economy

Upper East 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 Upper East 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 East region comprises 23 counties located largely in the northeast corner of Texas, covering more than 15,400 square miles stretching from the Arkansas and Louisiana borders in the east to Cedar Creek Reservoir in the west. The region includes three metropolitan areas – Longview, Texarkana and Tyler —and six micropolitan areas — Athens, Jacksonville, Mount Pleasant, Palestine, Paris and Sulphur Springs.

Exhibit 1 highlights CBSA designations by county and includes population, population density and median ages for all the region’s counties. The Upper East region’s population grew by nearly 5 percent (about 54,000 people) between 2012 and 2022, compared with a more than 15 percent growth statewide. Smith County led total gains, adding 28,100 residents, while Van Zandt County led regional growth rates at 20 percent during this period.

The Tyler metropolitan area bolstered regional population gains, growing by 12 percent between 2012 and 2022 and accounting for about half of the region’s net population gains. The Longview metropolitan area experienced modest gains at three percent, while Texarkana saw a population drop of one percent. Population in counties comprising micropolitan areas rose by 1.8 percent. Notably, population in non-CBSA designated counties rose by 7.3 percent, led by strong gains in the counties of Van Zandt, Rains and Wood.

The Upper East region had a median age of 39.5 years in 2021, older than the statewide median age of 35 years. Median ages in the region ranged from 34.3 in Titus County to 50.9 in Marion County.

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

County	CBSA	Metropolitan/ Micropolitan	2022 Population	Total Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Median Age, 2021	Population Density
Anderson	Palestine	Micropolitan	58,064	-10	0.0%	39.2	54.5
Bowie	Texarkana	Metropolitan	92,035	-1,033	-1.1%	38.1	105.0
Camp	Mount Pleasant	Micropolitan	12,716	229	1.8%	38.2	63.7
Cass	N/A	N/A	28,539	-1,493	-5.0%	44.3	30.4
Cherokee	Jacksonville	Micropolitan	51,645	374	0.7%	37.8	47.9
Delta	N/A	N/A	5,406	166	3.2%	40.6	20.4
Franklin	N/A	N/A	10,618	-15	-0.1%	42.1	36.4
Gregg	Longview	Metropolitan	125,443	2,289	1.9%	35.7	454.5
Harrison	Longview	Metropolitan	69,955	3,682	5.6%	39.3	76.5
Henderson	Athens	Micropolitan	84,511	5,522	7.0%	43.7	94.0
Hopkins	Sulphur Springs	Micropolitan	37,804	2,495	7.1%	39.5	47.9
Lamar	Paris	Micropolitan	50,484	811	1.6%	40.2	55.2
Marion	N/A	N/A	9,560	-827	-8.0%	50.9	25.5
Morris	Mount Pleasant	Micropolitan	12,083	-615	-4.8%	43.2	47.5
Panola	N/A	N/A	22,677	-1,323	-5.5%	39.3	27.7
Rains	N/A	N/A	12,823	1,896	17.4%	48.8	53.0
Red River	Paris	Micropolitan	11,542	-1,179	-9.3%	48.3	11.1
Rusk	Longview	Metropolitan	53,333	-402	-0.7%	38.3	56.5
Smith	Tyler	Metropolitan	241,922	27,098	12.6%	37.1	253.4
Titus	Mount Pleasant	Micropolitan	31,208	-1,397	-4.3%	34.3	77.0
Upshur	Longview	Metropolitan	42,488	2,567	6.4%	40.7	70.1
Van Zandt	N/A	N/A	62,859	10,648	20.4%	42.3	70.7
Wood	N/A	N/A	46,857	4,455	10.5%	48.2	69.5
Upper East Region Total*	N/A	N/A	1,174,572	53,938	4.8%	39.5	74.5
Longview Metropolitan Area	N/A	N/A	291,219	8,136	2.9%	37.8	106.8
Texarkana Metropolitan Area	N/A	N/A	92,035	-1,033	-1.1%	39.0	105.0
Tyler Metropolitan Area	N/A	N/A	241,922	27,098	12.6%	37.1	253.4
All Micropolitan Counties*	N/A	N/A	350,057	6,230	1.8%	40.2	52.5
All Non-CBSA Counties*	N/A	N/A	199,339	13,507	7.3%	44.4	43.9
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 sharp gains in net domestic migration in 2021 and 2022, coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic. Population gains due to natural increases (births minus deaths), however, slowed throughout the 2010s and has declined every year since 2019, as deaths exceeded births. The region saw small but consistent gains in net gains in international migration between 2012 and 2022 (Exhibit 2).

Exhibit 2 data

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

Year	Natural Increase	Net Domestic Migration	Net International Migration
2013	1,945	-2,627	783
2014	2,472	1,979	1,145
2015	1,972	1,770	993
2016	2,079	2,539	986
2017	1,362	4,823	656
2018	333	6,754	437
2019	948	4,987	406
2020	-225	6,539	383
2021	-4,183	14,093	426
2022	-3,078	14,512	1,019

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 East region between 2012 and 2022, growing by nearly 42,400, an increase of 27 percent. The region’s white populationfell by more than 2,600, a 0.3 percent decline. Those comprising two or more races and other races saw gains of 36 percent during this period, though their total gains were much more modest when compared with Hispanics. The Asian population rose by nearly 36 percent (Exhibit 3).

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

Year	White	Black	Asian	Two or More Races and Other Races	Hispanic or Latino	Total Population
2012	763,798	170,515	8,691	21,335	156,295	1,120,634
2022	761,182	173,885	11,813	29,015	198,677	1,174,572
Total Change	-2,616	3,370	3,122	7,680	42,382	53,938
Percent Change	-0.3%	2.0%	35.9%	36.0%	27.1%	4.8%

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 68.2 percent of the total population in 2012 to 64.8 percent in 2022, while the Hispanic population grew from 13.9 percent to 16.9 percent during this period. All other racial groups comprised 18 percent of the regional population in 2022 (Exhibit 4).

Exhibit 4 data

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

Race/Ethnicity	2012	2022
White	68.2%	64.8%
Black or African American	15.2%	14.8%
Asian	0.8%	1.0%
Two or More Races and Other Races	1.9%	2.5%
Hispanic or Latino	13.9%	16.9%

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

Population by Age Group

Like the state, the Upper East 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-and-older population leading regional population gains, the share of this group grew from around 16 percent in 2012 to almost 19 percent in 2022. The population aged 4 and under fell by nearly 2 percent statewide but grew by almost 5 percent regionally. Unlike statewide trends, the region’s 50 to 64-year-old population fell during this period (Exhibit 5).

Exhibit 5 data

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

Age Group	Upper East Region	Texas
65 or older	21.3%	41.9%
50 to 64	-0.7%	13.0%
35 to 49	1.1%	15.2%
20 to 34	5.6%	14.4%
5 to 19	2.9%	10.0%
0 to 4	-5.1%	-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 East region population with a bachelor’s degree or higher was 20.8 percent in 2022. In 2022, a higher share of women than men in the region had at least a bachelor’s degree, 21.9 percent versus 19.6 percent (Exhibit 6). Postsecondary educational attainment levels between women and men have widened since 2012, when 17 percent of women had at least a bachelor’s degree, compared with 17.1 percent of men.

The share of the region that has earned at least a high school diploma rose from 81.8 percent in 2012 to 86.4 percent in 2022.

Exhibit 6 data

Educational Attainment by Gender, Upper East Region, 2022

Educational Attainment	Male	Female	Total
Less than high school graduate	15.2%	12.0%	13.6%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	33.9%	30.2%	32.0%
Some college, no degree	23.9%	25.8%	24.9%
Associate degree	7.4%	10.0%	8.8%
Bachelor's degree	13.3%	14.6%	14.0%
Graduate or professional degree	6.3%	7.4%	6.8%

Source: 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 East region requiring at least an associate degree or certificate paid an average of $7,998 more annually than jobs requiring no postsecondary education. Occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree paid an average of $33,349 more annually than those requiring an associate degree or certificate, and occupations requiring a post-graduate degree paid an average of $39,106 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 East Region, 2023

Typical Entry-Level Educational Requirement	Total Employment	Share of Total Regional Employment	Average Annual Wages
No postsecondary award	329,046	67.0%	$39,364
Associate degree or certificate	42,447	8.6%	$47,362
Bachelor's degree	102,458	20.9%	$80,711
Post-graduate degree	16,825	3.4%	$119,817
Total	490,776	N/A	$51,500

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

Regional Institutions of Higher Education

The Upper East region offers a variety of options for higher educational achievement, including eight universities, eight community colleges and one health science school. There are two Texas public institutes of higher education and six private institutions of higher education in the Upper East region. Panola College saw the largest decrease in enrollment in the region over the last four years, while the University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler and Texas State Technical College – Marshall saw a 94 percent and 30 percent increase, respectively. Enrollment in all institutions of higher education in the region fell by nearly 10 percent (Exhibit 8).

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

Institution	Institution Type	Fall 2019 Enrollment	Fall 2023 Enrollment*	Percent Change in enrollment
Tyler Junior College	Junior or Community College	12,291	11,964	-2.7%
The University of Texas at Tyler	University	9,130	8,066	-11.7%
Kilgore College	Junior or Community College	5,305	6,089	14.8%
Trinity Valley Community College	Junior or Community College	6,432	5,461	-15.1%
Paris Junior College	Junior or Community College	4,858	4,461	-8.2%
Texarkana College	Junior or Community College	4,087	3,867	-5.4%
LeTourneau University	Private University	2,932	3,391	15.7%
Northeast Texas Community College	Junior or Community College	2,988	2,998	0.3%
Panola College	Junior or Community College	6,806	2,386	-64.9%
Texas A&M University – Texarkana	University	2,053	2,126	3.6%
East Texas Baptist University	Private University	1,656	1,833	10.7%
Texas State Technical College – Marshall	Junior or Community College	628	819	30.4%
Jarvis Christian College	Private University	829	801	-3.4%
Texas College	Private University	940	688	-26.8%
Wiley College	Private University	715	636	-11.0%
Jacksonville College	Private University	511	544	6.5%
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Tyler	Health Science School	68	132	94.1%
Total - Upper East Region	N/A	62,229	56,262	-9.6%

*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 East 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 East Region, 2023

Facility Type	Number of Facilities	Total Number of Beds	Average Number of Beds Per Facility
General and Special Hospital	33	3,998	121.2
Private Psychiatric Hospital	0	0	0
State Psychiatric Hospital	1	259	259.0

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 20.9 percent in 2021, the Upper East region’s uninsured rate was slightly higher than the state average, although rates in 13 of its 23 counties were lower than the state average. The rates of individual counties ranged from a low of 15.6 percent in Franklin County to a high of 26.8 percent in Titus County (Exhibit 10).

Estimated Uninsured by County, Upper East Region, 2021

County	Uninsured Population	Percent Uninsured
Anderson	7,174	19.8%
Bowie	12,226	17.2%
Camp	2,101	20.7%
Cass	4,043	18.4%
Cherokee	9,583	24.2%
Delta	726	17.2%
Franklin	1,274	15.6%
Gregg	22,242	22.0%
Harrison	10,834	19.5%
Henderson	13,924	21.7%
Hopkins	6,815	22.6%
Lamar	8,471	21.0%
Marion	1,492	21.5%
Morris	1,669	18.0%
Panola	3,457	19.4%
Rains	2,293	24.6%
Red River	1,559	18.2%
Rusk	7,730	20.3%
Smith	40,515	21.2%
Titus	7,026	26.8%
Upshur	6,425	19.1%
Van Zandt	10,036	20.7%
Wood	7,235	22.6%
Upper East Region	188,850	20.9%

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 East region totaled $66.2 billion in 2022, accounting for 2.8 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 agricultural, forestry and fishing and hunting industry was the most unique and specialized regional industry, accounting for about 11 percent of the industry GDP statewide. Utilities, natural resources and mining and durable goods manufacturing also play outsize roles in the region (Exhibit 11).

GDP by Industry, Upper East Region, 2022 (Ranked by Upper East Industries with Greatest Share of Texas Industry GDP)

Industry	Upper East Region (billions)	Upper East Region Industry GDP as Share of Total Regional GDP	Texas (billions)	Upper East Region Industry GDP as Share of Texas Industry GDP
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	$1.2	1.9%	$11.2	11.1%
Utilities	$2.6	3.9%	$41.4	6.2%
Natural resources and mining	$10.7	16.2%	$246.9	4.3%
Durable goods manufacturing	$4.7	7.0%	$114.1	4.1%
Retail trade	$5.8	8.8%	$148.0	3.9%
All industry total	$66.2	N/A	$2,402.1	2.8%

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

Median Household Income

The Upper East region had a median household income of $56,456 in 2021, up from $43,142 in 2011, a 31 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 East Region and Texas, 2011-2021

Year	Upper East Region	Texas
2011	$43,142	$50,920
2012	$43,417	$51,563
2013	$43,595	$51,900
2014	$43,946	$52,576
2015	$44,189	$53,207
2016	$45,199	$54,727
2017	$47,001	$57,051
2018	$48,967	$59,570
2019	$50,985	$61,874
2020	$53,115	$63,826
2021	$56,456	$67,321

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

Jobs and Industry

Between 2012 and 2022, regional employment rose by about 6 percent, lower than the growth in Texas (23.5 percent) and the U.S. (13.9 percent). Employment in the Tyler metro area rose by nearly 17 percent during this period. In the Longview and Texarkana metro areas, however, employment fell by about 4 percent and 5 percent, respectively (Exhibit 13).

Total Employment (2022) and Changes in Employment Levels (2012-2022), Upper East 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 East Region	431,575	23,151	5.7%	$51,247
Longview Metro Area	117,731	-4,437	-3.6%	$53,945
Texarkana Metro Area	56,645	-2,706	-4.6%	$48,949
Tyler Metro Area	108,385	15,488	16.7%	$54,673

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

The Upper East region’s largest industries by employment are in restaurants, public education, health care services and merchandise retailers. These large regional industry sectors mostly experienced strong employment growth in the 10-year period ending in 2022, including a 73 percent gain in animal slaughtering jobs.

Many of 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 East Region, 2022

Industry	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient	Establishments
Elementary and Secondary Schools	36,629	3,651	11.1%	$43,415	1.50	151
Restaurants and Other Eating Places	36,325	6,537	21.9%	$19,266	1.14	1,773
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	16,721	-739	-4.2%	$66,968	0.93	53
Home Health Care Services	11,893	-1,175	-9.0%	$33,076	2.57	285
Warehouse Clubs, Supercenters, and Other General Merchandise Retailers	10,208	1,260	14.1%	$29,452	1.52	380
Offices of Physicians	8,964	916	11.4%	$109,142	1.04	685
Animal Slaughtering and Processing	8,809	3,723	73.2%	$39,782	5.51	27
Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities	8,589	-1,994	-18.8%	$59,834	1.53	193
Support Activities for Mining	7,326	-3,531	-32.5%	$88,036	9.28	436
Grocery and Convenience Retailers	7,282	1,049	16.8%	$27,225	0.87	237
Total – All Industries	431,575	23,151	5.7%	$51,247	1.00	28,965

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 36,000 jobs, a 22 percent gain. The equipment and merchant wholesalers industry experienced some of the fastest growth, increasing by 272 percent during the period (Exhibit 15).

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

Industry	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient	Establishments
Restaurants and Other Eating Places	36,325	6,537	21.9%	$19,266	1.14	1,773
Animal Slaughtering and Processing	8,809	3,723	73.2%	$39,782	5.51	27
Elementary and Secondary Schools	36,629	3,651	11.1%	$43,415	1.50	151
Individual and Family Services	6,608	3,462	110.0%	$27,368	0.73	1,308
Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	3,374	2,467	272.1%	$65,416	3.70	74
Services to Buildings and Dwellings	6,286	2,322	58.6%	$30,729	0.94	686
Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing	4,181	2,134	104.2%	$49,978	8.17	50
Warehousing and Storage	6,246	2,009	47.4%	$49,029	1.08	53
Building Equipment Contractors	6,570	1,568	31.3%	$55,955	0.92	743
Outpatient Care Centers	2,634	1,460	124.4%	$54,774	0.80	133
Total – All Industries	431,575	23,151	5.7%	$51,247	1.00	28,965

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 railroad rolling stock manufacturing, mining activities, vehicle manufacturing and food processing and production are high in this region. The sawmills and wood preservation industry had an LQ exceeding 3.0, meaning the industry is three times as large in the Upper East region compared with the national average. This industry also saw substantial job growth between 2012 and 2022 and has high average wages (Exhibit 16).

Industries with Greatest Location Quotient, Upper East Region, 2022

Industry	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient	Establishments
Railroad Rolling Stock Manufacturing	564	-279	-33.2%	$90,975	9.29	13
Support Activities for Mining	7,326	-3,531	-32.5%	$88,036	9.28	436
Motor Vehicle Body and Trailer Manufacturing	4,181	2,134	104.2%	$49,978	8.17	50
Poultry and Egg Production	741	-21	-2.8%	$39,118	5.65	41
Animal Slaughtering and Processing	8,809	3,723	73.2%	$39,782	5.51	27
Support Activities for Rail Transportation	567	40	7.5%	$66,506	5.41	19
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas	483	-4	-0.8%	$127,125	4.95	33
Oil and Gas Extraction	1,493	-816	-35.4%	$124,783	4.39	144
Sawmills and Wood Preservation	1,045	198	23.3%	$65,060	3.74	31
Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	3,374	2,467	272.1%	$65,416	3.70	74

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 saw the greatest job gains, adding nearly 4,200 jobs, a 53 percent increase. This occupation also boasts strong average annual wages at $95,500. Another high-wage occupation that saw strong growth was logisticians and project management specialist, growing by 67 percent. Laborers and material movers, home health and personal care aides and food preparation workers also saw strong growth during the period (Exhibit 17).

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

Occupation	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient
General and Operations Managers	12,004	4,168	53.2%	$95,500	1.16
Laborers and Material Movers	21,033	4,125	24.4%	$33,700	1.01
Home Health and Personal Care Aides	12,650	2,305	22.3%	$24,100	1.15
Fast Food and Counter Workers	12,899	1,749	15.7%	$23,400	1.25
Cooks	7,170	1,411	24.5%	$27,700	0.86
Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers	4,511	1,389	44.5%	$37,000	1.08
Customer Service Representatives	8,089	1,310	19.3%	$35,800	0.92
Logisticians and Project Management Specialists	2,543	1,023	67.3%	$80,200	0.78
Elementary and Middle School Teachers	8,859	932	11.8%	$56,800	1.50
Butchers and Other Meat, Poultry, and Fish Processing Workers	3,074	928	43.3%	$35,900	2.92

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

Upper East 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 all three metro areas would have more income than needed to afford the median home in the area, though affordability has declined in recent years (Exhibit 18).

Exhibit 18 data

Texas Housing Affordability Index by Metropolitan Areas, Upper East Region, 2017-2022

Year	Longview MSA	Texarkana MSA	Tyler MSA	Texas
2017	2.3	2.0	1.7	1.54
2018	2.0	2.0	1.5	1.39
2019	2.0	1.9	1.5	1.43
2020	2.2	2.6	1.7	1.78
2021	2.1	1.9	1.7	1.53
2022	1.4	1.7	1.3	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. Three MPOs coordinate transportation planning in the Upper East region – the Longview MPO, the Texarkana MPO and the Tyler MPO.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) oversees the construction and maintenance of state highways through its 25 districts across the state. The Upper East region includes three of these county-based districts, with offices in Atlanta, Paris and Tyler.

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 East Region, 2022

Road Type	Centerline Miles	Lane Miles	Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled	Daily Truck Miles Traveled
Interstate Highways	241.1	965.2	8,320,156.5	3,491,332.5
US Highways	1,131.9	3,575.5	9,296,972.5	1,495,663.9
State Highways, Spurs, Loops, Business Routes	1,634.3	4,307.9	9,875,641.5	1,237,175.9
Farm or Ranch to Market Roads and Spurs	4,814.5	9,730.5	5,740,998.3	465,254.7
Pass, Parks and Recreation Roads	12.1	23.4	2,845.9	201.8
Frontage Roads	269.0	533.7	329,950.6	30,697.4
On-System Subtotal	8,102.9	19,136.3	33,566,565.4	6,720,326.3
City Streets	4,173.0	8,511.3	2,553,375.6	105,721.5
Certified County Roads	15,005.1	30,028.4	1,844,801.7	67,353.1
Toll Road Authority Roads	36.8	69.1	217,411.8	11,940.0
Federal Roads	129.1	258.2	9,856.3	310.6
Off-System Subtotal	19,344.0	38,867.1	4,625,445.5	185,325.2
Grand Total	27,446.9	58,003.4	38,192,010.8	6,905,651.6

Source: Texas Department of Transportation

Transit Districts

Several transit districts help provide safe, reliable and accessible transportation services to citizens of the Upper East region. The region includes three Urban Transit Systems (serving areas with populations between 50,000 and 200,000) and two Rural Transit Systems (serving areas outside the urbanized area) (Exhibit 20).

Transit Districts, Revenue and Ridership Statistics, Upper East Region, 2022

Transit District	Type	Total Operating Expense	Total Revenue	Unlinked Passenger Trips	Passenger Trips Per Capita	Operating Expense Per Trip
Longview - COLT	Small Urban	$1,949,226	$207,102	132,808	1.34	$14.68
Texarkana Urban Transit District	Small Urban	$1,972,567	$245,859	188,649	3.62	$10.46
Tyler Transit System	Small Urban	$3,401,533	$178,093	160,282	1.23	$21.22
Ark-Tex Council of Governments	Rural	$3,124,211	$287,593	105,997	0.46	$29.47
East Texas Council of Governments	Rural	$4,671,625	$165,267	106,889	0.18	$43.71

Source: Texas Department of Transportation

Airports

Texas has 27 airports offering passenger or commercial service airports including two in the Upper East region – Tyler Pounds Regional and East Texas Regional. Both airports in the region have seen an increase in the number of enplanements (passenger boardings) in 2022 compared with 2021 (Exhibit 21).

Commercial Airports and Enplanements, Upper East Region, 2021 and 2022

U.S. Rank	Airport ID	City	Airport Name	2021 Enplanements	2022 Enplanements	Percent Change
268	TYR	Tyler	Tyler Pounds Regional	39,943	40,548	1.5%
312	GGG	Longview	East Texas Regional	23,942	25,982	8.5%

Source: Federal Aviation Administration

Region vs. Texas

If the Upper East region were a state, it would rank 42nd in land area and 43rd in total population. The region’s population aged 65 years and older was 18.8 percent in 2022, above both the Texas and U.S. averages. Notably, the region’s share of its population under age 18 was 23.3 percent in 2022, higher than the U.S. average (Exhibit 23).

Upper East Region Compared with Texas and the U.S.

Indicator	Upper East Region Value	Rank if Region were a State	Texas Value	U.S. Value
Square Miles (land)	15,437	42	261,268	3,533,038
Population, 2022	1,174,572	43	30,029,572	333,287,557
Population Percent Change, 2012-2022	4.8%	24	15.1%	6.2%
Population with a High School Diploma or Higher, 2022	86.4%	48	85.2%	89.1%
Population with Bachelor’s Degree or Higher, 2022	24.0%	49	32.3%	34.3%
Per Capita Personal Income, 2022	$53,004	45	$62,586	$65,470
Median Household Income, 2021	$56,456	44	$67,321	$69,021
Population Age 65 or Over, 2022	18.8%	14	13.4%	17.3%
Population Under Age 18, 2022	23.3%	10	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 East Region Economic Development Highlights

• Ametsa Packaging, LLC selected Paris for its new sweetener and sugar packaging operations. The project is expected to create 100 new jobs over the next few years.
• The Smith County Commissioners Court approved a five-year tax abatement for Averitt Express to construct a new service center on State Highway 155 near Interstate 20. The new $10 million center will add 25 new jobs.
• The Tyler Economic Development Council purchased 412 acres for the Tyler Interstate Commerce Park which, with its strategic location, will provide convenient access for companies to Interstate 20.
• Trane Technologies, which manufactures and markets heating and air ventilation equipment, is investing $76.7 million to construct a new building and assembly lines at the Tyler facility, which will add 65 new jobs.
• Maverick Pipe will grow in Texas with a $20 million investment and 40 new jobs in Texarkana.
• Skeeter Boats will expand their footprint in Kilgore with a multi-million-dollar expansion of their operations. The project is expected to create more than 80 new jobs.
• YellaWood announced plans to build new processing facility on 150 acres in Tyler, creating over 100 jobs and $40 million in capital investments.
• Huhtamaki, a packaging company, is investing approximately $30 million to expand the production assets of its warehouse and production facility in Paris.

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Questions?

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