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The 13-county Gulf Coast region covers about 12,100 square miles in eastern coastal Texas, stretching from Huntsville in the North to Matagorda Bay and Galveston.
The region has one metropolitan statistical area (MSA), the Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands MSA.
Gulf Coast Region Counties:
- Austin
- Brazoria
- Chambers
- Colorado
- Fort Bend
- Galveston
- Harris
- Liberty
- Matagorda
- Montgomery
- Walker
- Waller
- Wharton
$642.1 Billion
Gulf Coast region
gross domestic product,
2022
About 26.7 percent of Texas’ GDP of $2.4 trillion.
Population Change (2012 to 2022)
REGION
18.4%
TEXAS
15.1%
U.S.
6.2%
The region’s population has grown at a rapid pace between 2012 to 2022, with Chambers, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties each having population increases of over 40 percent.
Jobs & Wages
Over 3.1 million people are employed in the region. Regional employment rose by 17.3 percent between 2012 and 2022, above the national growth rate. Oil and gas extraction and pipeline transportation of oil and natural gas are some of the region’s most concentrated industries as measured by location quotient (LQ). An LQ of 1.25 or higher indicates the region has a competitive advantage in the industry. Warehousing and storage and family services led regional industry job growth.
Percent change in total jobs, 2012 to 2022
The number of jobs in the Gulf Coast Region increased 17.3%, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil | 3,506 | $142,227 | 15.01 |
| Oil and Gas Extraction | 28,815 | $264,688 | 11.91 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas | 8,047 | $221,721 | 11.60 |
| Space Research and Technology | 2,958 | $144,903 | 7.70 |
| Basic Chemical Manufacturing | 23,121 | $167,225 | 7.11 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warehousing and Storage | 27,157 | 295.2% | $49,466 |
| Individual and Family Services | 15,027 | 112.3% | $34,422 |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 20,176 | 88.9% | $213,710 |
| Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services | 17,071 | 59.5% | $126,662 |
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places | 68,336 | 35.7% | $24,245 |
THE Gulf Coast 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