economy

High Plains Region 2024 Regional Report

Region Snapshot

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About the 2024 Regional Reports

The 2024 regional reports utilize sources from JobsEQ, REMI, Texas A&M Real Estate Center, Texas Department of Transportation, U.S. Census Bureau, U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.

Introduction

Texas’ people, industries and geography are all highly diverse. This report examines the High Plains region —one of the 12 economic regions created by the Texas Comptroller’s office — to analyze demographic and economic data and trends, as well as the economic conditions unique to each region and the state.

Demographics

Population

Core based statistical areas (CBSA), classified by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget (PDF), describe the socioeconomic relationships between communities and across urban and rural territory. CBSAs consist of one or more counties that include a core urban area (UA) with a population of at least 10,000 and adjacent counties with a high degree of economic and social integration, as measured by commuting ties to that core. There are two types of CBSAs:

• Metropolitan Statistical Areas (metro areas): associated with at least one UA with a population of at least 50,000.
• Micropolitan Statistical Areas (micro areas): associated with at least one UA with a population of at least 10,000.

The High Plains region comprises 41 counties located largely in the Texas Panhandle, covering over 34,300 square miles stretching from the Oklahoma state line to the east and north and the New Mexico state line in the west. The High Plains region includes two metropolitan areas – Amarillo and Lubbock – and five micropolitan areas – Borger, Dumas, Hereford, Pampa and Plainview.  In the 2023 CBSA update (PDF), the counties of Cochran, Garza and Hockley were added to the Lubbock metro area.

Exhibit 1 highlights CBSA designations by county and includes population, population density and median ages for all of the region’s counties. The High Plains region’s population grew by nearly 2 percent (about 16,700 people) in the 10-year period between 2012 and 2022, compared with a more than 15 percent growth statewide. Lubbock County led total gains, adding 31,500 residents, while Randall County led regional growth rates at 17 percent during this period.

The metropolitan areas bolstered the regional population growth, as Lubbock and Amarillo saw increases of more than 10 percent and 5 percent, respectively. Population fell by 9.1 percent in micropolitan counties and 9.4 percent in non-CBSA designated counties.

The High Plains region had a median age of 33.8 years in 2021, younger than the statewide median age of 35 years. Median ages in the region ranged from 30 in Dallam County to 50 in Roberts County.

CBSA Classification and Population by County, High Plains Region, 2012-2022

County	CBSA Title	Metropolitan / Micropolitan	2022 Population	Total Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Median Age, 2021	Population Density
Armstrong	Amarillo	Metropolitan	1,850	-103	-5.3%	40.4	2.03
Bailey	N/A	N/A	6,779	-360	-5.0%	33.6	8.35
Briscoe	N/A	N/A	1,431	-145	-9.2%	47.9	1.59
Carson	Amarillo	Metropolitan	5,784	-306	-5.0%	42.3	6.31
Castro	N/A	N/A	7,298	-956	-11.6%	34.4	8.24
Childress	N/A	N/A	6,809	-293	-4.1%	33.3	9.57
Cochran	Lubbock	Metropolitan	2,526	-503	-16.6%	37.1	3.29
Collingsworth	N/A	N/A	2,568	-455	-15.1%	39.0	2.89
Crosby	Lubbock	Metropolitan	4,998	-1,035	-17.2%	39.4	5.70
Dallam	N/A	N/A	7,241	183	2.6%	30.4	4.73
Deaf Smith	Hereford	Micropolitan	18,377	-992	-5.1%	32.1	12.42
Dickens	N/A	N/A	1,726	-598	-25.7%	47.2	1.96
Donley	N/A	N/A	3,339	-306	-8.4%	40.1	3.51
Floyd	Plainview	Micropolitan	5,235	-1,117	-17.6%	36.6	5.44
Garza	Lubbock	Metropolitan	6,262	-151	-2.4%	43.5	6.51
Gray	Pampa	Micropolitan	21,015	-1,907	-8.3%	36.1	22.92
Hale	Plainview	Micropolitan	31,827	-4,421	-12.2%	33.5	32.37
Hall	N/A	N/A	2,810	-459	-14.0%	44.9	3.20
Hansford	N/A	N/A	5,151	-381	-6.9%	31.9	5.75
Hartley	N/A	N/A	5,208	-884	-14.5%	36.8	3.68
Hemphill	N/A	N/A	3,217	-881	-21.5%	39.5	3.73
Hockley	Lubbock	Metropolitan	21,161	-1,892	-8.2%	34.3	23.71
Hutchinson	Borger	Micropolitan	20,215	-1,809	-8.2%	38.2	23.23
King	N/A	N/A	233	-36	-13.4%	35.5	0.29
Lamb	N/A	N/A	12,724	-1,146	-8.3%	36.5	12.84
Lipscomb	N/A	N/A	2,854	-594	-17.2%	34.6	3.28
Lubbock	Lubbock	Metropolitan	317,561	31,499	11.0%	31.1	346.85
Lynn	Lubbock	Metropolitan	5,724	-69	-1.2%	37.1	6.27
Moore	Dumas	Micropolitan	20,996	-1,435	-6.4%	30.6	23.74
Motley	N/A	N/A	1,032	-165	-13.8%	46.3	1.07
Ochiltree	N/A	N/A	9,606	-1,005	-9.5%	33.0	10.91
Oldham	Amarillo	Metropolitan	1,752	-294	-14.4%	32.6	1.17
Parmer	N/A	N/A	9,620	-568	-5.6%	35.4	11.20
Potter	Amarillo	Metropolitan	115,645	-7,061	-5.8%	34.4	130.48
Randall	Amarillo	Metropolitan	146,140	21,093	16.9%	36.2	154.22
Roberts	Pampa	Micropolitan	803	-135	-14.4%	50.3	0.89
Sherman	N/A	N/A	2,799	-238	-7.8%	41.2	3.01
Swisher	N/A	N/A	6,881	-968	-12.3%	37.1	7.83
Terry	N/A	N/A	11,567	-1,063	-8.4%	34.7	13.31
Wheeler	N/A	N/A	4,807	-786	-14.1%	39.8	5.46
Yoakum	N/A	N/A	7,451	-601	-7.5%	30.4	9.62
High Plains Region Total*	N/A	N/A	871,022	16,657	1.9%	33.8	22.0
Amarillo Metropolitan Area	N/A	N/A	271,171	13,329	5.2%	35.5	52.2
Lubbock Metropolitan Area	N/A	N/A	328,283	30,395	10.2%	31.8	66.7
All Micropolitan Counties*	N/A	N/A	118,468	-11,816	-9.1%	34.3	16.9
All Non-CBSA Counties*	N/A	N/A	123,151	-12,705	-9.4%	35.6	5.8
Texas Total	N/A	N/A	30,029,572	3,945,452	15.1%	35.0	111.6

*Note: Median ages are estimated by JobsEQ using the weighted average of the median values from the composing counties.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau Population and Housing Unit Estimates Program; Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts analysis; JobsEQ

The region has experienced net losses in domestic migration every year between 2012 and 2022, except for 2021. Population gains by natural increase (births minus deaths) mostly fell throughout this period, particularly in 2021 and 2022, with fewer births throughout the period and higher deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting trends in the state. The region did see net gains in international migration every year during this period, with relatively strong gains in 2022 (Exhibit 2).

Exhibit 2 data

Components of Annual Population Change from Previous Year, High Plains Region, 2012-2022

Year	Natural Increase	Net Domestic Migration	Net International Migration
2012	4,970	-1,738	1,805
2013	4,894	-3,392	1,601
2014	5,213	-2,366	2,002
2015	4,678	-3,803	1,906
2016	4,567	-3,533	1,660
2017	4,241	-3,766	1,313
2018	3,373	-4,921	890
2019	3,844	-3,081	955
2020	3,156	-1,999	816
2021	186	1,311	960
2022	838	-1,182	2,345
Total, 2012-2022	34,990	-26,732	14,448

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau Population and Housing Unit Estimates Program; Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts analysis

Population by Race and Ethnicity

Hispanics led population gains in the High Plains Region between 2012 and 2022, growing by nearly 44,400, an increase of almost 15 percent. The region’s white population fell by more than 36,000, a 7.8 percent decline. Those comprising two or more races and other races saw gains of 31.2 percent during this period, though their total gains were much more modest when compared with Hispanics. The Black population rose by nearly eight percent (Exhibit 3).

Population Change by Race/Ethnicity, High Plains Region, 2012-2022

Year	White	Black	Asian	Two or More Races and Other Races	Hispanic or Latino	Total Population
2012	474,269	45,764	16,256	13,355	304,721	854,365
2022	437,459	49,224	17,742	17,525	349,072	871,022
Total Change	-36,810	3,460	1,486	4,170	44,351	16,657
Percent Change	-7.8%	7.6%	9.1%	31.2%	14.6%	1.9%

Note: “Other races” include American Indian and Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau Population and Housing Unit Estimates Program; Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts analysis.

The region’s white population fell from 55.5 percent in 2012 to 50.2 percent in 2022, while the Hispanic population grew from 35.7 percent to 40.1 percent during this period. All other racial groups comprised nearly 10 percent of the regional population in 2022 (Exhibit 4).

Exhibit 4 data

Share of Population by Race/Ethnicity, High Plains Region, 2012-2022

Race/Ethnicity	2012	2022
White	55.5%	50.2%
Black or African American	5.4%	5.7%
Asian	1.9%	2.0%
Two or More Races and Other Races	1.6%	2.0%
Hispanic or Latino	35.7%	40.1%

Note: “Other races” include American Indian and Alaska Natives and Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islanders.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau Population and Housing Unit Estimates Program; Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts analysis

Population by Age Group

Like the state, the region saw its largest population gains among people ages 65 and older, reflecting the large Baby Boomer cohort (those born between 1946 and 1964). The population aged 4 and under fell statewide by nearly 2 percent and by almost 13 percent regionally. Unlike statewide trends, the region’s 50 to 64-year-old population fell during this period (Exhibit 5).

With its 65-and-older population leading regional population gains, the share of this group grew from around 13 percent in 2012 to almost 15 in 2022.

Exhibit 5 data

Population Changes by Age Group, High Plains Region and Texas, 2012-2022

Age Group	High Plains Region	Texas
0 to 4	-12.5%	-1.8%
5 to 19	1.4%	10.0%
20 to 34	0.5%	14.4%
35 to 49	6.6%	15.2%
50 to 64	-6.4%	13.0%
65 or older	19.1%	41.9%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau Population and Housing Unit Estimates Program; Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts analysis

Education

Educational Attainment Levels

The share of the High Plains region’s population with a bachelor’s degree or higher was almost 25 percent in 2022. More women than men in the region held at least a bachelor’s degree, 26.5 percent versus 23.1 percent (Exhibit 6). Postsecondary educational attainment gap levels between women and men have widened in the region since 2012, with 21.9 percent of women having at least a bachelor’s degree, compared with 20.8 percent of men.

The share of the region’s population that has earned at least a high school diploma rose from 80.1 percent in 2012 to 84 percent in 2022.

* includes equivalency

Exhibit 6 data

Education Attainment by Gender, High Plains Region, 2022

Educational Attainment	Male	Female	Total
Less than high school graduate	17.2%	14.8%	16.0%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	30.3%	26.5%	28.4%
Some college, no degree	22.4%	23.3%	22.8%
Associate degree	7.1%	8.8%	8.0%
Bachelor's degree	15.2%	17.4%	16.3%
Graduate or professional degree	7.9%	9.1%	8.5%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, 5-Year Estimates, 2018-2028; Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

Occupational Earnings by Educational Attainment Requirements

A strong educational foundation provides the basis for growth and competitiveness in the global economy. Postsecondary education delivers a high rate of return on investments of time and tuition.

 Data for 2023 indicate that occupations in the High Plains region requiring at least an associate degree or certificate paid an average of $7,812 more annually than jobs requiring no postsecondary education. Occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree paid an average of $34,322 more annually than those requiring an associate degree or certificate, and occupations requiring a post-graduate degree paid an average of $34,469 annually than those requiring just a bachelor’s degree (Exhibit 7).

Employment Levels and Average Wages of Occupations by Typical Entry-Level Education Requirements, High Plains Region, 2023

Typical Entry-Level Requirement	Total Employment	Share of Total Regional Employment	Average Annual Wages
No Postsecondary Award	279,136	66.9%	$39,758
Associate Degree or Certificate	35,687	8.6%	$47,570
Bachelor's Degree	84,605	20.3%	$80,892
Post-Graduate Degree	17,555	4.2%	$116,361
Total	417,113	N/A	$52,200

Note: Data as of Q1, 2023.
Sources: JobsEQ; Education requirement category assignments are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Regional Institutions of Higher Education

The High Plains region offers a variety of options for higher educational, including four universities, four community colleges and one health science school. Additionally, there are seven Texas public and two private institutions of higher learning in the region. According to Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Wayland Baptist University saw the largest decrease in enrollment in the region over the last four years, while Texas Tech University and Frank Phillips College saw almost five and 18 percent increases, respectively (Exhibit 8).

Institutions of Higher Education and Enrollments, High Plains Region, Fall 2019 and Fall 2023

Institution	Institution Type	Fall 2019 Enrollment	Fall 2023 Enrollment*	Percent Change in Enrollment
Lubbock Christian University	Private University	1,755	1,589	-9.5%
Texas Tech University	University	38,250	40,127	4.9%
Wayland Baptist University	Private University	2,948	1,957	-33.6%
West Texas A&M University	University	9,970	9,030	-9.4%
Amarillo College	Junior or Community College	9,766	9,024	-7.6%
Clarendon College	Junior or Community College	1,579	1,359	-13.9%
Frank Phillips College	Junior or Community College	1,492	1,754	17.6%
South Plains College	Junior or Community College	9,179	8,869	-3.4%
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center	Health Science School	5,141	4,930	-4.1%
Region Total	N/A	80,080	78,639	-1.8%

*Fall 2023 enrollment numbers are preliminary and not certified.
Source: Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

Health Care

Availability of Hospital Services

Residents of the High Plains region have access to a variety of hospital facilities. General hospitals offer a comprehensive range of services and facilities for medical diagnoses and treatments, including surgical services, while specialty hospitals provide clinical laboratory facilities, diagnostic X-ray facilities, treatment facilities or other definitive medical treatments (Exhibit 9).

Major Health Care Facilities, High Plains Region, 2023

Facility Type	Number of Facilities	Total Number of Beds	Average Number of Beds Per Facility
General and Special Hospital	42	3,267	78
Private Psychiatric Hospital	2	50	25
State Psychiatric Hospital	0	0	0

Source: Texas Department of Health and Human Services

Health Care Access

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, one out of five Texans under age 65 did not have health insurance in 2021. At 20.3 percent, Texas’ uninsured population was the highest among U.S. states and about twice the national average of 10.2 percent.

At nearly 30 percent, the High Plains region’s uninsured rate was above the state average in 2021, although rates in 32 of its 41 counties were higher than both the state and regional averages. The rates of individual counties ranged from a low of 15.2 percent in Oldham County to a high of 32.7 percent in Sherman County (Exhibit 10).

Estimated Uninsured by County, High Plains Region, 2021

County	Uninsured Population	Percent Uninsured
Armstrong	236	16.7%
Bailey	1,612	28.5%
Briscoe	290	27.0%
Carson	774	17.1%
Castro	1,603	26.4%
Childress	908	21.5%
Cochran	594	28.6%
Collingsworth	647	31.1%
Crosby	1,007	24.5%
Dallam	2,025	32.4%
Deaf Smith	4,367	27.9%
Dickens	278	25.5%
Donley	511	22.8%
Floyd	1,100	25.7%
Garza	822	23.2%
Gray	4,008	25.4%
Hale	6,138	24.2%
Hall	607	28.5%
Hansford	1,289	29.7%
Hartley	689	19.5%
Hemphill	692	25.3%
Hockley	4,390	25.2%
Hutchinson	3,326	19.9%
King	58	26.7%
Lamb	2,750	26.1%
Lipscomb	682	28.9%
Lubbock	45,761	17.4%
Lynn	1,052	22.1%
Moore	5,699	31.1%
Motley	131	17.4%
Ochiltree	2,681	31.6%
Oldham	189	15.2%
Parmer	2,359	28.6%
Potter	23,057	24.4%
Randall	18,841	15.7%
Roberts	99	15.8%
Sherman	764	32.7%
Swisher	1,492	28.5%
Terry	2,488	27.5%
Wheeler	1,092	28.2%
Yoakum	1,871	28.2%
High Plains Region	148,979	20.9%

Note: Uninsured population includes people ages 0-64 only.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Health Insurance Estimates

Regional Economy and Employment

Gross Domestic Product

Gross domestic product (GDP) in the High Plains region totaled $71.6 billion in 2022, accounting for 3.0 percent of Texas’ GDP of $2.4 trillion. The region is the agricultural leader of the state, with the regional industry accounting for about half of the agriculture industry GDP statewide. Nondurable goods manufacturing also plays an outsized role in the region, accounting for about 10 percent of industry GDP in Texas (Exhibit 11).

Gross Domestic Product by Industry, High Plains Region, 2022
(Ranked by High Plains Industries with Greatest Share of Texas Industry GDP)

Industry	High Plains Region (billions)	High Plains - Share of Total Regional GDP	Texas (billions)	High Plains as Share of Texas Industry GDP
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	$5.6	7.7%	$11.2	49.5%
Nondurable Goods Manufacturing	$15.3	21.4%	$154.9	9.9%
Utilities	$2.7	3.7%	$41.4	6.5%
Government and Government Enterprises	$7.1	10.0%	$222.4	3.2%
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction	$6.9	9.6%	$235.6	2.9%
Total all industries	$71.6	N/A	$2,402.1	3.0%

Sources: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis; Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts

Median Household Income

The High Plains region had a median household income of $56,413 in 2021, up from $45,152 in 2011, a 25 percent increase. Median household income in Texas, by comparison, was $67,321 in 2021, up from $50,920 in 2011, a 32.2 percent increase (Exhibit 12).

Exhibit 12 data

Median Household Income, High Plains Region and Texas, 2011-2021

Year	High Plains Region	Texas
2011	$45,152	$50,920
2012	$45,413	$51,563
2013	$46,016	$51,900
2014	$46,994	$52,576
2015	$47,194	$53,207
2016	$48,474	$54,727
2017	$50,587	$57,051
2018	$51,664	$59,570
2019	$52,813	$61,874
2020	$53,766	$63,826
2021	$56,413	$67,321

Source: Regional median household income derived by JobsEQ using data from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2017-2021.

Jobs and Industry

Between 2012 and 2022, regional employment rose nearly 7 percent, lower than both that of Texas (23.5 percent) and the U.S. (13.9 percent). The Lubbock metro area saw strong employment gains during this period, rising by more than 16 percent (Exhibit 13).

Total Employment (2022) and Changes in Employment Levels 2012-2022), High Plains Region

Region	Total Employed, 2022	Total Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages, 2022
United States	149,986,738	18,290,518	13.9%	$69,986
Texas	13,246,222	2,518,496	23.5%	$69,614
High Plains Region	378,016	23,655	6.7%	$53,520
Amarillo Metropolitan Area	119,700	9,105	8.2%	$55,675
Lubbock Metropolitan Area	149,379	21,090	16.4%	$51,890

Source: JobsEQ using data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.

The High Plains region’s largest industries by employment were restaurants and other eating places, public and higher education, health care services and farming and ranching. These large regional industry sectors mostly experienced strong employment growth in the 10-year period ending in 2022, including a 38 percent gain in farming and ranching jobs.

These industries also have large location quotient (LQ) levels – a measure of an industry’s relative size in a region compared with its average size in the nation. An LQ of 1.25 or higher indicates that the region has a comparative advantage in the industry and that the industry is highly concentrated and unique to the regional economy (Exhibit 14).

Largest Industries by Employment, High Plains Region, 2022

Industry	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient	Establishments
Restaurants and Other Eating Places	33,555	6,515	24.10%	$19,978	1.23	1,477
Elementary and Secondary Schools	26,656	2,903	12.20%	$43,271	1.29	134
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	18,102	1,824	11.20%	$63,664	1.18	45
Colleges, Universities and Professional Schools	12,303	1,145	10.30%	$70,846	1.61	31
Animal Slaughtering and Processing	11,402	-297	-2.50%	$52,259	8.37	31
Cattle Ranching and Farming	9,575	2,643	38.10%	$48,675	23.21	685
Grocery and Convenience Retailers	8,202	1,258	18.10%	$23,506	1.15	177
Justice, Public Order and Safety Activities	7,746	-1,349	-14.80%	$65,328	1.62	240
Offices of Physicians	7,463	1,081	16.90%	$94,909	1.01	632
Building Equipment Contractors	6,515	1,324	25.50%	$57,038	1.07	642
Total – All Industries	378,084	23,723	6.70%	$53,520	1.00	24,989

Source: JobsEQ using data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.

Restaurants and other eating places led total employment growth among industries in the region between 2012 and 2022, adding more than 6,500 jobs, a 24 percent gain. The warehousing and storage industry experienced some of the fastest growth, increasing by almost 90 percent during the period (Exhibit 15). 

Industries with Largest Total Employment Growth, High Plains Region, 2012-2022

Industry	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient	Establishments
Restaurants and Other Eating Places	33,555	6,515	24.1%	$19,978	1.23	1,477
Elementary and Secondary Schools	26,656	2,903	12.2%	$43,271	1.29	134
Cattle Ranching and Farming	9,575	2,643	38.1%	$48,675	23.21	685
Warehousing and Storage	4,100	1,932	89.1%	$46,284	0.83	69
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	18,102	1,824	11.2%	$63,664	1.18	45
Building Equipment Contractors	6,515	1,324	25.5%	$57,038	1.07	642
Grocery and Convenience Retailers	8,202	1,258	18.1%	$23,506	1.15	177
Services to Buildings and Dwellings	4,279	1,199	38.9%	$31,970	0.75	460
Automotive Repair and Maintenance	4,139	1,156	38.7%	$43,134	1.64	564
Colleges, Universities and Professional Schools	12,303	1,145	10.3%	$70,846	1.61	31
Total – All Industries	378,084	23,723	6.7%	$53,520	1.00	24,989

Source: JobsEQ using data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.

Ranking regional industries by LQ – a method to identify heavily concentrated and specialized industries in an area – shows that cattle ranching and farming, animal processing, oil and gas extraction, and other farming activity are high in the region. The other fabricated metal product manufacturing industry had an LQ exceeding 5.0, meaning the industry is five times as large in the High Plains region compared with the national average. This industry also saw substantial job growth and high average wages from 2012 through 2022 (Exhibit 16).

Industries with Greatest Location Quotient, High Plains Region, 2022

Industry	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient	Establishments
Cattle Ranching and Farming	9,575	2,643	38.1%	$48,675	23.21	685
Leather and Hide Tanning and Finishing	125	-102	-45.0%	$43,805	15.07	2
Other Crop Farming	2,211	-884	-28.6%	$38,898	12.53	963
Oil and Gas Extraction	2,911	-1,074	-26.9%	$148,001	10.06	166
Animal Slaughtering and Processing	11,402	-297	-2.5%	$52,259	8.37	31
Hog and Pig Farming	619	187	43.1%	$57,292	8.33	6
Support Activities for Mining	4,782	-1,710	-26.3%	$86,972	7.11	297
Animal Food Manufacturing	877	-32	-3.5%	$51,160	6.21	243
Oilseed and Grain Farming	1,119	414	58.8%	$56,219	6.11	32
Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	3,840	648	20.3%	$116,088	5.37	15

Source: JobsEQ using data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages.

Regional Occupations

Among occupations, general and operations managers, logisticians and project management specialists and business operations specialists had average wages far above regional averages and saw some of the strongest job gains from 2012 through 2022, reflecting growth in the warehousing and storage industry. Another high-wage occupation that saw strong growth was software and web developers. Restaurant and other food workers also saw strong growth during the period (Exhibit 17).  

Occupations with Largest Total Employment Growth, High Plains Region, 2012-2022

Occupation	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient
General and Operations Managers	8,784	2,937	50.2%	$95,100	1.06
Laborers and Material Movers	17,174	2,328	15.7%	$32,400	1.01
Fast Food and Counter Workers	12,033	1,793	17.5%	$23,800	1.38
Cooks	7,150	1,738	32.1%	$28,100	0.97
Logisticians and Project Management Specialists	1,985	1,546	352.1%	$80,400	0.77
Software and Web Developers, Programmers, and Testers	2,102	1,381	191.6%	$95,600	0.39
Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers	4,145	1,253	43.3%	$37,100	1.21
Miscellaneous Business Operations Specialists	1,849	1,155	166.5%	$67,200	0.66
Miscellaneous Agricultural Workers	8,984	1,017	12.8%	$31,300	4.45
Customer Service Representatives	6,715	975	17.0%	$35,700	0.89

Source: JobsEQ using data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics programs.

Regional Infrastructure

Housing Affordability

The Texas A&M Real Estate Center’s Texas Housing Affordability Index (THAI) measures the ability of a household earning the median family income to purchase a median-priced home. An index ratio greater than 1.00 means that the median family income is more than the income required to purchase the median home in a specific area. The calculations for the index assume that consumers are making a down payment of 20 percent and have a family income that is 25 percent of the price of the median home.

According to the THAI, a median-income family in the Amarillo and Lubbock metro areas would have more than one and a half the income needed to afford the median home in the area.  Affordability levels in each area, however, are lower in 2022 compared with 2017. (Exhibit 18).

Exhibit 18 data

Texas Housing Affordability Index by Metropolitan Areas, High Plains Region, 2017 to 2022

Year	Amarillo MSA	Lubbock MSA	Texas
2017	2.14	2.02	1.54
2018	1.98	1.76	1.39
2019	2.00	1.76	1.43
2020	2.10	2.17	1.78
2021	2.05	2.07	1.53
2022	1.60	1.67	1.19

Source: Texas A&M Real Estate Center

Regional Transportation

Metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) are federally mandated policymaking organizations created to coordinate transportation planning in urbanized areas. Two MPOs coordinate transportation planning in the High Plains region, in Amarillo and Lubbock.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) oversees the construction and maintenance of state highways through its 25 districts across the state. The High Plains region includes three of these county-based districts, with offices in Amarillo, Lubbock and Childress.

Exhibit 19 lists road miles and vehicle miles traveled for the region’s roadway network by road type, as of 2022. On-system roads are those under the jurisdiction of TxDOT, whereas off-system roads are under jurisdiction of cities, counties, the federal government or private entities (e.g., private toll roads). Centerline refers to mileage of a roadway regardless of lanes; it is taken from the center of the roadway. Lane mileage refers to the mileage for all lanes combined. Daily vehicle miles traveled refers to the estimated daily mileage of all vehicles using that roadway, whereas daily truck miles traveled refers to the estimated daily mileage of trucks using that roadway.

Road Miles and Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled, High Plains Region, 2022

Road Type	Centerline Miles	Lane Miles	Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled	Daily Truck Miles Traveled
Interstate Highways	301.3	1,255.1	5,872,467.8	2,355,816.9
U.S. Highways	1,792.4	5,457.7	9,739,099.0	2,653,083.0
State Highways, Spurs, Loops, Business Routes	1,851.1	4,249.8	4,197,745.2	737,513.5
Farm or Ranch to Market Roads and Spurs	6,140.9	12,436.1	3,288,578.7	649,877.2
Pass, Parks and Recreation Roads	11.1	22.6	6,206.8	561.2
Frontage Roads	681.1	1,383.8	711,737.0	36,929.3
On-System Subtotal	10,777.9	24,805.0	23,815,834.5	6,433,781.0
City Streets	4,813.3	10,160.9	4,941,236.1	216,265.7
Certified County Roads	25,194.1	50,416.3	1,459,784.2	48,300.0
Toll Road Authority Roads	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Federal Roads	54.0	108.0	3,296.8	103.6
Off-System Subtotal	30,061.4	60,685.2	6,404,317.2	264,669.2
Grand Total	40,839.3	85,490.2	30,220,151.7	6,698,450.2

Sources: Texas Department of Transportation

Transit Districts

Several transit districts help provide safe, reliable and accessible transportation services to citizens of the West Texas region. The region includes two Urban Transit Systems (serving areas with populations between 50,000 and 200,000) in Amarillo and Lubbock and two Rural Transit Systems (serving areas outside the urbanized area) (Exhibit 20).

Transit Districts, Revenue and Ridership Statistics, High Plains Region, 2022

Transit District	Type	Total Operating Expense	Total Revenue	Unlinked Passenger Trips	Passenger Trips Per Capita	Operating Expense Per Trip
Amarillo Transit Company	Small Urban	$4,909,727	$531,493	246,186	2.81	$16.45
Citibus (Lubbock)	Large Urban	$13,630,763	$7,632,793	1,842,397	7.76	$7.40
Panhandle Community Services	Rural	$4,015,116	$850,879	169,455	0.73	$23.69
South Plains Community Action Association	Rural	$4,146,996	$1,288,967	108,553	0.54	$38.20

Source: Texas Department of Transportation

Airports

Texas has 27 airports classified as passenger or commercial service airports, including two in the High Plains region – Lubbock Preston Smith International and Rick Husband Amarillo International. Both airports in the region have seen an increase in the number of enplanements (passenger boardings) in 2022 from 2021 (Exhibit 21).

Commercial Airports and Enplanements, High Plains Region, 2021 and 2022

U.S. Rank	Airport ID	City	Airport Name	2021 Enplanements	2022 Enplanements	Percent Change
123	LBB	Lubbock	Lubbock Preston Smith International	405,157	489,710	20.8%
151	AMA	Amarillo	Rick Husband Amarillo International	303,904	358,360	17.9%

Source: Federal Aviation Administration

Trade

Ports of entry within Texas account for approximately 20 percent of all U.S. international trade. Each region contributes to international trade in direct (ports of entry) and indirect (purchasing of imports/exports) ways. The High Plains region has two direct trade official ports of entry (Exhibit 22).

header should be - Official Ports of Entry Trade Data, High Plains Region, 2022

Port of Entry	Exports	Imports
Amarillo	$191,622	$346,292
Lubbock	$2,765,879	$632,506
Texas	$547,512,278,647	$503,099,541,717

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, USA Trade Online, Port Level Data for 2022

Region vs. Texas

If the High Plains region were a state, it would be the 38th largest in terms of area and 47th in population. The region is comparatively young, with about one-quarter of its population in 2022 under the age of 18 (Exhibit 23).

High Plains Region Compared with Texas and the U.S.

Indicator	High Plains Region Value	Rank if Region were a State	Texas Value	U.S. Value
Square Miles (land)	39,349	38	261,268	3,533,038
Population, 2022	871,022	47	30,029,572	333,287,557
Population Percent Change, 2012-2022	1.9%	38	15.1%	6.2%
Population over 25 with at Least a High School Diploma, 2021	83.5%	51	84.8%	88.9%
Population over 25 with Bachelor’s Degree or Higher, 2021	24.4%	48	31.5%	33.7%
Per Capita Personal Income, 2021	$54,263	41	$62,586	$65,470
Median Household Income, 2021	$56,413	44	$67,321	$69,021
Population Age 65 or Over, 2022	14.6%	50	13.4%	17.3%
Population Under Age 18, 2022	24.9%	2	24.8%	21.7%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis; Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts analysis

High Plains Region Economic Development Highlights

• Dura-Line announced plans to open a conduit manufacturing facility in Lubbock, expected to create 141 new jobs and $52 million in capital investment.
• Cabot Corporation plans to invest approximately $200 million in U.S. conductive carbon additives capacity over the next five years at their facility in Pampa. The project is expected to create 75 high-quality jobs.
• The Amarillo EDC recently completed a project with Coast Packing. The new facility will double its manufacturing capabilities. This project is expected to have a capital expenditure of over $30 million and to create 40 jobs.
• CVMR is a metal refining technology provider that mines and refines its mineral resources in 18 different countries. It is projected to create 1,000 new jobs and make a $1.5 billion capital expenditure in Amarillo.
• Caviness is a local beef packing company that has been family owned and operated for more than 59 years in the Panhandle. Caviness is projected to create 100 new jobs and make a $50 million capital expenditure in Amarillo.
• Texas Tech received a grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. The award is for more than a half-million dollars over the next three years and will provide training and mentorship for the next generation of scientists.
• PLANT-AS announced plans for a $670 million capital expenditure in the Lubbock area to build a 13.3-million-square-foot facility, creating more than 900 full-time jobs over 10 years.
• Taylor Rig and Equipment, CoNextrix and TrueNorth Steel announced expansions in the Lubbock area, with projections to create 145 new jobs and $22.5 million in capital investments.
• X-Fab announced expansion into the Lubbock area, with phase one capital investment totaling $200 million and the creation of 250 new jobs.

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Questions?

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