economy

Metroplex 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 Metroplex 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.

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 Metroplex region comprises 19 counties located largely in North Texas, covering more than 15,000 square miles stretching from Oklahoma south to the Brazos River and from the Cedar Creek Reservoir in the east to Possum Kingdom Lake in the west. The Metroplex region includes two metropolitan statistical areas (metro area) — Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington and Sherman-Denison — and six micropolitan statistical areas (micro area) — Bonham, Corsicana, Gainesville, Granbury, Mineral Wells and Stephenville.

Exhibit 1 highlights CBSA designations by county and includes population, population density and median ages for all the region’s counties. The Metroplex region’s population grew by more than 19 percent (about 1,356,000 people) between 2012 and 2022, compared with a more than 15 percent growth statewide. Collin County led total gains, adding 323,900 residents, while Kaufman County led regional growth rates at 62 percent during this period.

The metropolitan areas led regional population growth, as Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington and Sherman-Denison saw increases of more than 19.6 percent and 17.4 percent, respectively. Population rose by 14.4 percent in micropolitan counties and 14.1 percent in non-CBSA designated counties.

The Metroplex region had a median age of 35.4 years in 2021, slightly older than the statewide median age of 35 years. Median ages in the region ranged from 31 in Erath County to 46 in Hood County.

CBSA Classification and Population by County, Metroplex Region, 2012-2022

County	CBSA Title	Metropolitan/ Micropolitan	2022 Population	Total Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Median Age, 2021	Population Density
Collin	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington	Metropolitan	1,158,696	323,857	38.8%	37.2	1,265.3
Cooke	Gainesville	Micropolitan	43,050	4,321	11.2%	40.6	47.6
Dallas	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington	Metropolitan	2,600,840	144,544	5.9%	33.7	2,993.6
Denton	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington	Metropolitan	977,281	270,254	38.2%	36.2	1,031.8
Ellis	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington	Metropolitan	212,182	58,403	38.0%	36.4	205.7
Erath	Stephenville	Micropolitan	43,895	4,487	11.4%	31.1	39.3
Fannin	Bonham	Micropolitan	37,125	3,524	10.5%	41	40.0
Grayson	Sherman-Denison	Metropolitan	143,131	21,265	17.4%	39.1	145.3
Hood	Granbury	Micropolitan	66,373	14,241	27.3%	46.3	146.4
Hunt	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington	Metropolitan	108,282	21,290	24.5%	37.7	118.9
Johnson	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington	Metropolitan	195,506	42,100	27.4%	37	248.3
Kaufman	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington	Metropolitan	172,366	65,797	61.7%	35	186.1
Navarro	Corsicana	Micropolitan	54,636	6,479	13.5%	38.2	52.1
Palo Pinto	Mineral Wells	Micropolitan	29,239	1,377	4.9%	41.3	29.8
Parker	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington	Metropolitan	165,834	46,340	38.8%	39.5	164.0
Rockwall	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington	Metropolitan	123,208	40,436	48.9%	37.6	847.6
Somervell	N/A	N/A	9,757	1,202	14.1%	42.9	49.4
Tarrant	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington	Metropolitan	2,154,595	271,645	14.4%	34.8	2,439.3
Wise	Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington	Metropolitan	74,895	14,500	24.0%	39.1	75.9
Metroplex Region Total*	N/A	N/A	8,370,891	1,356,062	19.3%	35.4	535.4
Dallas-Fort Worth- Arlington Metropolitan Area	N/A	N/A	7,943,685	1,299,166	19.6%	35.2	880.4
Sherman-Denison Metropolitan Area	N/A	N/A	143,131	21,265	17.4%	39.1	145.3
All Micropolitan Counties*	N/A	N/A	274,318	34,429	14.4%	40	50.2
All Non-CBSA Counties*	N/A	N/A	9,757	1,202	14.1%	42.9	49.4
Texas Total	N/A	N/A	30,029,572	3,945,452	15.1%	35.0	111.6

*Median ages are estimated by JobsEQ using the weighted average of the median values from the composing counties.
Note: Population density defined as number of people per square mile of land area.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Population and Housing Unit Estimates Program; Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts analysis; JobsEQ

The region has experienced net gains in domestic migration every year from 2012 to 2022, with its strongest gains in 2022. Population gains by natural increase (births minus deaths) fell throughout this period, particularly in 2021, with fewer births throughout the period and more deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting trends in the state. The region saw net gains in international migration every year during this period, including its strongest gains in 2022 (Exhibit 2).

Exhibit 2 data

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

Year	Natural Increase	Net Domestic Migration	Net International Migration
2013	56,983	31,555	22,061
2014	58,229	49,844	30,789
2015	58,110	64,026	35,019
2016	58,509	66,009	33,733
2017	55,471	62,922	30,493
2018	52,525	52,961	22,206
2019	49,536	52,184	21,061
2020	45,001	64,297	17,018
2021	32,554	72,652	14,276
2022	39,950	98,989	38,774

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 Metroplex Region between 2012 and 2022, growing by 527,000, an increase of 27.6 percent. The region’s white population grew by about 166,700, a 4.7 percent increase. Those comprising two or more races and other races saw gains of 45.6 percent during this period, though their total gains were much more modest when compared with Hispanics. The region’s Asian population grew by nearly 269,000, or 70 percent, and the Black population rose by nearly 329,000, or 32 percent (Exhibit 3).

Population Change by Race/Ethnicity, Metroplex Region, 2012-2022

Year	White	Black	Asian	Two or More Races and Other Races	Hispanic or Latino	Total Population
2012	3,553,860	1,020,327	385,470	142,374	1,912,798	7,014,829
2022	3,720,542	1,348,951	654,336	207,257	2,439,805	8,370,891
Total Change	166,682	328,624	268,866	64,883	527,007	1,356,062
Percent Change	4.7%	32.2%	69.8%	45.6%	27.6%	19.3%

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 50.7 percent of the total population in 2012 to 44.4 percent in 2022, while the Hispanic population grew from 27.3 percent to 29.1 percent during this period. All other racial groups comprised nearly 26 percent of the regional population in 2022 (Exhibit 4).

Exhibit 4 data

Share of Population by Race/Ethnicity, Metroplex Region, 2012 and 2022

Race/Ethnicity	2012	2022
White	50.7%	44.4%
Black or African American	14.5%	16.1%
Asian	5.5%	7.8%
Two or More Races and Other Races	2.0%	2.5%
Hispanic or Latino	27.3%	29.1%

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 Metroplex region saw its largest population gains among people ages 65 or older, expanding by 52 percent between 2012 and 2022, reflecting the large Baby Boomer cohort (those born between 1946 and 1964). With its 65-and-older population leading regional population gains, the share of this group grew from around 10 percent in 2012 to almost 13 percent in 2022.

The population aged 4 and under fell by nearly 2 percent statewide but grew by almost 2 percent regionally (Exhibit 5).

Exhibit 5 data

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

Age Group	Metroplex Region	Texas
65 or older	51.9%	41.9%
50 to 64	21.7%	13.0%
35 to 49	14.4%	15.2%
5 to 19	12.7%	10.0%
20 to 34	20.5%	14.4%
0 to 4	1.5%	-1.8%

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 Metroplex region population with a bachelor’s degree or higher was 36.9 percent in 2022. In 2022, a higher share of women than men in the region had at least a bachelor’s degree — 37.2 percent versus 36.7 percent (Exhibit 6). Women have overtaken men in postsecondary educational attainment levels since 2012, when 29.7 percent of women had at least a bachelor’s degree, compared with 31.7 percent of men.

The share of the region that has earned at least a high school diploma rose from 83.4 percent in 2012 to 87.1 percent in 2022.

Exhibit 6 data

Educational Attainment Level	Male	Female	Total
Less than high school graduate	13.8%	12.0%	12.9%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	22.6%	22.2%	22.4%
Some college, no degree	19.9%	20.8%	20.4%
Associate degree	7.0%	7.8%	7.4%
Bachelor's degree	23.4%	24.1%	23.8%
Graduate or professional degree	13.3%	13.1%	13.2%

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 5-Year Estimates, 2018-2022; 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 returns on investments of time and tuition.

Data for 2023 indicate that occupations in the Metroplex region requiring at least an associate degree or certificate paid an average of $10,000 more annually than jobs requiring no postsecondary education. Occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree paid an average of $47,800 more annually than those requiring an associate degree or certificate, and occupations requiring a post-graduate degree paid an average of $34,300 more annually than those requiring a bachelor’s degree (Exhibit 7).

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

Typical Entry-Level Educational Requirement	Total Employment	Share of Total Regional Employment	Average Annual Wages
No postsecondary award	2,759,621	62.8%	$44,611
Associate degree or certificate	361,838	8.2%	$54,145
Bachelor's degree	1,125,928	25.6%	$101,996
Post-graduate degree	149,774	3.4%	$136,277
Total	4,397,161	N/A	$63,200

Note: Data as of 2023 Q2.
Sources: JobsEQ; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Regional Institutions of Higher Education

The Metroplex region offers a variety of options for higher educational achievement, including 20 universities, seven community colleges, one technical college and two health science schools. There are seven Texas public institutes of higher education and 13 private institutions of higher education in the Metroplex region. The University of North Texas in Denton saw strong enrollment between 2019 and 2023, adding about 7,600 students, a 19 percent increase. Texas State Technical College, located in Red Oak, saw its enrollment more than double during this period. North Central Texas College saw the largest decrease in enrollment in the region over the last four years. Total enrollment in all Metroplex institutions of higher education fell by 6.5 percent (Exhibit 8).

Institutions of Higher Education and Enrollments, Metroplex Region, Fall 2019 and Fall 2023

Institution	Institution Type	Fall 2019 Enrollment	Fall 2023 Enrollment*	Percent Change in enrollment
Dallas County Community College District	Junior or Community College	74,874	61,541	-17.8%
University of North Texas	University	39,192	46,751	19.3%
Tarrant County College District	Junior or Community College	46,777	41,727	-10.8%
The University of Texas at Arlington	University	42,863	41,376	-3.5%
Collin County Community College District	Junior or Community College	34,328	36,380	6.0%
The University of Texas at Dallas	University	29,543	30,846	4.4%
Texas Woman's University	University	15,710	15,180	-3.4%
Tarleton State University	University	13,177	14,556	10.5%
Texas Christian University	Private University	10,979	12,731	16.0%
Texas A&M University-Commerce	University	11,725	12,094	3.1%
Southern Methodist University	Private University	11,824	11,835	0.1%
North Central Texas College	Junior or Community College	9,382	7,497	-20.1%
Navarro College	Junior or Community College	8,036	6,548	-18.5%
Weatherford College	Junior or Community College	5,821	5,448	-6.4%
Dallas Baptist University	Private University	4,487	4,201	-6.4%
Grayson College	Junior or Community College	4,473	3,875	-13.4%
University of North Texas at Dallas	University	4,040	3,798	-6.0%
Texas Wesleyan University	Private University	2,607	2,666	2.3%
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center	Health Science School	2,299	2,502	8.8%
University of North Texas Health Science Center	Health Science School	2,219	2,317	4.4%
University of Dallas	Private University	2,481	2,182	-12.1%
Parker University	Private University	1,717	2,142	24.8%
Southwestern Assemblies of God University	Private University	2,061	1,725	-16.3%
Austin College	Private University	1,314	1,138	-13.4%
Amberton University	Private University	1,074	895	-16.7%
Southwestern Adventist University	Private University	687	805	17.2%
Paul Quinn College	Private University	554	618	11.6%
Texas State Technical College-North Texas	Technical College	248	527	112.5%
Criswell College	Private University	0	157	**
Southwestern Christian College	Private University	110	124	12.7%
Total - Metroplex Region	N/A	384,602	359,626	-6.5%

*Fall 2023 enrollment numbers are preliminary and not certified.
**Criswell College did not report enrollment numbers in 2019.
Source: Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

Health Care

Availability of Hospital Services

Residents of the Metroplex region have access to a variety of hospital facilities from which to receive services. General hospitals offer a comprehensive range of services and facilities for medical diagnoses and treatments, including surgical services. Special hospitals provide clinical laboratory facilities, diagnostic X-ray facilities, and treatment facilities (Exhibit 9).

Major Health Care Facilities, Metroplex Region, 2023

Facility Type	Number of Facilities	Total Number of Beds	Average Number of Beds Per Facility
General and Special Hospital	156	20,512	131.5
Private Psychiatric Hospital	28	1,824	65.1
State Psychiatric Hospital	1	305	305.0

Source: Texas Health and Human Services Commission

Health Care Access

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, one of five Texans under age 65 did not have health insurance in 2021. The rate of uninsured in Texas — 20.3 percent — was the highest among U.S. states and about twice the national average of 10.2 percent. At 18.9 percent in 2021, the Metroplex region’s uninsured rate was less than the state average, although rates in seven of its 19 counties were higher than the state average. The rates of individual counties ranged from a low of 10.9 percent in Collin County to a high of 24.5 percent in Navarro County (Exhibit 10).

Estimated Uninsured by County, Metroplex Region, 2021

County	Uninsured Population	Percent Uninsured
Collin	106,627	10.9%
Cooke	7,448	22.1%
Dallas	539,771	24.2%
Denton	99,762	12.1%
Ellis	33,003	18.9%
Erath	7,315	21.5%
Fannin	5,502	20.0%
Grayson	21,939	19.4%
Hood	8,466	17.7%
Hunt	17,268	20.5%
Johnson	30,807	19.4%
Kaufman	26,315	19.0%
Navarro	10,731	24.5%
Palo Pinto	4,883	21.4%
Parker	22,244	16.9%
Rockwall	13,023	12.8%
Somervell	1,373	18.1%
Tarrant	365,511	19.9%
Wise	12,577	20.9%
Metroplex Region	1,334,565	18.9%

Note: Uninsured population includes 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 Metroplex region totaled $709 billion in 2022, accounting for 29.5 percent of Texas’ GDP. Some of the region’s industries contribute an even higher share to the state economy, indicating regional industry specialization. The region is a state and national leader in the Information industry, which includes telecommunications. The regional Information industry accounted for 49 percent of the industry’s total state GDP in 2022. Other industries play outsize roles in the region, including durable goods manufacturing, the arts, entertainment and recreation industries, and transportation and warehousing (Exhibit 11).

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

Industry	Metroplex Region (billions)	Metroplex Region Industry GDP as Share of Total Regional GDP	Texas (billions)	Metroplex Region Industry GDP as Share of Texas Industry GDP
Information	$46.2	6.5%	$94.4	49.0%
Durable goods manufacturing	$43.3	6.1%	$114.1	38.0%
Arts, entertainment and recreation	$4.7	0.7%	$12.8	37.0%
Transportation and warehousing	$32.8	4.6%	$93.6	35.1%
Health care and social assistance	$43.6	6.1%	$132.6	32.9%
All industry total	$709.0	N/A	$2,402.1	29.5%

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

Median Household Income

The Metroplex region had a median household income of $77,531 in 2021, up from $58,169 in 2011, a 33.3 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, Metroplex Region and Texas, 2011-2021

Year	Metroplex Region	Texas
2011	$58,169	$50,920
2012	$58,683	$51,563
2013	$58,941	$51,900
2014	$59,684	$52,576
2015	$60,325	$53,207
2016	$61,811	$54,727
2017	$64,556	$57,051
2018	$67,546	$59,570
2019	$70,583	$61,874
2020	$73,507	$63,826
2021	$77,531	$67,321

Sources: JobsEQ; American Community Survey, 5-year estimates

Jobs and Industry

Between 2012 and 2022, regional employment rose by 29 percent, higher than the growth in Texas (23.5 percent) and the U.S. (13.9 percent). The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metro area saw strong employment gains during this period, rising by 30 percent (Exhibit 13).

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

Region	Total Employed, 2022	Total Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages, 2022
United States	150,025,578	18,329,359	13.9%	$69,986
Texas	13,249,180	2,521,454	23.5%	$69,614
Metroplex Region	3,983,672	905,929	29.4%	$74,254
Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metro Area	3,849,973	895,483	30.3%	$75,068
Sherman-Denison Metro Area	47,779	5,743	13.7%	$53,682

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

The Metroplex region’s largest industries by employment are in restaurants, public education, high-tech business services, employment services and health care. These large regional industry sectors mostly experienced strong employment growth in the 10-year period ending in 2022, including a 354 percent gain in the warehousing and storage industry.

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, Metroplex Region, 2022

Industry	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient	Establishments
Restaurants and Other Eating Places	304,778	79,851	35.5%	$25,206	1.07	14,349
Elementary and Secondary Schools	229,867	34,205	17.5%	$53,374	1.06	611
Employment Services	136,277	35,711	35.5%	$53,123	1.32	2,745
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	112,363	15,824	16.4%	$80,259	0.70	177
Computer Systems Design and Related Services	109,413	58,237	113.8%	$126,421	1.64	9,997
Warehousing and Storage	83,088	64,776	353.7%	$45,216	1.62	616
Offices of Physicians	82,253	21,740	35.9%	$106,131	1.07	7,636
Management of Companies and Enterprises	70,447	33,853	92.5%	$143,872	1.05	1,363
Management, Scientific and Technical Consulting Services	69,901	32,440	86.6%	$121,255	1.44	8,398
Building Equipment Contractors	66,190	23,399	54.7%	$73,008	1.04	4,701
Total – All Industries	3,983,672	905,929	29.4%	$74,254	1.00	220,420

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 nearly 80,000 jobs, a nearly 36 percent gain. The warehousing and storage industry experienced some of the fastest growth, increasing by nearly 65,000 jobs, or 354 percent, during the period (Exhibit 15).

Industries with Largest Total Employment Growth, Metroplex Region, 2012-2022

Industry	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient	Establishments
Restaurants and Other Eating Places	304,778	79,851	35.5%	$25,206	1.07	14,349
Warehousing and Storage	83,088	64,776	353.7%	$45,216	1.62	616
Computer Systems Design and Related Services	109,413	58,237	113.8%	$126,421	1.64	9,997
Employment Services	136,277	35,711	35.5%	$53,123	1.32	2,745
Elementary and Secondary Schools	229,867	34,205	17.5%	$53,374	1.06	611
Management of Companies and Enterprises	70,447	33,853	92.5%	$143,872	1.05	1,363
Management, Scientific and Technical Consulting Services	69,901	32,440	86.6%	$121,255	1.44	8,398
Building Equipment Contractors	66,190	23,399	54.7%	$73,008	1.04	4,701
Depository Credit Intermediation	64,365	22,101	52.3%	$118,001	1.36	2,123
Agencies, Brokerages and Other Insurance Related Activities	49,604	21,943	79.3%	$94,127	1.43	4,622
Total – All Industries	3,983,672	905,929	29.4%	$74,254	1.00	220,420

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

Ranking regional industries by LQ shows a wide variety of manufacturing industries that are unique to the Metroplex region, including apparel, communications equipment, aerospace products and parts, and semiconductors. Air transportation activities and oil and gas extraction also are heavily concentrated in the region. The air transportation industry had an LQ exceeding 3.0, meaning the industry is three times as large in the Metroplex region compared with the national average. This industry saw substantial job growth and high average wages from 2012 through 2022 (Exhibit 16).

Industries with Greatest Location Quotient, Metroplex Region, 2022

Industry	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient	Establishments
Communications Equipment Manufacturing	7,934	-1,749	-18.1%	$154,774	3.44	94
Scheduled Air Transportation	39,886	8,195	25.9%	$153,888	3.27	58
Other Leather and Allied Product Manufacturing	993	619	165.3%	$46,190	3.11	28
Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing	932	420	81.9%	$41,474	2.71	29
Land Subdivision	2,559	635	33.0%	$204,916	2.57	298
Oil and Gas Extraction	7,733	-6,503	-45.7%	$235,482	2.56	482
Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	32,316	-2,714	-7.7%	$129,225	2.40	127
Non-Depository Credit Intermediation	38,217	-7,866	-17.1%	$122,831	2.37	1,603
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing	24,447	1,114	4.8%	$144,822	2.37	214
Other Furniture Related Product Manufacturing	2,098	39	1.9%	$46,633	2.23	38

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, laborers and material movers, and truck drivers saw some of the strongest job gains between 2012 and 2022. Several occupations experiencing strong growth also boasted annual wages greatly exceeding the regional average, including general and operations managers, software developers, and logisticians and project management specialists (Exhibit 17).

Occupations with Largest Total Employment Growth, Metroplex Region, 2012-2022

Occupation	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient
Laborers and Material Movers	204,526	73,635	56.3%	$36,900	1.10
General and Operations Managers	132,231	64,429	95.0%	$121,100	1.42
Driver/Sales Workers and Truck Drivers	110,332	34,685	45.9%	$50,300	1.14
Customer Service Representatives	109,366	32,836	42.9%	$42,700	1.39
Software and Web Developers, Programmers, and Testers	67,651	28,263	71.8%	$119,600	1.18
Fast Food and Counter Workers	99,697	23,561	30.9%	$26,500	1.08
Logisticians and Project Management Specialists	36,331	20,924	135.8%	$95,600	1.25
Home Health and Personal Care Aides	57,605	17,976	45.4%	$25,300	0.58
Cooks	61,017	17,025	38.7%	$32,600	0.82
Miscellaneous Sales Representatives, Services	36,324	16,699	85.1%	$76,400	1.22

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.

Metroplex 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 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 Sherman-Denison metro area and in the Metropolitan Divisions of Fort Worth-Arlington and Dallas-Plano (two geographic subsets of the larger Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington metropolitan area) would have more income than 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, Metroplex Region, 2017 to 2022

Year	Sherman-Denison MSA	Fort Worth-Arlington MD	Dallas-Plano-Irving MD	Texas
2017	2.23	1.76	1.42	1.54
2018	1.91	1.54	1.29	1.39
2019	1.9	1.55	1.33	1.43
2020	2.27	1.88	1.68	1.78
2021	1.74	1.6	1.49	1.53
2022	1.34	1.21	1.06	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 Metroplex region — Dallas-Fort Worth and Grayson County.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) oversees the construction and maintenance of state highways through its 25 districts across the state. The Metroplex region includes four of these county-based districts, with offices in Dallas, Fort Worth, Paris and Wichita Falls.

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, Metroplex Region, 2022

Road Type	Centerline Miles	Lane Miles	Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled	Daily Truck Miles Traveled
Interstate Highways	601.0	3,639.9	58,130,556.7	8,833,281.2
U.S. Highways	995.1	3,528.8	27,231,317.0	3,143,540.9
State Highways, Spurs, Loops, Business Routes	1,612.3	5,205.1	30,195,701.5	2,449,948.9
Farm or Ranch to Market Roads and Spurs	3,895.7	8,607.8	16,577,569.0	954,606.9
Pass, Parks and Recreation Roads	36.4	89.7	101,625.6	4,286.6
Frontage Roads	1,654.1	3,505.0	8,982,824.3	373,762.3
On-System Subtotal	8,794.5	24,576.2	141,219,594.2	15,759,426.9
City Streets	27,250.9	61,037.7	54,302,131.6	2,071,742.4
Certified County Roads	13,974.0	27,984.1	3,470,870.8	125,630.8
Toll Road Authority Roads	213.4	979.9	13,912,880.4	898,194.9
Federal Roads	268.6	537.1	59,367.8	1,935.9
Off-System Subtotal	41,706.9	90,538.9	71,745,250.6	3,097,504.0
Grand Total	50,501.4	115,115.1	212,964,844.7	18,856,930.9

Source: Texas Department of Transportation

Transit Districts

Many transit districts help provide safe, reliable and accessible transportation services to citizens of the Metroplex region. The region includes three Metropolitan Transit Authorities (serving areas with populations greater than 200,000), six Urban Transit Systems (serving areas with populations between 50,000 and 200,000) and nine Rural Transit Systems (serving areas outside the urbanized area) (Exhibit 20).

Transit Districts, Revenue and Ridership Statistics, Metroplex Region, 2022

District	Transit District Type	Total Operating Expense	Total Revenue	Unlinked Passenger Trips	Passenger Trips Per Capita	Operating Expense Per Trip
Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART)	MTA	$932,984,019	$903,335,201	41,880,465	14.59	$22.28
Denton County Transportation Authority	MTA	$44,591,571	$45,085,747	1,563,975	4.27	$28.51
Fort Worth Transit Authority (Trinity Metro)	MTA	$73,438,720	$42,192,685	4,277,619	4.11	$17.17
Arlington	Small Urban	$12,297,486	$7,411,133	762,706	2.09	$16.12
Grand Prairie	Small Urban	$3,023,110	$680,373	66,564	0.38	$45.43
McKinney	Small Urban	$1,257,019	$39,476	13,000	0.08	$96.69
Mesquite	Small Urban	$1,201,872	$17,931	-	-	-
Northeast Transportation Service (NETS)	Small Urban	$1,464,379	$601,310	44,977	0.14	$32.56
Sherman-Denison	Small Urban	$1,045,568	$241,030	15,917	0.26	$65.69
Central Texas Rural Transit District	Rural	$5,043,271	$1,328,456	91,683	0.48	$55.01
City of Cleburne (City/County Transportation)	Rural	$1,235,964	$310,147	28,735	0.27	$43.01
Colorado Valley Transit	Rural	$2,373,162	$219,449	98,709	0.74	$24.04
Community Services, Inc.	Rural	$1,192,778	$273,017	31,058	0.27	$38.40
Public Transit Services	Rural	$2,011,814	$562,725	53,121	0.38	$37.87
Senior Center Resources & Public Transit, Inc.	Rural	$1,915,997	$167,672	55,196	0.64	$34.71
Services Program for Aging Needs (SPAN)	Rural	$2,632,766	$758,535	39,529	0.53	$66.60
STAR Transit	Rural	$6,542,989	$1,655,520	152,403	1.34	$42.93
Texoma Area Paratransit System, Inc.	Rural	$1,680,409	$218,262	17,217	0.08	$97.60

Source: Texas Department of Transportation

Airports

Texas has 27 airports offering passenger or commercial service, including three in the Metroplex region — Dallas-Fort Worth International, Dallas Love Field and Fort Worth Alliance. Dallas-Fort Worth International is the nation’s second largest airport by number of enplanements (passenger boardings). All three airports in the Metroplex region saw an increase in the number of enplanements in 2022 compared with 2021 (Exhibit 21).

Commercial Airports and Enplanements, Metroplex Region, 2021 and 2022

U.S. Rank	Airport ID	City	Airport Name	2021 Enplanements	2022 Enplanements	Percent Change
2	DFW	Dallas/Ft Worth/ Arlington	Dallas-Fort Worth International	30,005,266	35,345,138	17.8%
30	DAL	Dallas	Dallas Love Field	6,487,563	7,819,129	20.5%
457	AFW	Fort Worth	Fort Worth Alliance	1,628	2,276	39.8%

Source: Federal Aviation Administration

Trade

Ports of entry in 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 Metroplex region has four direct trade official ports of entry (Exhibit 22).

Official Ports of Entry Trade Data, Metroplex Region, 2022

Port of Entry	Exports	Imports
Dallas Love Field	$3,403,942	$893,856
Addison Airport	$3,857,685	$466,387
Fort Worth Alliance Airport	$132,130,078	$1,064,365
Dallas-Fort Worth	$28,418,926,307	$37,794,216,157
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 Metroplex region were a state, it would have the 42nd largest area, 13th largest population and second fastest population growth between 2012 and 2022. The region also exceeds the Texas and U.S. averages in both per capita and median household incomes (Exhibit 23).

Metroplex Region Compared with Texas and the U.S.

Indicator	Metroplex Region Value	Rank if Region were a State	Texas Value	U.S. Value
Square Miles (land)	15,026	42	261,268	3,533,038
Population, 2022	8,370,891	13	30,029,572	333,287,557
Population Percent Change, 2012-2022	19.3%	2	15.1%	6.2%
Population with High School Diploma or Higher, 2022	87.1%	46	85.2%	89.1%
Population with Bachelor’s Degree or Higher, 2022	42.4%	3	32.3%	34.3%
Per Capita Personal Income, 2022	$69,644	12	$62,586	$65,470
Median Household Income, 2021	$77,531	14	$67,321	$69,021
Population Age 65 or Over, 2022	12.5%	50	13.4%	17.3%
Population Under Age 18, 2022	24.7%	3	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

Metroplex Region Economic Development Highlights

• H-E-B opened a new 118,000-square-foot store in McKinney (Collin County) and a new 117,000-square-foot store in Allen.
• H-E-B broke ground on a new store location in Mansfield (Tarrant County).
• Inbenta, a global company that automates customer interactions with artificial intelligence, is moving its headquarters from California to Allen.
• Fisher Investment is relocating its headquarters from Washington to Plano and will bring more than 1,200 jobs.
• Ruiz Foods is establishing a regional headquarters in Frisco, which will bring 125 jobs to the area.
• SunOpta is opening a new $125 million plant-based beverage production facility in Midlothian, bringing up to 175 new jobs to the area.
• The Dallas Regional Chamber announced a new economic development campaign to actively expand its focus on recruiting more companies and jobs in the life science and biotech industry to Dallas-Fort Worth.
• The Sports Business Journal ranked Dallas as the No. 1 city in the nation for sports business. Dallas also was awarded as a host city for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
• Frontier Communications is relocating its headquarters from Connecticut to Dallas, projecting to boost state and local economies by $3.8 billion and add 3,000 jobs to the area over the next 10 years.
• McMaster-Carr Supply Co, an e-commerce distribution company that supplies specialized equipment, hardware, tools and other products, is investing $180 million in a new regional headquarters and distribution center in Fort Worth, creating 250 jobs.
• Gulfstream Aerospace opened a customer support center at the Fort Worth Alliance Airport with an investment of $55 million, creating 200 jobs.
• Pratt Industries, a recycled paper and packaging company, opened a $253 million factory in Cedar Hill, creating 375 full-time jobs for the area.
• Schneider Electric, a global leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, and Compass Datacenters are partnering to construct a 110,000-square-foot facility that will create 100 jobs in the Dallas area.
• General Motors is investing $500 million in its Arlington-based factory for gasoline-powered SUVs.

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Questions?

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