom 30%
Measured values
| Metric | Killeen | Temple | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 158,159 | 89,602 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $60,977 | $68,204 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $29,531 | $34,319 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,895/sq mi | 1,227/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $215,400 | $239,000 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,208 | $1,231 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 49.5% | 52.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 6.3% | 5.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.1% | -1.1% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 21.9% | 30.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.4% | 16.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 965 | 1,129 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 6.1 | 12.6 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -5.9% | -16.9% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 96°F | 95°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 36°F | 36°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 34.8" | 37.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 55 mi | 41 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 27.5 min | 22.3 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 30.3 | 33.8 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 40 | 24 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 15.74 | 14.78 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 32.0% | 40.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 34.7% | 38.1% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 66.4% | 54.2% | 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
Killeen
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Temple
Elevated or high exposure: hail.
Full profiles: Killeen, TX · Temple, TX · How this is calculated: methodology