economy

Upper Rio Grande Region 2024 Regional Report

Region Snapshot

Download Snapshot (PDF)

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 Upper Rio Grande 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 Upper Rio Grande region comprises six counties located largely in western Texas, covering 21,700 square miles stretching from the most western part of the state, where the state line meets at the border with Mexico, along the Rio Grande past Big Bend and up again to the New Mexico state line around the area of Guadalupe Mountains National Park. The Upper Rio Grande region includes one metropolitan statistical area (metro area) — El Paso — and no micropolitan statistical areas (micro area).

Exhibit 1 highlights CBSA designations by county and includes population, population density and median ages for all of the region’s counties. The Upper Rio Grande region’s population grew by nearly 4 percent (about 34,600 people) between 2012 and 2022, compared with a more than 15 percent growth statewide. El Paso County led in both total gains, adding 36,600 residents, and percentage growth at 4.4 percent during this period.

The El Paso metropolitan area led the regional population growth at 4.4 percent. Population fell by 10 percent in non-CBSA designated counties.

The Upper Rio Grande region had a median age of 32.9 years in 2021, younger than the statewide median age of 35 years. Median ages in the region ranged from 32.6 in El Paso County to 60 in Jeff Davis County.

CBSA Classification and Population by County, Upper Rio Grande Region, 2012-2022

County	CBSA Title	Metropolitan/ Micropolitan	2022 Population	Total Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Median Age, 2021	Population Density
Brewster	N/A	N/A	9,343	81	0.9%	44.6	1.5
Culberson	N/A	N/A	2,155	-162	-7.0%	40.5	0.6
El Paso	El Paso	Metropolitan	868,763	36,645	4.4%	32.6	854.4
Hudspeth	El Paso	Metropolitan	3,432	79	2.4%	33.4	0.7
Jeff Davis	N/A	N/A	1,903	-393	-17.1%	60.5	0.9
Presidio	N/A	N/A	5,939	-1,675	-22.0%	42.2	1.6
Upper Rio Grande Region Total	N/A	N/A	891,535	34,575	4.0%	32.9	41.0
El Paso Metropolitan Area	N/A	N/A	872,195	36,724	4.4%	32.6	155.6
All Non-CBSA Counties*	N/A	N/A	19,340	-2,149	-10.0%	45.0	1.2
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 losses in domestic migration every year since 2012, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. Population gains by natural increase (births minus deaths) slowed 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 period, with an uptick in 2022 (Exhibit 2).

Exhibit 2 data

Components of Annual Population Change from Previous Year, Upper Rio Grande Region, 2012-2022

Year	Natural Increase	Net Domestic Migration	Net International Migration
2013	8,992	-13,288	2,191
2014	8,778	-9,182	2,686
2015	8,559	-13,478	2,829
2016	8,246	-6,895	2,232
2017	7,435	-5,667	646
2018	6,509	-7,236	-44
2019	6,037	-4,480	175
2020	5,784	-2,434	358
2021	2,607	-2,167	457
2022	3,399	-4,461	1,712

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 Upper Rio Grande region between 2012 and 2022, growing by nearly 41,500, an increase of six percent. The region’s white population,fell by more than 16,400, a 13.6 percent decline. Those comprising two or more races and other races saw gains of 24.4 percent during this period, though their total gains were much more modest when compared with Hispanics. The Asian and Black populations rose by 24.5 percent and 20 percent, respectively (Exhibit 3).

Population Change by Race/Ethnicity, Upper Rio Grande Region, 2012-2022

Year	White	Black	Asian	Two or More Races and Other Races	Hispanic or Latino	Total Population
2012	120,698	24,891	8,744	9,747	692,880	856,960
2022	104,258	29,873	10,886	12,122	734,396	891,535
Total Change	-16,440	4,982	2,142	2,375	41,516	34,575
Percent Change	-13.6%	20.0%	24.5%	24.4%	6.0%	4.0%

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 14.1 percent in 2012 to 11.7 percent in 2022, while the Hispanic population grew from 80.9 percent to 82.4 percent during this period. All other racial groups comprised nearly six percent of the regional population in 2022 (Exhibit 4).

Exhibit 4

Share of Population by Race/Ethnicity, Upper Rio Grande Region, 2012 and 2022

Race/Ethnicity	2012	2022
White	14.1%	11.7%
Black	2.9%	3.4%
Asian	1.0%	1.2%
Two or More Races and Other Races	1.1%	1.4%
Hispanic or Latino	80.9%	82.4%

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 Upper Rio Grande region saw its largest population gains among people ages 65 or older, reflecting the large Baby Boomer cohort (those born between 1946 and 1964). With its 65-or-older population leading regional population gains, the share of this group grew from around 11 percent in 2012 to almost 13 percent in 2022.

The population aged 4 and under fell by nearly 2 percent statewide but and by almost 16 percent regionally. Unlike statewide trends, the region’s 5 to 19-year-old population fell during this period (Exhibit 5).

Exhibit 5 data

Population Changes by Age Group, Upper Rio Grande Region and Texas, 2012-2022

Age Group	Upper Rio Grande Region	Texas
65 or older	29.9%	41.9%
50 to 64	4.3%	13.0%
35 to 49	3.8%	15.2%
20 to 34	8.6%	14.4%
5 to 19	-5.0%	10.0%
0 to 4	-16.1%	-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 Upper Rio Grande region population with a bachelor’s degree or higher was 25.2 percent in 2022. In 2022, a higher share of women than men in the region had at least a bachelor’s degree, 26.1 percent versus 24.2 percent (Exhibit 6). Women have overtaken men in post-secondary educational attainment levels since 2012, when 19.7 percent of women had at least a bachelor’s degree, compared with 21.3 percent of men.

The share of the region that has earned at least a high school diploma rose from 73.2 percent in 2012 to 79.9 percent in 2022.

Exhibit 6 data

Educational Attainment by Gender, Upper Rio Grande Region, 2022

Educational Attainment Level	Male	Female	Total
Less than high school graduate	17.9%	22.2%	20.1%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	25.5%	23.0%	24.2%
Some college, no degree	23.2%	20.2%	21.6%
Associate degree	9.3%	8.5%	8.9%
Bachelor's degree	15.7%	18.1%	17.0%
Graduate or professional degree	8.5%	8.0%	8.2%

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 Upper Rio Grande region requiring at least an associate degree or certificate paid an average of $9,900 more annually than jobs requiring no postsecondary education. Occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree paid an average of $31,800 more annually than those requiring an associate degree or certificate, and occupations requiring a post-graduate degree paid an average of $36,200 more annually than those requiring a bachelor’s degree (Exhibit 7).

Employment Levels and Average Wages of Occupations by Typical Entry Level Education Requirements, Upper Rio Grande Region, 2023

Typical Entry-Level Educational Requirement	Total Employment	Share of Total Regional Employment	Average Annual Wages
No postsecondary award	235,331	65.3%	$35,357
Associate Degree or Certificate	33,416	9.3%	$45,246
Bachelor's Degree	77,254	21.4%	$77,029
Postgraduate Degree	14,475	4.0%	$113,229
Total	360,477	N/A	$48,300

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

Regional Institutions of Higher Education

The Upper Rio Grande region offers a variety of options for higher educational achievement, including two public universities, one community college district and one health science school. Enrollment in 2023 was lower at each of the region’s public universities and in the El Paso Community College District. Enrollment at The Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso did rise by 70 during this period, a 22 percent increase. (Exhibit 8).

Institutions of Higher Education and Enrollments, Upper Rio Grande Region, Fall 2019 and Fall 2023

Institution	Institution Type	Fall 2019 Enrollment	Fall 2023 Enrollment*	Percent Change in Enrollment
El Paso Community College District	Junior or Community College	28,124	24,662	-12.3%
The University of Texas at El Paso	University	25,144	24,351	-3.2%
Sul Ross State University	University	1,644	1,465	-10.9%
Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center - El Paso	Health Science School	765	935	22.2%
Total - Upper Rio Grande Region	N/A	55,677	51,413	-7.7%

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

Health Care

Availability of Hospital Services

Residents of the Upper Rio Grande 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, diagnostic X-ray and treatment facilities (Exhibit 9).

Major Health Care Facilities, Upper Rio Grande Region, 2023

Facility Type	Number of Facilities	Total Number of Beds	Average Number of Beds Per Facility
General and Special Hospital	20	2,541	127.1
Private Psychiatric Hospital	2	258	129.0
State Psychiatric Hospital	1	74	74.0

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 23.7 percent in 2021, the Upper Rio Grande region’s uninsured rate was higher than the state average, as were the rates in all six counties individually, which ranged from a low of 23.5 percent in El Paso County to a high of 38.7 percent in Presidio County (Exhibit 10).

Estimated Uninsured by County, Upper Rio Grande Region, 2021

County	Uninsured Population	Percent Uninsured
Brewster	1,768	25.0%
Culberson	537	31.3%
El Paso	173,483	23.5%
Hudspeth	809	29.2%
Jeff Davis	276	24.7%
Presidio	1,804	38.7%
Upper Rio Grande Region	178,677	23.7%

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

Regional Economy and Employment

Gross Domestic Product

Gross domestic product (GDP) in the Upper Rio Grande region totaled $49.3 billion in 2022, accounting for 2.1 percent of Texas’ GDP. Some of the region’s industries, however, contribute a higher share to the state economy, indicating regional industry specialization. By this measure, the region’s leading industry is government and government enterprises, with the regional industry accounting for about 5 percent of the government and government enterprises industry GDP statewide. Nondurable goods manufacturing also play an outsize role in the region, accounting for 2.4 percent of industry GDP in Texas (Exhibit 11).

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

Industry	Upper Rio Grande Region (billions)	Upper Rio Grande Region Industry GDP as Share of Total Regional GDP	Texas (billions)	Upper Rio Grande Region Industry GDP as Share of Texas Industry GDP
Government and government enterprises	$10.8	22.0%	$222.4	4.9%
Nondurable goods manufacturing	$3.8	7.7%	$154.9	2.4%
Transportation and warehousing	$2.2	4.4%	$93.6	2.3%
Accommodation and food services	$1.5	3.0%	$66.2	2.3%
Health care and social assistance	$2.9	5.8%	$132.6	2.2%
All industry total	$49.3	N/A	$2,402.1	2.1%

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

Median Household Income

The Upper Rio Grande region had a median household income of $50,571 in 2021, up from $38,161 in 2011, a 32.5 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, Upper Rio Grande Region and Texas, 2011-2021

Year	Upper Rio Grande Region	Texas
2011	$38,161	$50,920
2012	$39,539	$51,563
2013	$40,009	$51,900
2014	$40,610	$52,576
2015	$41,454	$53,207
2016	$41,893	$54,727
2017	$42,952	$57,051
2018	$44,374	$59,570
2019	$46,626	$61,874
2020	$47,746	$63,826
2021	$50,571	$67,321

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

Jobs and Industry

Between 2012 and 2022, regional employment rose about 14 percent, lower than that of Texas (23.5 percent) but higher than the U.S. (13.9 percent). The El Paso metro area saw strong employment gains during this period, rising by more than 15 percent (Exhibit 13).

Total Employment (2022) and Changes in Employment Levels (2012-2022), Upper Rio Grande 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
Upper Rio Grande Region	328,006	41,359	14.4%	$47,219
El Paso Metro Area	319,516	41,815	15.1%	$47,077

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

The Upper Rio Grande region’s largest industries by employment were restaurants and other eating places, public education, hospitals and home health care services, public safety and business support services. These large regional industry sectors mostly experienced strong employment growth in the 10-year period ending in 2022, including a 30 percent gain in restaurant 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, Upper Rio Grande Region, 2022

Industry	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient	Establishments
Restaurants and Other Eating Places	32,355	7,485	30.1%	$19,452	1.38	1,451
Elementary and Secondary Schools	28,190	-367	-1.3%	$49,898	1.58	50
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	12,316	1,112	9.9%	$68,858	0.93	18
Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities	11,481	397	3.6%	$90,764	2.80	71
Home Health Care Services	9,366	-272	-2.8%	$20,134	2.76	137
Business Support Services	9,140	2,698	41.9%	$30,065	5.24	107
Warehouse Clubs, Supercenters, and Other General Merchandise Retailers	7,945	1,212	18.0%	$29,846	1.62	211
General Freight Trucking	7,936	2,505	46.1%	$54,332	3.25	599
Individual and Family Services	7,609	4,372	135.1%	$24,186	1.16	271
Employment Services	6,662	751	12.7%	$37,934	0.78	126
Total - All Industries	328,006	41,359	14.4%	$47,219	1.00	17,757

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 7,000 jobs, a 30 percent gain. Other industries seeing strong included individual and family services and outpatient care centers, business support services and warehousing and shipping (Exhibit 15).

Industries with Largest Total Employment Growth, Upper Rio Grande Region, 2012-2022

Industry	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient	Establishments
Restaurants and Other Eating Places	32,355	7,485	30.1%	$19,452	1.38	1,451
Individual and Family Services	7,609	4,372	135.1%	$24,186	1.16	271
Business Support Services	9,140	2,698	41.9%	$30,065	5.24	107
General Freight Trucking	7,936	2,505	46.1%	$54,332	3.25	599
Outpatient Care Centers	4,079	2,205	117.6%	$71,305	1.69	100
Warehousing and Storage	2,355	1,275	118.0%	$44,539	0.56	84
Warehouse Clubs, Supercenters, and Other General Merchandise Retailers	7,945	1,212	18.0%	$29,846	1.62	211
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	5,834	1,178	25.3%	$66,356	0.89	18
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	12,316	1,112	9.9%	$68,858	0.93	18
Household Appliances and Electrical and Electronic Goods Merchant Wholesalers	1,921	1,075	127.0%	$53,410	2.41	92
Total - All Industries	328,006	41,359	14.4%	$47,219	1.00	17,757

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 footwear manufacturing, apparel manufacturing, metal production and hardware manufacturing are highly specialized in the region. The iron and steel mills and ferroalloy manufacturing industry had an LQ exceeding 3.0, meaning the industry is three times as large in the Upper Rio Grande 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, Upper Rio Grande Region, 2022

Industry	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient	Establishments
Footwear Manufacturing	699	-227	-24.5%	$39,281	27.65	14
Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing	1,018	72	7.6%	$33,116	6.39	17
Nonferrous Metal (except Aluminum) Production and Processing	796	43	5.6%	$78,775	6.09	8
Hardware Manufacturing	311	-14	-4.3%	$74,022	5.79	3
Business Support Services	9,140	2,698	41.9%	$30,065	5.24	107
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation	183	56	44.7%	$41,883	4.13	9
General Freight Trucking	7,936	2,505	46.1%	$54,332	3.25	599
Other Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction	850	644	313.7%	$85,451	3.12	15
Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing	557	234	72.3%	$63,952	3.03	6
Other Nonmetallic Mineral Product Manufacturing	521	127	32.2%	$49,600	2.94	9

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 and registered nurses had average wages far above regional averages and saw some of the strongest job gains from 2012 through 2022. Other occupations that saw strong employment gains include home health and personal care aides, laborers and material movers, truck drivers, and fast food and other food preparation workers (Exhibit 17).

Occupations with Largest Total Employment Growth, Upper Rio Grande Region, 2012-2022

Occupation	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient
Home Health and Personal Care Aides	12,190	3,624	42.3%	$21,400	1.50
General and Operations Managers	8,994	3,613	67.1%	$87,600	1.18
Driver/Sales Workers and Truck Drivers	11,222	3,304	41.7%	$43,000	1.41
Laborers and Material Movers	14,401	2,984	26.1%	$30,700	0.95
Customer Service Representatives	9,350	2,950	46.1%	$34,300	1.45
Fast Food and Counter Workers	10,679	1,848	20.9%	$22,200	1.41
Cooks	6,332	1,526	31.7%	$26,500	1.04
Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers	3,935	1,330	51.0%	$34,800	1.28
Registered Nurses	7,453	1,227	19.7%	$79,500	1.07
Miscellaneous Sales Representatives, Services	2,471	1,150	87.1%	$49,700	1.01

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 El Paso metro areas would have more than one and a quarter 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, Upper Rio Grande Region, 2017-2022

Year	El Paso MSA	Texas
2017	1.65	1.54
2018	1.46	1.39
2019	1.46	1.43
2020	1.70	1.78
2021	1.58	1.53
2022	1.25	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. One MPO coordinates transportation planning in the Upper Rio Grande region, the El Paso MPO.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) oversees the construction and maintenance of state highways through its 25 districts across the state. The Upper Rio Grande region includes one of these county-based districts, with an office in El Paso.

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, Upper Rio Grande Region, 2022

Road Type	Centerline Miles	Lane Miles	Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled	Daily Truck Miles Traveled
Interstate Highways	186.6	834.4	6,937,992.3	1,799,669.2
U.S. Highways	452.9	1,128.9	2,074,469.2	185,683.1
State Highways, Spurs, Loops, Business Routes	481.7	1,269.4	4,293,039.2	252,958.3
Farm or Ranch to Market Roads and Spurs	602.8	1,293.6	1,352,883.3	86,852.9
Pass, Parks and Recreation Roads	6.6	14.9	9,988.9	734.2
Frontage Roads	226.5	469.1	1,403,373.2	86,948.1
On-System Subtotal	1,957.1	5,010.4	16,071,746.1	2,412,846.0
City Streets	2,639.4	5,780.5	4,786,342.7	207,195.2
Certified County Roads	2,120.4	4,270.3	626,743.1	25,710.2
Toll Road Authority Roads	7.2	17.8	12,120.2	2,631.0
Federal Roads	426.7	853.4	60,892.9	1,944.8
Off-System Subtotal	5,193.7	10,921.9	5,486,098.9	237,481.1
Grand Total	7,150.7	15,932.3	21,557,844.9	2,650,327.1

Sources: Texas Department of Transportation

Transit Districts

Many transit districts help provide safe, reliable and accessible transportation services to citizens of the Upper Rio Grande region. The region includes one Metropolitan Transit Authority (serving areas with populations greater than 200,000) in El Paso and two Rural Transit Systems (serving areas outside the urbanized area) (Exhibit 20).

Transit Districts, Revenue and Ridership Statistics, Upper Rio Grande Region, 2022

Transit District	Type	Total Operating Expense	Total Revenue	Unlinked Passenger Trips	Passenger Trips Per Capita	Operating Expense Per Trip
El Paso (Sun Metro)	MTA	$56,696,207	$42,192,685	5,376,485	6.96	$10.55
County of El Paso	Rural	$5,114,339	$3,457,778	398,104	14.08	$12.85
West Texas Opportunities Inc.	Rural	$4,764,637	$1,059,834	63,483	0.32	$75.05

Source: Texas Department of Transportation

Airports

Texas has 27 airports offering passenger or commercial service airports including one in the Upper Rio Grande region – El Paso International. The airport in the region saw an increase of 34 percent in the enplanements (passenger boardings) in 2022 from 2021 (Exhibit 21).

Commercial Airports and Enplanements, Upper Rio Grande Region, 2021 and 2022

U.S. Rank	Airport ID	City	Airport Name	2021 Enplanements	2022 Enplanements	Percent Change
73	ELP	El Paso	El Paso International	1,438,321	1,931,067	34.3%

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 Upper Rio Grande region has four direct trade official ports of entry (Exhibit 22).

Official Ports of Entry Trade Data, Upper Rio Grande Region, 2022

Port of Entry	Exports	Imports
Fabens	$206,881,354	$0
Presidio	$211,042,897	$187,465,318
El Paso	$17,981,639,862	$8,510,318,419
Ysleta	$25,415,098,627	$51,734,715,767
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 Upper Rio Grande region were a state, it would rank 42nd in total area and second in the share of its population under age 18. The region’s population — and Texas’ — is relatively young, with a quarter of its population younger than 18 years (Exhibit 23).

Upper Rio Grande Region Compared with Texas and the U.S.

Indicator	Upper Rio Grande Region Value	Rank if Region were a State	Texas Value	U.S. Value
Square Miles (land)	21,699	42	261,268	3,533,038
Population, 2022	891,535	47	30,029,572	333,287,557
Population Percent Change, 2012-2022	4.0%	29	15.1%	6.2%
Population with a High School Diploma or Higher, 2022	79.9%	51	85.2%	89.1%
Population with Bachelor’s Degree or Higher, 2022	31.5%	30	32.3%	34.3%
Per Capita Personal Income, 2022	$44,523	51	$62,586	$65,470
Median Household Income, 2021	$50,571	50	$67,321	$69,021
Population Age 65 or Over, 2022	13.3%	50	13.4%	17.3%
Population Under Age 18, 2022	25.7%	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

Upper Rio Grande Region Economic Development Highlights

• A $39 million children’s museum, La Nube (PDF), began construction in the summer of 2023 in El Paso (El Paso County).
• Novipax, a food grade absorbent pad manufacturer, announced plans to move to El Paso, creating 130 jobs.(El Paso County).
• The City of El Paso International Airport, El Paso Economic Development, the University of Texas El Paso (UTEP), and the W.M. Keck Center have all partnered together to create the “Innovation Factory.” (PDF) The city was accepting applications through the beginning of March 2023 for manufacturing companies that wanted to relocate to this facility in El Paso. The city plans to relocate $3 million from the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to offset 100% of the rent and operational costs as an incentive (El Paso County).
• Flagstone Foods acquired a nut processing facility in El Paso and plans to spend $28.2 million on a facility expansion, creating 91 new jobs.
• Hiller Measurements, a mission-critical test equipment manufacturer, announces plans to expand to the El Paso International Airport, creating at least 16 jobs.
• L&F Distributors announces plans for a $31 million expansion project that will create 30 new jobs.

---

Questions?

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the material on this page, please contact the Comptroller’s Data Analysis and Transparency Division.