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The 20-county Central Texas region covers about 17,100 square miles in the heart of Texas, stretching from Hillsboro in the north to Interstate 45 in the east, to East Yegua Creek in the south to the confluence of the San Saba and Colorado rivers.
The region includes three metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs): the College Station-Bryan MSA, the Waco MSA and the Killeen-Temple MSA.
Central Texas Region Counties:
- Bell
- Bosque
- Brazos
- Burleson
- Coryell
- Falls
- Freestone
- Grimes
- Hamilton
- Hill
- Lampasas
- Leon
- Limestone
- Madison
- McLennan
- Milam
- Mills
- Robertson
- San Saba
- Washington
$71.5 Billion
Central Texas region
gross domestic product,
2022
About 3 percent of Texas’ GDP of $2.4 trillion.
Population Change (2012 to 2022)
REGION
13.2%
TEXAS
15.1%
U.S.
6.2%
Brazos County and Bell County led the region’s growth, rising by 20.8 percent and 19.5 percent, respectively, between 2012 and 2022.
Jobs & Wages
Around 468,000 people were employed in the region in 2022, an increase of more than 70,000 jobs from 2012. Higher education is a top industry by employment, growth and location quotient (LQ). An LQ of 1.25 or higher indicates the industry is highly concentrated and unique to the regional economy.
Percent change in total jobs, 2012 to 2022
The number of jobs in the Central Texas Region increased 17.6%, in Texas 23.5% and in the U.S. 13.9%.
Top Industries by Location Quotient, 2022
View the LQ data
| Industry | Employment | Average Annual Wages | Location Quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lessors of Nonfinancial Intangible Assets (except Copyrighted Works) | 471 | $170,399 | 6.59 |
| Poultry and Egg Production | 830 | $70,239 | 5.93 |
| Coal Mining | 504 | $99,668 | 3.86 |
| Lime and Gypsum Product Manufacturing | 189 | $52,529 | 3.80 |
| Support Activities for Rail Transportation | 423 | $75,522 | 3.78 |
Industries with Largest Total Jobs Growth, 2012 to 2022
View the job growth data
| Industry | Employment Change, 2012 to 2022 | Percent Employment Change, 2012 to 2022 | Average Annual Wages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Special Food Services | 3,506 | 258.3% | $27,749 |
| Services to Buildings and Dwellings | 2,450 | 55.2% | $33,659 |
| Individual and Family Services | 1,633 | 52.0% | $33,581 |
| Building Equipment Contractors | 2,481 | 47.3% | $55,518 |
| Offices of Physicians | 2,867 | 42.0% | $142,372 |
THE Central Texas REGION IS ONE OF THE COMPTROLLER’S 12 ECONOMIC REGIONS.
Sources: JobsEQ; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; U.S. Census Bureau; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis; Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts