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The 30-county Northwest region covers about 27,300 square miles, stretching from Oklahoma south to the Colorado River and abutting Big Spring in the west and the Fort Worth metro in the east.
The region includes two metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs): the Abilene MSA and the Wichita Falls MSA.
Northwest Region Counties:
- Archer
- Baylor
- Brown
- Callahan
- Clay
- Coleman
- Comanche
- Cottle
- Eastland
- Fisher
- Foard
- Hardeman
- Haskell
- Jack
- Jones
- Kent
- Knox
- Mitchell
- Montague
- Nolan
- Runnels
- Scurry
- Shackelford
- Stephens
- Stonewall
- Taylor
- Throckmorton
- Wichita
- Wilbarger
- Young
$31.4 Billion
Northwest region
gross domestic product,
2022
About 1.3 percent of Texas’ GDP of $2.4 trillion.
Population Change (2012 to 2022)
REGION
0.9%
TEXAS
15.1%
U.S.
6.2%
The region’s population remained relatively constant from 2012 to 2022, with a slight uptick in population of almost 1 percent. During this time, seven of the region’s counties recorded population growth, led by 8.2 percent growth in Taylor County.
Jobs & Wages
Nearly 208,000 people were employed in the region in 2022. Several manufacturing industries have a location quotient (LQ) of 1.25 or higher, indicating the region has a competitive advantage in those industries. Vocational rehabilitation services industries led regional job growth between 2012 and 2022.
Percent change in total jobs, 2012 to 2022
The number of jobs in the Northwest Region increased 2.1%, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lime and Gypsum Product Manufacturing | 538 | $89,541 | 23.97 |
| Footwear Manufacturing | 332 | $38,731 | 20 |
| Clay Product and Refractory Manufacturing | 918 | $52,975 | 17.39 |
| Support Activities for Mining | 4,439 | $84,557 | 11.69 |
| Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing | 178 | $33,885 | 9.57 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vocational Rehabilitation Services | 672 | 220.7% | $38,029 |
| Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution | 482 | 49.7% | $102,495 |
| Services to Buildings and Dwellings | 645 | 37.9% | $30,537 |
| Individual and Family Services | 696 | 33.6% | $35,873 |
| Gasoline Stations | 892 | 31.3% | $35,707 |
THE Northwest 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