CallataGuides

Waco, TX business phone guide

Population, businesses by sector and industry, area codes and local numbers for the Waco, TX metro area.

Population
307,0002024 est.
Establishments
6,481CBP 2023
Counties
3
Area codes
1

Waco, TX at a glance

The Waco, TX metro area covers 3 counties in Texas and had 307,000 residents in July 2024, up 3.8% since April 2020. The U.S. population grew 2.6% over the same period. McLennan County, TX is the most populous, with 270,000 people. By population it ranks 171st of the 925 metro and micropolitan areas and 187th by business establishments.

Counties in the Waco, TX area
CountyPopulation (2024)
McLennan County, TX270,358
Bosque County, TX19,013
Falls County, TX17,752

Source: Census Vintage 2024 metropolitan and micropolitan area estimates.

Establishments and employment in Waco, TX

County Business Patterns counted 6,481 establishments in the area in 2023, employing 115,925 people in mid-March with $5.9 billion in annual payroll. That is an average of 17.9 employees per establishment. 49.1% of establishments with employees had fewer than five people. By establishment count, the largest sectors are retail trade (995), health care and social assistance (742), and other services (except public administration) (727).

Waco, TX establishments by sector, 2023
Sector (NAICS)EstablishmentsEmployeesAnnual payroll
Retail Trade (44)99514,726$510,145,000
Health Care and Social Assistance (62)74218,489$1,194,063,000
Other Services (except Public Administration) (81)7274,843$164,263,000
Accommodation and Food Services (72)68113,221$283,270,000
Construction (23)6527,782$476,033,000
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)4853,108$260,725,000
Finance and Insurance (52)4276,181$445,236,000
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing (53)3251,938$149,265,000
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services (56)3246,682$239,082,000
Wholesale Trade (42)2894,445$284,708,000
Manufacturing (31)28512,983$753,017,000
Transportation and Warehousing (48)1825,907$367,391,000
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)1021,806$39,408,000
Information (51)941,008$50,110,000
Educational Services (61)8510,380 (high noise)$469,461,000
Utilities (22)35918$83,111,000
Management of Companies and Enterprises (55)281,276$88,763,000
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction (21)14177$12,471,000
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (11)531$1,092,000

Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023, two-digit NAICS sectors. Manufacturing, retail and transportation span several two-digit codes; CBP reports them under 31, 44 and 48.

How Waco, TX's businesses compare

Waco, TX has 21.1 business establishments per 1,000 residents, 14.2% below the U.S. figure of 24.6. Establishments average 17.9 employees against 16.7 nationally, and payroll per employee is $50,658 (25.9% below the U.S. $68,342). 49.1% of establishments with employees have fewer than five people (U.S.: 55.5%), while 6.0% have 50 or more. Most establishments are far smaller than the average suggests, so it pays to price a phone plan at the headcount you actually have rather than the average.

Waco, TX: establishments by employment size, 2023
Employment sizeEstablishmentsShareU.S. share
1–4 employees3,18549.1%55.5%
5–9 employees1,26519.5%17.5%
10–19 employees95914.8%12.5%
20–49 employees68010.5%9.1%
50 or more employees3926.0%5.4%

Employment-size classes count establishments by mid-March 2023 employment. Establishments with no March employees are excluded from the size classes, so shares are of establishments with employees. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.

Small-business industries in Waco, TX

Of the 141 industries these guides cover, 124 have a published Census count in Waco, TX. The largest are limited-service restaurants (262), full-service restaurants (170), and physician practices (131). Relative to population, nursery, garden center and farm supply stores are the most over-represented: 7.2 per 100,000 residents against 3.9 nationally.

Largest covered industries in Waco, TX, 2023
IndustryEstablishmentsEmployeesEmployees per establishment
Limited-service restaurants2625,38720.6
Full-service restaurants1704,47426.3
Physician practices1312,27617.4
Insurance agencies and brokerages1295244.1
Plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors1162,10718.2
Offices of real estate agents and brokers971922.0
Law offices945015.3
Dental offices886477.4
Residential remodelers761952.6
Hotels and motels751,17515.7
Landscaping services725267.3
General automotive repair shops693364.9
Electrical contractors6570810.9
New single-family housing construction contractors603125.2
Child day care services6078113.0
Janitorial services5269513.4
Home health care agencies501,55231.0
Residential property managers48——
Beauty salons482976.2
Management consulting firms471723.7
Supermarkets and grocery stores41——
Agencies providing services for the elderly and persons with disabilities392,21156.7
Offices of certified public accountants3843311.4
Site preparation contractors3747712.9
Automotive parts and accessories stores363469.6

Selected small-business industries (six-digit NAICS) covered by these guides. Source: Census County Business Patterns 2023.

Which area codes serve Waco, TX

The area's named cities and towns have 193 NANPA-assigned exchanges across 1 area code; 254 has the most (100%). Callata includes up to 3 local numbers, so a business serving several parts of the area can hold a number in each.

Area codes in the Waco, TX area
Area codeExchanges in named placesShareTime zone
254193100%Central

Exchanges in rate centers matched to Census places in the area. Source: NANPA.

Local numbers by city

Pages for 13 cities and towns in the area list their area codes, prefixes and carriers.

Cities and towns in the Waco, TX area
PlacePopulation (2024)Area codesExchanges
Waco, TX146,608254117
McGregor, TX6,1612544
Marlin, TX5,57225411
Clifton, TX3,5352544
West, TX2,5972543
Mart, TX1,8432543
Lorena, TX1,7942544
Moody, TX1,6202544
Meridian, TX1,4232545
Rosebud, TX1,3412543
Valley Mills, TX1,3022545
Gholson, TX1,2312544
Riesel, TX1,0632543

Phone costs for a typical Waco, TX business

Per-seat phone plans multiply by headcount. For the rounded average establishment size in Waco, TX, 18 users on RingCentral RingEX Core come to $540.00 a month and on Ooma Office Pro $449.10, at month-to-month list prices checked September 28, 2026. Callata comes to $359.00 a month for 18 users ($99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user), below both.

Monthly list price for an 18-person team
Provider (plan)Pricing basisPer monthPer year
Callata (Callata Office)$99 incl. 5 users, $20 per extra user$359.00$4,308.00
Quo (Starter)$19.00 per user$342.00$4,104.00
Nextiva (Core)$23.00 per user$414.00$4,968.00
Ooma (Office Pro)$24.95 per user$449.10$5,389.20
Dialpad (Standard)$27.00 per user$486.00$5,832.00
RingCentral (RingEX Core)$30.00 per user$540.00$6,480.00

Competitor prices are each vendor's published month-to-month list price per user for its lowest plan that includes business calling and texting, checked September 28, 2026: Quo Starter $19, Nextiva Core $23, Ooma Office Pro $24.95 (Essentials excludes texting; one-time $29.95 activation not included), Dialpad Standard $27, RingCentral RingEX Core $30 ($20 billed annually). Prices exclude taxes and fees and may change; annual contracts lower some competitors' prices.

Callata in Waco, TX

For $99 a month, Callata puts a team of up to 5 on one plan ($20 for each person after that): up to 3 local numbers, unlimited inbound calls, a pooled allowance of 1,500 outbound US and Canada minutes per user, browser and cell calling, voicemail transcription with urgency triage, recorded calls with AI summaries and business-hours routing, with E911 on every number.

Porting a number you already use in Waco, TX is free, and business texting is available once the carrier registration (10DLC) is approved; the registration carries a one-time $49 fee. Which specific numbers are open in a given area code depends on carrier inventory at the time you sign up.

AI agents are optional: an AI receptionist or scheduler can pick up when the team is busy or closed, take a message, send a text or email, or transfer the call. They draw on prepaid AI minutes ($0.25/minute), disclose that they are AI, and outbound AI calls require prior consent and are limited to 8am–9pm.

Frequently asked questions

What area codes serve Waco, TX?

254, by NANPA-assigned exchanges in the area's named places.

How many businesses are in the Waco, TX area?

6,481 establishments in 2023, according to Census County Business Patterns.

How much does a business phone system cost in Waco, TX?

Callata is $99 a month with 5 users included, then $20 per additional user; for an 18-person team that is $359.00 a month. The same team on Ooma Office Pro lists at $449.10 a month (checked September 28, 2026).