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Northwest Region
gross domestic product,
2020
1.4 percent of Texas’ GDP of $1.8 trillion.
Northwest Region Counties:
- Archer
- Baylor
- Brown
- Callahan
- Clay
- Coleman
- Comanche
- Cottle
- Eastland
- Fisher
- Foard
- Hardeman
- Haskell
- Jack
- Jones
- Kent
- Knox
- Mitchell
- Montague
- Nolan
- Runnels
- Scurry
- Shackelford
- Stephens
- Stonewall
- Taylor
- Throckmorton
- Wichita
- Wilbarger
- Young
The 30-county Northwest region covers about 27,600 square miles, stretching from Oklahoma south to the Colorado River and abutting Big Spring in the west and the Fort Worth metro in the east.
The region includes two metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs): the Abilene MSA, comprising Callahan, Jones and Taylor counties, and the Wichita Falls MSA, comprising Archer, Clay and Wichita counties.
Population Change
The region’s population remained relatively constant between 2010 and 2020. Taylor County led regional population gains during this period at 8.9 percent.
REGION
-0.2%
TEXAS
15.9%
U.S.
7.4%
Jobs & Wages
Nearly 225,000 people were employed in the region in 2020. Several manufacturing industries have a location quotient (LQ) of 1.25 or higher, indicating the region has a competitive advantage in those industries. Health care industries led regional job growth between 2015 and 2020.
Percent change in total jobs, 2010 to 2020
Employment in the Northwest Region fell by -0.9%, compared to growth by Texas at 17.1% and the U.S. at 7.8%.
Top Industries by Location Quotient, 2020
| Industry | Employment | Average Annual Wages | Location Quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lime and Gypsum Product Manufacturing | 559 | $70,387 | 24.80 |
| Footwear Manufacturing | 251 | $35,197 | 15.39 |
| Clay Product and Refractory Manufacturing | 750 | $50,487 | 13.78 |
| Oil and Gas Extraction | 2,402 | $81,760 | 11.79 |
| Support Activities for Mining | 4,168 | $67,938 | 11.52 |
Industries with Largest Total Jobs Growth, 2015 to 2020
| Industry | Average Annual Wages | Employment Change, 2015 to 2020 | Percent Employment Change, 2015 to 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $53,879 | 737 | 7.5% |
| Services to Buildings and Dwellings | $24,513 | 714 | 26.6% |
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services | $34,239 | 536 | 149.6% |
| Offices of Physicians | $90,678 | 464 | 11.9% |
| Business Support Services | $27,706 | 383 | 17.1% |
THE Northwest REGION IS ONE OF THE COMPTROLLER’S 12 ECONOMIC REGIONS.
Sources: JobsEQ; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; U.S. Census Bureau; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts