HVAC Rated

Mild winters · Hot summers

Best heat pumps for Waco, TX

Winters in Waco are mild, so heating efficiency matters less than cooling.

A typical heat pump costs about $544 a year to heat a house here and $678 to cool it. A 95% gas furnace would cost $602 for the same heat, so the heat pump is cheaper to run.

Cheapest to run in Waco

Ranked by yearly electricity cost in this climate, so the balance of heating and cooling efficiency is the one that matters here.

Running cost calculator for Waco

Pre-filled with Waco's climate and Texas prices. Pick a model, tell it what you heat with today, and add your quote.

Heat pump $747/yrYou save $498/yrSee details ↓
1. Where you live
Adjust heating and cooling hours

Filled in from your city's climate. Change them if you run the system much more or less than usual.

2. The heat pump pick a model or type its ratings
3. What it replaces
4. Price replace the example with your quote
Heat pump, per year
$747
Current system, per year
$1,245
You save per year
$498
Payback
18.1 years
Net after 10 years
-$4,018

Cooling $384Heating $363Electricity used: 4,667 kWhSaved vs. a minimum-efficiency heat pump: $226

Estimates use the unit's rated SEER2 and HSPF2, full-load hours derived from NOAA 1991-2020 degree days, average residential electricity prices from the U.S. EIA (12 months to July 2026) and fuel prices from EIA (2025 for natural gas, week of 2026-10-05 for propane and heating oil). Very cold days that need backup heat are not modelled. Federal minimum for comparison: 14.3 SEER2 / 7.5 HSPF2.

More for Waco

Top 5 12,000 BTU mini-splitsfrom $241/yr
Top 5 24,000 BTU mini-splitsfrom $504/yr
Top 5 3-ton central heat pumpsfrom $789/yr
ModelSEER2HSPF2Per year
TOSHIBA CARRIER MCY-MUB0368HS2P-UL29.712.2$789
LG KUSXA361A23.510.5$956
LG KUSXB361A22.010.3$999
Trane 5TWV0X36A121.010.5$1,015
Heil H5H3V36*K*AAA22.59.5$1,027

All 3-ton central heat pumps

Heat pump vs. gas, propane and oilheat pump is cheaper than gas

Yearly cost to heat a typical house (36,000 BTU/h of heat, 850 full-load hours) at Texas prices.

  • Heat pump (typical, 9.0 HSPF2)$544/yr
  • Natural gas furnace, 95% AFUE$602/yr
  • Natural gas furnace, 80% AFUE$715/yr
  • Propane furnace, 95% AFUE$1,092/yr
  • Electric baseboard or furnace$1,435/yr
  • Heating oil, 85% AFUE$1,553/yr

Electricity and natural gas: Texas residential averages from the U.S. EIA; propane and heating oil: latest EIA weekly prices.

Month by monthpeak $151 in July

Heating and cooling degree days (NOAA 1991-2020 normals) and what a typical 3-ton heat pump costs in each month at 16.0¢/kWh.

MonthHeating DDCooling DDCost
January5473$144
February38510$103
March23038$69
April76114$47
May9297$72
June0507$120
July0637$151
August0635$150
September3416$99
October64171$57
November26834$78
December4987$132
What size heat pump for a Waco home?3 ton for 2,000 sq ft
  • 1,000 sq ft house2 ton · heating load 15,000 BTU/h
  • 1,500 sq ft house2.5 ton · heating load 22,500 BTU/h
  • 2,000 sq ft house3 ton · heating load 30,000 BTU/h
  • 2,500 sq ft house3 ton · heating load 37,500 BTU/h

Average insulation, 8 ft ceilings. Size calculator for your own home

Questions4
Do heat pumps work in Waco winters?
Winters in Waco are mild, so heating efficiency matters less than cooling. The average winter low is 38°F, and the heating season adds up to 2,080 heating degree days (NOAA 1991-2020 normals).
How much does it cost to run a heat pump in Waco?
A typical 3-ton central heat pump (17.0 SEER2, 9.0 HSPF2) uses about $544 of electricity a year for heating and $678 for cooling in Waco, at the Texas average of 16.0¢/kWh. The most efficient models cost less - see the rankings above.
Is a heat pump cheaper than a gas furnace in Waco?
Yes, for heating at today's prices: about $544 a year with a typical heat pump versus $602 with a 95% gas furnace, using Texas averages of 16.0¢/kWh and $1.87/therm.
What size heat pump do I need for a 2,000 sq ft house in Waco?
With average insulation, roughly a 3-ton system: the estimated cooling load is 32,100 BTU/h and the heating load 30,000 BTU/h. Use the size calculator for your own house, and ask installers for a Manual J calculation.

Nearby cities

Climate: NOAA 1991-2020 normals, station WACO RGNL AP (8 km away).