economy

South Texas 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 South Texas region, one of 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 South Texas region comprises 28 counties located largely in southern Texas, covering more than 35,500 square miles stretching along the Mexican border from Del Rio to Brownsville and up the Gulf Coast past Rockport to Aransas Pass and San Antonio Bay. The South Texas region includes five metro areas — Brownsville-Harlingen, Corpus Christi, Eagle Pass, Laredo and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission — and micro areas — Alice, Beeville, Del Rio, Kingsville, Raymondville, Rio Grande City-Roma, Uvalde and Zapata.

The Eagle Pass metro area, which includes Maverick County, is a newly created metropolitan area designated in the 2023 CBSA classifications.

Exhibit 1 highlights CBSA designations by county and includes population, population density and median ages for all the region’s counties. The South Texas region’s population grew by nearly 4 percent (about 90,200 people) between 2012 and 2022, compared with a more than 15 percent growth statewide. Hidalgo County led the region in total and percentage gains, adding 80,400 residents (10 percent), while Edwards County experienced the largest rate of population decline at 28.5 percent during this period.

The McAllen-Edinburg-Mission metro area (consisting of Hidalgo County) led all regional metro areas with population growth of 10 percent, while other metro areas saw smaller gains. Population fell by 3.1 percent in micropolitan counties and by 13.5 percent in non-CBSA designated counties.

The South Texas region had a median age of 31.8 years in 2021, younger than the statewide median age of 35 years. Median ages in the region ranged from 26.4 in Jim Hogg County to 49.8 in Aransas County.

CBSA Classification and Population by County, South Texas Region, 2012-2022

County	CBSA Title	Metropolitan/Micropolitan	2022 Population	Total Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change,2012-2022	Median Age, 2021	Population Density
Aransas	Corpus Christi	Metropolitan	24,944	1,478	6.3%	49.8	94.5
Bee	Beeville	Micropolitan	30,394	-2,092	-6.4%	35.5	35.3
Brooks	Alice	Micropolitan	6,906	-297	-4.1%	37.3	7.5
Cameron	Brownsville-Harlingen	Metropolitan	425,208	9,479	2.3%	31.9	472.1
Dimmit	N/A	N/A	8,387	-2,085	-19.9%	36.5	6.5
Duval	N/A	N/A	9,888	-1,676	-14.5%	36.2	5.5
Edwards	N/A	N/A	1,422	-568	-28.5%	46.8	0.7
Hidalgo	McAllen-Edinburg-Mission	Metropolitan	888,367	80,437	10.0%	29.6	554.3
Jim Hogg	N/A	N/A	4,763	-512	-9.7%	26.4	4.3
Jim Wells	Alice	Micropolitan	38,826	-2,847	-6.8%	35.8	45.0
Kenedy	N/A	N/A	358	-89	-19.9%	30.2	0.2
Kinney	N/A	N/A	3,128	-518	-14.2%	47.6	2.3
Kleberg	Kingsville	Micropolitan	30,362	-1,731	-5.4%	28.5	35.2
LaSalle	N/A	N/A	6,604	-550	-7.7%	35	4.5
Live Oak	N/A	N/A	11,428	-243	-2.1%	41.5	10.9
McMullen	N/A	N/A	576	-155	-21.2%	33.8	0.5
Maverick	Eagle Pass	Metropolitan	57,843	2,120	3.8%	29.8	45.2
Nueces	Corpus Christi	Metropolitan	351,674	3,708	1.1%	36	420.9
Real	N/A	N/A	2,840	-514	-15.3%	48.7	3.9
Refugio	N/A	N/A	6,632	-627	-8.6%	42.3	8.7
San Patricio	Corpus Christi	Metropolitan	69,954	4,693	7.2%	35.8	99.2
Starr	Rio Grande City-Roma	Micropolitan	65,728	3,777	6.1%	28.8	53.9
Uvalde	Uvalde	Micropolitan	24,940	-1,804	-6.7%	33.9	15.8
Val Verde	Del Rio	Micropolitan	47,606	-1,362	-2.8%	31.9	15.1
Webb	Laredo	Metropolitan	267,780	7,293	2.8%	29.1	79.5
Willacy	Raymondville	Micropolitan	20,143	-2,059	-9.3%	33.4	34.1
Zapata	Zapata	Micropolitan	13,849	-418	-2.9%	30.9	13.9
Zavala	N/A	N/A	9,377	-2,638	-22.0%	32.9	7.5
South Texas Region Total*	N/A	N/A	2,429,927	90,200	3.9%	31.8	67.7
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission Metropolitan Area	N/A	N/A	888,367	80,437	10.0%	29.6	554.3
Eagle Pass Metropolitan Area	N/A	N/A	57,843	2,120	3.8%	29.8	45.2
Laredo Metropolitan Area	N/A	N/A	267,780	7,293	2.8%	29.1	79.5
Brownsville-Harlingen Metropolitan Area	N/A	N/A	425,208	9,479	2.3%	31.9	472.1
Corpus Christi Metropolitan Area	N/A	N/A	446,572	9,879	2.3%	36.7	249.8
All Micropolitan Counties*	N/A	N/A	278,754	-8,833	-3.1%	N/A	N/A
All Non-CBSA Counties*	N/A	N/A	65,403	-10,175	-13.5%	N/A	N/A
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 experienced net losses in domestic migration every year between 2012 and 2022. Population gains by natural increase (births minus deaths) fell 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 saw small net gains in international migration every year during this period (Exhibit 2).

Exhibit 2 data

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

Year	Natural Increase	Net Domestic Migration	Net International Migration
2013	27,728	-6,947	3,332
2014	27,423	-10,246	4,427
2015	27,216	-14,636	4,798
2016	25,767	-15,918	5,071
2017	22,691	-18,041	1,899
2018	20,810	-17,322	657
2019	20,479	-12,018	1,208
2020	19,277	-9,093	1,260
2021	10,401	-2,502	1,644
2022	12,359	-9,295	4,830

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 South Texas region between 2012 and 2022, growing by nearly 119,800, an increase of almost 6 percent. The region’s white population fell by more than 39,600, an 11.9 percent decline. Those comprising two or more races and other races saw gains of 29.3 percent during this period, though their total gains were much more modest when compared with Hispanics. The Black and Asian populations rose by nearly 15 percent and 14 percent, respectively (Exhibit 3).

Population Change by Race/Ethnicity, South Texas Region, 2012-2022

Year	White	Black	Asian	Two or More Races and Other Races	Hispanic or Latino	Total Population
2012	332,424	25,456	20,824	11,320	1,949,703	2,339,727
2022	292,758	29,245	23,773	14,635	2,069,516	2,429,927
Total Change	-39,666	3,789	2,949	3,315	119,813	90,200
Percent Change	-11.9%	14.9%	14.2%	29.3%	6.1%	3.9%

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 14.2 percent in 2012 to 12 percent in 2022, while the Hispanic population grew from 83.3 percent to 85.2 percent during this period. All other racial groups comprised nearly 3 percent of the regional population in 2022 (Exhibit 4).

Exhibit 4 data

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

Race/Ethnicity	2012	2022
White	14.2%	12.0%
Black or African American	1.1%	1.2%
Asian	0.9%	1.0%
Two or More Races and Other Races	0.5%	0.6%
Hispanic or Latino	83.3%	85.2%

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 region saw its largest population gains among people ages 65 and older, reflecting the large Baby Boomer cohort (those born between 1946 and 1964). The population aged 4 and under fell by about 2 percent statewide and by 14 percent in the South Texas region. Unlike statewide trends, the region’s 5 to 19-year-old population fell during this period (Exhibit 5).

With its 65-and-older population leading regional population gains, the share of this group grew from around 11 percent in 2012 to nearly 13 percent in 2022.

Exhibit 5 data

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

Age Group	South Texas Region	Texas
65 or older	22.5%	41.9%
50 to 64	5.2%	13.0%
35 to 49	2.3%	15.2%
20 to 34	8.2%	14.4%
5 to 19	-1.4%	10.0%
0 to 4	-13.9%	-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 South Texas region population with a bachelor’s degree or higher was 19.6 percent in 2022. In 2022, a higher share of women than men in the region had at least a bachelor’s degree — 20.7 percent versus 18.4 percent (Exhibit 6). Women have overtaken men in postsecondary educational attainment levels since 2012, when 15.7 percent of women had at least a bachelor’s degree compared with 15.9 percent of men.

The share of the region that has earned at least a high school diploma rose from 66 percent in 2012 to 72.9 percent in 2022.

Exhibit 6 data

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

Educational Attainment	Male	Female	Total
Less than high school graduate	26.4%	27.8%	27.1%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	28.8%	25.0%	26.8%
Some college, no degree	19.9%	19.5%	19.7%
Associate degree	6.5%	7.1%	6.8%
Bachelor's degree	12.8%	13.9%	13.4%
Graduate or professional degree	5.6%	6.7%	6.2%

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 South Texas 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 $31,100 more annually than those requiring an associate degree or certificate, and occupations requiring a post-graduate degree paid an average of $40,300 more annually than those requiring a bachelor’s degree (Exhibit 7).

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

Educational Attainment	Total Employment	Share of Total Regional Employment	Average Annual Wages
No postsecondary award	618,922	65.0%	$35,959
Associate degree or certificate	88,196	9.3%	$45,837
Bachelor's degree	204,343	21.5%	$76,961
Post-graduate degree	40,179	4.2%	$117,271
Total	951,641	N/A	$49,100

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

Regional Institutions of Higher Education

The South Texas region offers a variety of options for higher educational achievement, including six public universities, six community colleges, one technical college and one health science school. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley is the region’s largest institute of higher education at nearly 31,600 students in 2023. The school increased enrollment levels by 9.3 percent between 2019 and 2023. Texas State Technical College-Harlingen saw strong enrollment growth, adding about 1,300 students, a 31 percent increase. Some of the region’s community colleges, however, experienced enrollment declines during this period, including South Texas College (-17.8 percent), Del Mar College (-19 percent) and Coastal Bend College (-25.4 percent). The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley-Medical School, established in 2014, continued to expand enrollment, rising by 41 percent. Enrollment in all institutions of higher education in the region fell by 4.8 percent (Exhibit 8).

Institutions of Higher Education and Enrollments, South Texas Region, Fall 2019 and Fall 2023

Educational Institution Name	Institution Type	Fall 2019 Enrollment	Fall 2023 Enrollment*	Percent change in enrollment
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	University	28,909	31,596	9.3%
South Texas College	Junior or Community College	32,478	26,682	-17.8%
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi	University	11,452	10,960	-4.3%
Laredo College	Junior or Community College	10,165	10,317	1.5%
Del Mar College	Junior or Community College	12,008	9,725	-19.0%
Texas A&M International University	University	8,305	8,491	2.2%
Texas Southmost College	Junior or Community College	8,628	8,197	-5.0%
Southwest Texas Junior College	Junior or Community College	6,911	6,608	-4.4%
Texas A&M University-Kingsville	University	7,479	6,575	-12.1%
Texas State Technical College-Harlingen	Technical College	4,297	5,612	30.6%
Coastal Bend College	Junior or Community College	4,818	3,593	-25.4%
Texas A&M University at Galveston	University	1,644	2,142	30.3%
Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College	University	821	654	-20.3%
The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley-Medical School	Health Science School	204	287	40.7%
Total - South Texas Region	N/A	138,119	131,439	-4.8%

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

Health Care

Availability of Hospital Services

Residents of the South Texas 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, treatment facilities or other definitive medical treatments (Exhibit 9).

Major Health Care Facilities, South Texas Region, 2023

Facility Type	Number of Facilities	Total Number of Beds	Average Number of Beds Per Facility
General and Special Hospital	54	6,857	127.0
Private Psychiatric Hospital	2	110	55.0
State Psychiatric Hospital	1	55	55.0

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 28.3 percent in 2021, the South Texas region’s uninsured rate was not only well above the state average but also the highest among the 12 regions, and rates in only three of its 28 counties were lower than the state average. The rates of individual counties ranged from a low of 14.7 percent in Kinney County to a high of 46.3 percent in Kenedy County — the highest in the state (Exhibit 10).

Estimated Uninsured by County, South Texas Region, 2021

County	Uninsured Population	Percent Uninsured
Aransas	4,069	23.2%
Bee	3,441	17.5%
Brooks	1,187	21.1%
Cameron	107,549	30.1%
Dimmit	1,489	21.5%
Duval	1,755	23.3%
Edwards	299	29.2%
Hidalgo	245,026	32.0%
Jim Hogg	844	21.3%
Jim Wells	7,030	21.7%
Kenedy	126	46.3%
Kinney	312	14.7%
Kleberg	5,308	21.0%
La Salle	939	21.6%
Live Oak	1,880	23.5%
McMullen	97	21.4%
Maverick	13,824	27.9%
Nueces	62,094	21.2%
Real	487	25.0%
Refugio	1,025	19.8%
San Patricio	12,102	20.7%
Starr	16,527	29.0%
Uvalde	4,853	23.9%
Val Verde	9,610	24.5%
Webb	70,027	29.7%
Willacy	3,293	23.1%
Zapata	3,128	26.3%
Zavala	1,588	20.4%
South Texas Region	579,909	28.3%

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 South Texas region totaled $117.5 billion in 2022, accounting for 4.9 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, government and government enterprises and oil and extraction are two of the most specialized industries in the region, accounting for 8.5 percent and 8.1 percent of the industry GDP statewide in 2022, respectively. Health care and social assistance also plays an outsize role in the region, accounting for 7 percent of industry GDP in Texas (Exhibit 11).

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

Industry	South Texas Region (billions)	South Texas Industry GDP as Share of Total South Texas GDP	Texas (billions)	South Texas Share of Texas GDP
Government and government enterprises	$18.9	16.1%	$222.4	8.5%
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction	$19.2	16.3%	$235.6	8.1%
Health care and social assistance	$9.3	7.9%	$132.6	7.0%
Transportation and warehousing	$6.0	5.1%	$93.6	6.4%
Retail trade	$9.2	7.8%	$148.0	6.2%
All industry total	$117.5	N/A	$2,402.1	4.9%

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

Median Household Income

The South Texas region had a median household income of $48,538 in 2021, up from $35,981 in 2011, a 35 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, South Texas Region, 2011-2021

Year	South Texas Region	Texas
2011	$35,981	$50,920
2012	$36,952	$51,563
2013	$37,642	$51,900
2014	$38,463	$52,576
2015	$38,695	$53,207
2016	$39,932	$54,727
2017	$40,992	$57,051
2018	$42,246	$59,570
2019	$43,873	$61,874
2020	$45,769	$63,826
2021	$48,534	$67,321

Source: JobsEQ using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2017-2021

Jobs and Industry

Between 2012 and 2022, regional employment rose nearly 11 percent, lower than that of both Texas (23.5 percent) and the U.S. (13.9 percent). The region’s metro areas saw strong job gains, including an increase of 23 percent in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission, 17 percent in Brownsville-Harlingen and 13 percent in Laredo (Exhibit 13).

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

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
South Texas Region	848,890	81,408	10.6%	$45,024
Brownsville-Harlingen Metro Area	150,974	21,396	16.5%	$41,312
Corpus Christi Metro Area	183,952	3,284	1.8%	$54,996
Eagle Pass Metro Area	17,948	1,243	7.4%	$41,160
Laredo Metro Area	102,710	11,890	13.1%	$43,424
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission Metro Area	280,135	51,378	22.5%	$40,792

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

The South Texas region’s largest industries by employment were in public education, restaurants and other eating places, health care and family services, and public safety. These large regional industries mostly experienced strong employment growth in the 10-year period ending in 2022, including a 28 percent gain in general freight trucking 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, South Texas Region, 2022

Industry	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient	Establishments
Elementary and Secondary Schools	93,671	6,347	7.3%	$49,322	1.99	178
Restaurants and Other Eating Places	74,792	16,167	27.6%	$19,447	1.21	3,447
Home Health Care Services	70,955	6,922	10.8%	$17,068	7.94	623
Individual and Family Services	34,749	19,602	129.4%	$19,635	2.00	734
Justice, Public Order and Safety Activities	29,810	2,014	7.2%	$86,873	2.76	308
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	24,992	-301	-1.2%	$64,977	0.72	48
Offices of Physicians	21,952	5,191	31.0%	$72,734	1.32	1,899
Grocery and Convenience Retailers	19,166	2,810	17.2%	$31,321	1.19	452
Warehouse Clubs, Supercenters and Other General Merchandise Retailers	14,473	1,218	9.2%	$29,047	1.12	572
General Freight Trucking	13,319	2,879	27.6%	$55,393	2.07	1,377
Total – All Industries	848,890	81,408	10.6%	$45,024	1.00	45,151

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

Individual and family services led total employment growth among industries in the region between 2012 and 2022, adding more than 19,500 jobs, a 129 percent gain. The residential care facilities industry experienced some of the fastest growth, increasing by almost 452 percent during the same period (Exhibit 15).

Industries with Largest Total Employment Growth, South Texas Region, 2012-2022

Industry	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient	Establishments
Individual and Family Services	34,749	19,602	129.4%	$19,635	2.00	734
Restaurants and Other Eating Places	74,792	16,167	27.6%	$19,447	1.21	3,447
Home Health Care Services	70,955	6,922	10.8%	$17,068	7.94	623
Elementary and Secondary Schools	93,671	6,347	7.3%	$49,322	1.99	178
Offices of Physicians	21,952	5,191	31.0%	$72,734	1.32	1,899
Other Residential Care Facilities	5,942	4,865	451.5%	$55,386	6.24	37
General Freight Trucking	13,319	2,879	27.6%	$55,393	2.07	1,377
Building Equipment Contractors	9,329	2,860	44.2%	$55,586	0.68	832
Grocery and Convenience Retailers	19,166	2,810	17.2%	$31,321	1.19	452
Outpatient Care Centers	6,143	2,661	76.4%	$63,245	0.97	260
Total – All Industries	848,890	81,408	10.6%	$45,024	1.00	45,151

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 that footwear manufacturing, hunting and trapping, home health care service, residential care facilities, and oil and gas-related activity are highly specialized in the region. The pipeline transportation of crude oil industry had an LQ exceeding 4, meaning the industry is four times as large in the South Texas region compared with the national average. This industry had very high average wages in 2022 (Exhibit 16).

Industries with Greatest Location Quotient, South Texas Region, 2022

Industry	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient	Establishments
Footwear Manufacturing	1,061	-42	-3.8%	$31,979	15.93	6
Hunting and Trapping	127	21	19.5%	$34,923	10.31	34
Home Health Care Services	70,955	6,922	10.8%	$17,068	7.94	623
Other Residential Care Facilities	5,942	4,865	451.5%	$55,386	6.24	37
Support Activities for Mining	9,436	-12,061	-56.1%	$96,711	6.19	418
Freight Transportation Arrangement	8,695	1,235	16.6%	$44,228	5.52	813
Other Pipeline Transportation	217	194	839.2%	$105,635	4.58	10
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation	524	-169	-24.4%	$45,926	4.50	21
Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	2,664	-165	-5.8%	$144,804	4.38	28
Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil	264	82	45.1%	$111,905	4.17	18

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

Regional Occupations

Among occupations, home health and personal care aides, general and operations managers, and laborers and material movers saw some of the strongest job gains between 2012 and 2022. Registered nurses also saw strong growth and boasted high average wages. Customer service representatives also saw strong growth during the period (Exhibit 17).

Occupations with Largest Total Employment Growth, South Texas Region, 2012-2022

Occupation	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient
Home Health and Personal Care Aides	71,657	25,447	55.1%	$22,700	3.35
General and Operations Managers	21,427	7,456	53.4%	$90,700	1.06
Laborers and Material Movers	32,263	5,225	19.3%	$31,300	0.80
Customer Service Representatives	17,413	4,743	37.4%	$35,600	1.02
Fast Food and Counter Workers	27,125	4,373	19.2%	$22,900	1.36
Cooks	15,179	3,303	27.8%	$27,000	0.94
Driver/Sales Workers and Truck Drivers	24,227	3,218	15.3%	$44,700	1.15
Registered Nurses	22,638	3,218	16.6%	$78,600	1.23
Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers	9,537	3,091	48.0%	$35,800	1.18
Miscellaneous Health Care Support Occupations	9,808	2,337	31.3%	$33,700	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

South Texas 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 Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Laredo and McAllen-Edinburg-Mission metro areas would have more than enough 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

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

Year	Brownsville-Harlingen MSA	Corpus Christi MSA MSA	Laredo MSA	McAllen-Edinburg-Mission MSA	Texas
2017	1.54	1.8	1.39	1.54	1.54
2018	1.3	1.62	1.29	1.37	1.39
2019	1.32	1.66	1.27	1.34	1.43
2020	1.64	1.77	1.62	1.57	1.78
2021	1.31	1.66	1.62	1.41	1.53
2022	1.14	1.4	1.35	1.13	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 urban areas. Three MPOs coordinate transportation planning in the South Texas region — the Corpus Christi MPO, the Laredo and Webb County MPO, and the Rio Grande Valley MPO.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) oversees the construction and maintenance of state highways through its 25 districts across the state. The South Texas region includes five of these county-based districts, with offices in Corpus Christi, Laredo, Pharr, San Angelo and San Antonio.

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, South Texas Region, 2022

Road Type	Centerline Miles	Lane Miles	Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled	Daily Truck Miles Traveled
Interstate Highways	303.4	1,426.7	12,042,150.7	2,420,353.3
U.S. Highways	1,338.9	3,849.7	10,202,755.7	2,385,992.5
State Highways, Spurs, Loops, Business Routes	1,645.1	4,438.8	11,074,034.6	990,360.3
Farm or Ranch to Market Roads and Spurs	3,835.9	8,253.8	9,383,951.2	909,181.9
Pass, Parks and Recreation Roads	88.6	207.5	426,350.0	22,816.9
Frontage Roads	695.5	1,486.0	2,648,288.5	141,219.0
On-System Subtotal	7,907.3	19,662.6	45,777,530.8	6,869,923.9
City Streets	7,711.0	15,943.2	10,516,644.0	468,723.0
Certified County Roads	9,712.0	19,432.5	2,834,759.5	128,900.1
Toll Road Authority Roads	15.5	57.2	78,491.0	22,496.3
Federal Roads	140.6	281.3	18,568.6	617.0
Off-System Subtotal	17,579.2	35,714.1	13,448,463.1	620,736.4
Grand Total	25,486.5	55,376.8	59,225,993.9	7,490,660.3

Source: Texas Department of Transportation

Transit districts

Many transit districts help provide safe, reliable and accessible transportation services to citizens of the South Texas region. The region includes one Metropolitan Transit Authority (serving areas with populations greater than 200,000) in Corpus Christi, four Urban Transit Systems (serving areas with populations between 50,000 and 200,000) and seven Rural Transit Systems (serving areas outside the urbanized area) (Exhibit 20).

Transit Districts, Revenue and Ridership Statistics, South Texas Region, 2022

Transit District	Type	Total Operating Expense	Total Revenue	Unlinked Passenger Trips	Passenger Trips Per Capita	Operating Expense Per Trip
Corpus Christi Regional Transportation Authority	MTA	$42,393,910	$40,146,771	2,630,460	8.22	$16.12
Brownsville Urban System	Large Urban	$8,386,774	$3,309,409	981,079	4.51	$8.55
Harlingen – San Benito	Small Urban	$1,830,757	$53,518	71,727	0.53	$25.52
Laredo – El Metro	Large Urban	$17,902,438	$7,925,407	1,525,551	6.47	$11.74
McAllen Express	Large Urban	$7,460,645	$3,356,571	629,499	0.86	$11.85
Alamo Area Council of Governments	Rural	$7,485,122	$1,679,015	137,759	0.34	$54.33
City of Del Rio	Rural	$1,438,658	$242,687	31,493	0.64	$45.68
Kleberg County Human Services	Rural	$655,692	$136,788	22,299	0.69	$29.40
Lower Rio Grande Valley Development Council	Rural	$1,913,299	$60,860	61,465	0.32	$31.13
Rural Economic Assistance League Inc.	Rural	$2,778,143	$568,533	96,746	0.52	$28.72
Southwest Area Regional Transit District	Rural	$2,880,919	$1,225,837	93,425	0.79	$30.84
Webb County Community Action Agency	Rural	$896,002	$112,337	39,494	2.71	$22.69

Source: Texas Department of Transportation

Airports

Texas has 27 airports offering passenger or commercial service, including six in the South Texas region. Four airports in the region have seen an increase in enplanements (the number of passenger boardings) in 2022 from 2021, including a 43 percent increase at Valley International in Harlingen (Exhibit 21).

South Texas Region, Commercial Airports and Enplanements, 2021 and 2022

U.S. Rank	Airport ID	City	Airport Name	2021 Enplanements	2022 Enplanements	Percent Change
145	MFE	McAllen	McAllen Miller International	477,636	452,925	-5.2%
152	HRL	Harlingen	Valley International	355,190	508,867	43.3%
155	CRP	Corpus Christi	Corpus Christi International	285,195	319,687	12.1%
191	BRO	Brownsville	Brownsville/South Padre Island International	167,957	127,239	-24.2%
223	LRD	Laredo	Laredo International	108,992	139,396	27.9%
367	DRT	Del Rio	Del Rio International	19,879	26,641	34.0%

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 South Texas region has 11 direct trade official ports of entry (Exhibit 22).

Official Ports of Entry Trade Data, South Texas Region, 2022

Port of Entry	Exports	Imports
Edinburg Airport	$0	$0
Valley International Airport, Harlingen	$258,023	$871,967
Rio Grande City	$75,799,249	$669,753,437
Roma	$111,400,909	$535,483,342
Progreso	$224,282,470	$200,586,591
Del Rio	$2,272,327,587	$3,212,812,309
Eagle Pass	$10,874,698,203	$23,143,448,346
Brownsville	$12,002,472,745	$11,399,493,524
Hidalgo	$18,739,006,706	$27,697,690,648
Corpus Christi	$86,295,234,222	$8,111,332,935
Laredo	$115,937,068,324	$183,509,389,530
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 South Texas region were a state, it would have the 39th largest land area. The region’s population — and Texas’ — is relatively young, with more than a quarter of the regional population younger than 18, a higher share than any U.S. state. (Exhibit 23).

South Texas Region Compared with Texas and the U.S.

Indicator	South Texas Region Value	Rank if Region were a State	Texas Value	U.S. Value
Square Miles (land)	35,596	39	261,267	3,533,038
Population, 2022	2,429,927	36	30,029,572	333,287,557
Population Percent Change, 2012-2022	3.9%	30	15.1%	6.2%
Population with High School Diploma or Higher, 2022	72.9%	51	85.2%	89.1%
Population with Bachelor’s Degree or Higher, 2022	26.8%	45	32.3%	34.3%
Per Capita Personal Income, 2022	$40,423	51	$62,586	$65,470
Median Household Income, 2021	$48,534	51	$67,321	$69,021
Population Age 65 or Over, 2022	13.1%	50	13.4%	17.3%
Population Under Age 18, 2022	28.5%	1	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

South Texas Region Economic Development Highlights

• De Lucio-Pendulum USA, a trailer assembly project, plans to build a 70,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Edinburg that will create over 300 jobs.
• Forza Steel, a steel fabricating company, are investing $150 million in a new plant in Brownsville that will create 140 jobs for the area.
• Rodco Steel Distributors invested $9.5 million in an expansion project in Mission, creating 15 jobs.
• Tesla breaks ground on a 1,200+ acre site in Robstown that will house a lithium refinery, a project valued at more than $1 billion. This facility will create approximately 1,000 construction jobs and up to 400 full-time jobs when construction is complete. This facility will also generate $375 million in capital investment.
• Nicho Produce plans to expand into Edinburg with a $3 million to $4 million capital investment.
• Kinimatic, a warehousing and fulfillment service platform, is adding 14 new locations between Laredo and Pharr to fulfill demand for logistics solutions.

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Questions?

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