economy

The West 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 West Texas region, one of 12 economic regions created by the Texas Comptroller’s office, to analyze economic and demographic data and trends, as well as the economic conditions unique to each region and the state.

Population

Core based statistical areas (CBSAs), 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 West Texas region comprises 30 counties located largely in western Texas, covering more than 39,700 square miles stretching from the cities of Mason and Brady in the east to the Rio Grande just south of Dryden and north to the city of Seminole. The West Texas region includes three metro areas — Midland, Odessa and San Angelo — and three micro areas — Andrews, Big Spring and the town of Pecos.

Exhibit 1 highlights CBSA designations by county and includes population, population density and median ages for all the region’s counties. The West Texas region’s population grew by 7 percent (about 42,800 people) between 2012 and 2022, compared with more than 15 percent growth statewide. Midland County led total gains, adding 24,600 residents, and Gaines County led regional growth rates at 21.2 percent during this period.

The metro areas bolstered the regional population growth, as Midland, Odessa and San Angelo saw increases of more than 16 percent, 11 percent and 4 percent, respectively. Population fell by 1.4 percent in micropolitan counties and 2.6 percent in non-CBSA designated counties.

The West Texas region had a median age of 33.5 years in 2021, younger than the statewide median age of 35 years. Median ages in the region ranged from 28 in Gaines County to 58 in Menard County.

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

County	CBSA Title	Metropolitan/ Micropolitan	2022 Population	Total Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Median Age, 2021	Population Density
Andrews	Andrews	Micropolitan	18,334	2,232	13.9%	32.6	12.4
Borden	N/A	N/A	585	-28	-4.6%	37.3	0.7
Coke	N/A	N/A	3,333	135	4.2%	45.7	3.6
Concho	N/A	N/A	3,340	-742	-18.2%	48.3	3.4
Crane	N/A	N/A	4,546	24	0.5%	35.8	6.0
Crockett	N/A	N/A	2,943	-764	-20.6%	44.8	1.1
Dawson	N/A	N/A	12,130	-1,484	-10.9%	33.9	13.8
Ector	Odessa	Metropolitan	160,869	16,397	11.3%	30.7	184.0
Gaines	N/A	N/A	22,181	3,876	21.2%	28.2	14.4
Glasscock	N/A	N/A	1,164	-116	-9.1%	36	1.2
Howard	Big Spring	Micropolitan	33,672	-1,813	-5.1%	37.1	38.7
Irion	San Angelo	Metropolitan	1,530	-52	-3.3%	39.5	1.4
Kimble	N/A	N/A	4,422	-100	-2.2%	50.5	3.4
Loving	N/A	N/A	51	-35	-40.7%	31.2	0.1
McCulloch	N/A	N/A	7,497	-744	-9.0%	44.3	7.2
Martin	Midland	Metropolitan	5,217	241	4.8%	34.9	5.7
Mason	N/A	N/A	3,982	-74	-1.8%	48	4.3
Menard	N/A	N/A	1,968	-237	-10.7%	58.1	2.2
Midland	Midland	Metropolitan	171,999	24,634	16.7%	32	188.8
Pecos	N/A	N/A	14,735	-828	-5.3%	36.1	3.2
Reagan	N/A	N/A	3,135	-342	-9.8%	30.4	2.9
Reeves	Town of Pecos	Micropolitan	12,905	-1,351	-9.5%	36.7	5.6
Schleicher	N/A	N/A	2,357	-900	-27.6%	38.8	1.9
Sterling	N/A	N/A	1,417	227	19.1%	32.3	1.5
Sutton	N/A	N/A	3,217	-699	-17.8%	35.1	2.3
Terrell	N/A	N/A	693	-224	-24.4%	54.2	0.3
Tom Green	San Angelo	Metropolitan	118,892	5,568	4.9%	34.6	78.8
Upton	N/A	N/A	3,152	-113	-3.5%	39.4	2.7
Ward	N/A	N/A	10,964	139	1.3%	34.7	13.9
Winkler	N/A	N/A	7,306	-60	-0.8%	35.9	9.3
West Texas Region Total*	N/A	N/A	638,536	42,767	7.2%	33.5	16.3
Midland Metropolitan Area	N/A	N/A	177,216	24,875	16.3%	32.1	96.5
Odessa Metropolitan Area	N/A	N/A	160,869	16,397	11.3%	30.7	184.0
San Angelo Metropolitan Area	N/A	N/A	120,422	5,516	4.8%	34.7	47.2
All Micropolitan Counties*	N/A	N/A	64,911	-932	-1.4%	35.8	13.5
All Non-CBSA Counties*	N/A	N/A	115,118	-3,089	-2.6%	37.0	4.0
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 has experienced large fluctuations in annual net gains in domestic migration since 2012, mirroring economic activity in the oil and gas sector. Population gains by natural increase (births minus deaths) stayed mostly level throughout this period, yet slowed in 2021 and 2022, reflecting trends in the state. The region did see small but consistent net gains in international migration every year during this period (Exhibit 2).

Exhibit 2 data

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

Year	Natural Increase	Net Domestic Migration	Net International Migration
2013	4,795	8,868	917
2014	5,214	7,807	1,404
2015	5,615	7,670	1,676
2016	5,390	-9,637	1,719
2017	4,673	-9,185	1,238
2018	4,714	8,557	867
2019	5,190	7,488	1,029
2020	5,021	-2,042	853
2021	2,464	-14,258	798
2022	3,054	-3,551	2,143

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 West Texas region between 2012 and 2022, growing by nearly 66,400, a 24 percent increase. The region’s white population fell by more than 33,100, an 11.7 percent decline. Those comprising two or more races and other races saw gains of 42.3 percent during this period, though their total gains were much more modest when compared with Hispanics. The Asian and Black populations rose by nearly 57 percent and 12 percent, respectively (Exhibit 3).

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

Year	White	Black	Asian	Two or More Races and Other Races	Hispanic or Latino	Total Population
2012	284,059	25,204	5,467	8,115	272,924	595,769
2022	250,892	28,150	8,596	11,545	339,353	638,536
Total Change	-33,167	2,946	3,129	3,430	66,429	42,767
Percent Change	-11.7%	11.7%	57.2%	42.3%	24.3%	7.2%

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.

The region’s white population fell from 47.7 percent in 2012 to 39.3 percent in 2022, and the Hispanic population grew from 45.8 percent to 53.1 percent during this period. All other racial groups comprised nearly 8 percent of the regional population in 2022 (Exhibit 4).

Exhibit 4 data

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

Race/Ethnicity	2012	2022
White	47.7%	39.3%
Black or African American	4.2%	4.4%
Asian	0.9%	1.3%
Two or More Races and Other Races	1.4%	1.8%
Hispanic or Latino	45.8%	53.1%

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

Population changes by age groups between 2012 and 2022 were unique in the region compared with statewide trends. The region saw its greatest gains in the 35-to-49-year age category at 18.5 percent, surpassing state gains of 15.2 percent. The region saw modest gains (11.4 percent) among people ages 65 or older, compared with 42 percent gains statewide. This age group led gains in all of the state’s other economic regions, reflecting the large Baby Boomer cohort (those born between 1946 and 1964). The population aged 4 and under fell statewide by nearly 2 percent but grew by almost 3 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, West Texas Region and Texas, 2012-2022

Age Group	West Texas Region	Texas
65 or older	11.4%	41.9%
50 to 64	-8.0%	13.0%
35 to 49	18.5%	15.2%
20 to 34	3.6%	14.4%
5 to 19	13.2%	10.0%
0 to 4	3.1%	-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 West Texas region population with a bachelor’s degree or higher was 21 percent in 2022. In 2022, a higher share of women than men in the region had at least a bachelor’s degree, 23.2 percent versus 18.9 percent (Exhibit 6). Women have overtaken men in postsecondary educational attainment levels since 2012, when 16.9 percent of women had at least a bachelor’s degree compared with 17.1 percent of men.

The population share of the region that has earned at least a high school diploma rose from 76.2 percent in 2012 to 80.6 percent in 2022.

Exhibit 6 data

Educational Attainment by Gender, West Texas Region, 2022

Educational Attainment	Male	Female	Total
Less than high school graduate	21.0%	17.8%	19.4%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	31.3%	26.8%	29.1%
Some college, no degree	22.6%	23.7%	23.2%
Associate degree	6.2%	8.5%	7.3%
Bachelor's degree	13.0%	16.1%	14.5%
Graduate or professional degree	5.9%	7.2%	6.5%

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 West Texas region requiring at least an associate degree or certificate paid an average of $7,100 more annually than jobs requiring no postsecondary education. Occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree paid an average of $44,200 more annually than those requiring an associate degree or certificate, and occupations requiring a post-graduate degree paid an average of $26,300 more annually than those requiring a bachelor’s degree (Exhibit 7).

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

Typical Entry-Level Educational Requirement	Total Employment	Share of Total Regional Employment	Average Annual Wages
No postsecondary award	228,346	67.3%	$46,300
Associate degree or certificate	30,593	9.0%	$53,412
Bachelor's degree	71,814	21.2%	$97,600
Post-graduate degree	8,517	2.5%	$123,907
Total	339,269	N/A	$59,700

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

Regional Institutions of Higher Education

The West Texas region offers a variety of options for higher educational achievement, including two public universities and three community colleges. Enrollment in the region’s largest university, San Angelo State, rose by 9.3 percent between 2019 and 2023. Odessa College, the region’s largest community college, saw its enrollment rise by 20 percent during this period. Enrollment in all institutions of higher education in the region rose by 7.8 percent (Exhibit 8).

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

Institution	Institution Type	Fall 2019 Enrollment	Fall 2023 Enrollment*	Percent Change in enrollment
Angelo State University	University	10,289	11,243	9.3%
Odessa College	Junior or Community College	6,806	8,163	19.9%
The University of Texas Permian Basin	University	5,283	5,776	9.3%
Midland College	Junior or Community College	5,115	5,092	-0.4%
Howard County Junior College District	Junior or Community College	4,382	4,073	-7.1%
Total - West Texas Region	N/A	31,875	34,347	7.8%

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

Health Care

Availability of Hospital Services

Residents of the West 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, West Texas Region, 2023

Facility Type	Number of Facilities	Total Number of Beds	Average Number of Beds Per Facility
General and Special Hospital	24	1,763	73.5
Private Psychiatric Hospital	1	80	80.0
State Psychiatric Hospital	1	144	144.0

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 22.3 percent in 2021, the West Texas region’s uninsured rate was higher than the state average, and rates in only six of its 30 counties were lower than the state average. The rates of individual counties ranged from a low of 4.9 percent in Loving County to a high of 32.5 percent in Gaines County (Exhibit 10).

Estimated Uninsured by County, West Texas Region, 2021

County	Uninsured Population	Percent Uninsured
Andrews	4,015	24.3%
Borden	60	12.7%
Coke	505	20.4%
Concho	422	17.4%
Crane	1,028	25.3%
Crockett	673	27.3%
Dawson	2,145	23.4%
Ector	35,968	25.3%
Gaines	6,428	32.5%
Glasscock	260	26.2%
Howard	5,061	20.6%
Irion	233	18.7%
Kimble	750	24.8%
Loving	3	4.9%
McCulloch	1,390	24.5%
Martin	1,099	23.9%
Mason	786	28.7%
Menard	397	29.5%
Midland	27,674	18.5%
Pecos	2,752	24.7%
Reagan	643	22.5%
Reeves	2,260	22.7%
Schleicher	572	29.7%
Sterling	253	21.5%
Sutton	630	23.8%
Terrell	113	23.6%
Tom Green	19,388	20.2%
Upton	607	22.3%
Ward	2,215	23.2%
Winkler	1,494	23.4%
West Texas Region	119,824	22.3%

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 West Texas region totaled $166.5 billion in 2022, accounting for 6.9 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, the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industry is the most specialized industry in the region, accounting for 47 percent of the industry GDP statewide. Utilities also plays an outsize role in the region, accounting for about 7 percent of industry GDP in Texas (Exhibit 11).

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

Industry	West Texas Region (billions)	West Texas Region Industry GDP as Share of Total West Texas GDP	Texas (billions)	West Texas Region Industry GDP as Share of Texas Industry GDP
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction	$111.8	67.1%	$235.6	47.4%
Utilities	$2.8	1.7%	$41.4	6.7%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting	$0.4	0.2%	$11.2	3.3%
All industry total	$166.5	N/A	$2,402.1	6.9%

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

Median Household Income

The West Texas region had a median household income of $69,498 in 2021, up from $48,780 in 2011, a 42.5 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, West Texas Region and Texas, 2011-2021

Year	West Texas Region	Texas
2011	$48,780	$50,920
2012	$50,067	$51,563
2013	$51,595	$51,900
2014	$54,100	$52,576
2015	$56,063	$53,207
2016	$57,714	$54,727
2017	$60,063	$57,051
2018	$62,171	$59,570
2019	$63,488	$61,874
2020	$65,763	$63,826
2021	$69,498	$67,321

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

Jobs and Industry

Between 2012 and 2022, regional employment rose about 15 percent, lower than that of Texas (23.5 percent) but higher than the U.S. (13.9 percent). The Midland metro area saw strong employment gains during this period, rising by more than 34 percent (Exhibit 13).

Total Employment (2022) and Changes in Employment Levels (2012-2022), West Texas 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
West Texas Region	303,805	39,994	15.2%	$71,079
Midland Metro Area	109,671	28,169	34.6%	$86,481
Odessa Metro Area	74,793	4,634	6.6%	$69,071
San Angelo Metro Area	49,445	3,386	7.4%	$51,236

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

The West Texas region’s largest industries by employment were in oil and gas extraction, support activities for mining, restaurants and other eating places, public education, and construction. These large regional industry sectors mostly experienced strong employment growth in the 10-year period ending in 2022, including a 37 percent gain in support activities for mining 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, West Texas Region, 2022

Industry	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient	Establishments
Support Activities for Mining	38,840	10,528	37.2%	$101,499	72.23	1,435
Restaurants and Other Eating Places	24,199	5,198	27.4%	$23,481	1.11	1,137
Elementary and Secondary Schools	19,044	2,023	11.9%	$50,483	1.15	81
Oil and Gas Extraction	11,102	193	1.8%	$195,454	47.98	470
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	10,628	1,269	13.6%	$66,417	0.86	33
Machinery, Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	7,023	699	11.1%	$98,235	4.71	478
Utility System Construction	6,599	2,224	50.8%	$86,005	5.74	236
Building Equipment Contractors	6,039	852	16.4%	$75,126	1.24	485
Justice, Public Order and Safety Activities	5,509	-328	-5.6%	$71,984	1.44	167
Grocery and Convenience Retailers	5,462	2,003	57.9%	$31,219	0.96	127
Total – All Industries	303,805	39,994	15.2%	$71,079	1.00	20,453

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

Support activities for mining jobs led total employment growth among industries in the region between 2012 and 2022, adding more than 38,500 jobs, a 37 percent gain, followed by strong gains at restaurants and other eating places. The management and technical consulting services industry experienced some of the fastest growth, increasing by almost 89 percent during the same period (Exhibit 15).

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

Industry	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient	Establishments
Support Activities for Mining	38,840	10,528	37.2%	$101,499	72.23	1,435
Restaurants and Other Eating Places	24,199	5,198	27.4%	$23,481	1.11	1,137
Utility System Construction	6,599	2,224	50.8%	$86,005	5.74	236
Elementary and Secondary Schools	19,044	2,023	11.9%	$50,483	1.15	81
Grocery and Convenience Retailers	5,462	2,003	57.9%	$31,219	0.96	127
Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing	4,205	1,793	74.3%	$94,054	11.69	245
Specialized Freight Trucking	4,719	1,481	45.7%	$82,851	5.02	447
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	10,628	1,269	13.6%	$66,417	0.86	33
Traveler Accommodation	3,719	1,203	47.8%	$26,493	1.03	282
Management, Scientific and Technical Consulting Services	2,412	1,134	88.7%	$97,976	0.65	456
Total – All Industries	303,805	39,994	15.2%	$71,079	1.00	20,453

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 mining, oil and gas extraction, pipeline transportation of crude oil and natural gas, and rental and leasing of commercial and industrial machinery are highly specialized in the region. The petroleum products wholesalers industry had an LQ of nearly 6, meaning the industry is six times as large in the West Texas region compared with the national average. This industry also saw substantial job growth and high average wages from 2012 through 2022 (Exhibit 16).

Industries with Greatest Location Quotient, West Texas Region, 2022

Industry	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient	Establishments
Support Activities for Mining	38,840	10,528	37.2%	$101,499	72.23	1,435
Oil and Gas Extraction	11,102	193	1.8%	$195,454	47.98	470
Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil	833	361	76.6%	$126,782	37.28	51
Sheep and Goat Farming	59	-19	-24.1%	$24,994	17.72	24
Other Pipeline Transportation	240	212	756.1%	$131,985	14.35	9
Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing	4,205	1,793	74.3%	$94,054	11.69	245
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas	663	117	21.5%	$167,687	9.98	62
Hunting and Trapping	33	14	67.9%	$39,091	7.69	13
Nonmetallic Mineral Mining and Quarrying	1,382	871	170.4%	$86,048	6.83	52
Other Crop Farming	944	-355	-27.3%	$40,899	6.69	445
Chemical and Allied Products Merchant Wholesalers	1,883	-19	-1.0%	$108,504	6.23	93
Petroleum and Petroleum Products Merchant Wholesalers	1,203	422	54.1%	$103,279	5.89	76

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, logisticians and project management specialists and supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers had average wages far above regional averages and saw some of the strongest job gains from 2012 through 2022. Another high-wage occupation that saw strong growth was miscellaneous sales representatives. Fast food and counter workers also saw strong growth during the period (Exhibit 17).

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

Occupation	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient
General and Operations Managers	11,231	4,820	75.2%	$115,300	1.56
Driver/Sales Workers and Truck Drivers	13,119	3,185	32.1%	$52,000	1.75
Laborers and Material Movers	11,644	2,508	27.5%	$35,900	0.81
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers	5,258	1,839	53.8%	$84,200	3.43
Fast Food and Counter Workers	8,104	1,603	24.7%	$25,500	1.14
Derrick, Rotary Drill and Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas	8,745	1,426	19.5%	$55,400	62.13
Industrial Machinery Installation, Repair and Maintenance Workers	3,496	1,239	54.9%	$62,100	3.32
Logisticians and Project Management Specialists	2,409	1,216	102.0%	$100,800	1.07
Miscellaneous Sales Representatives, Services	2,392	1,153	93.0%	$82,700	1.04
Customer Service Representatives	5,358	1,126	26.6%	$39,800	0.88

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

West 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 Midland, Odessa and San Angelo metro areas would have more than one and a half times the income needed to afford the median home in the area. Affordability level in each area, however, are lower in 2022 compared with 2017 (Exhibit 18).

Exhibit 18 data

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

Year	Midland MSA	Odessa MSA	San Angelo MSA	Texas
2017	1.94	2.21	1.98	1.54
2018	1.58	1.78	1.78	1.39
2019	1.59	1.64	1.75	1.43
2020	1.8	1.68	2.18	1.78
2021	1.94	2.28	1.87	1.53
2022	1.77	1.92	1.73	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. Two MPOs coordinate transportation planning in the West Texas region — the Permian Basin MPO and the San Angelo MPO.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) oversees the construction and maintenance of state highways through its 25 districts across the state. The West Texas region includes six of these county-based districts, with offices in Abilene, Austin, Brownwood, Lubbock, Odessa and San Angelo.

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, West Texas Region, 2022

Road Type	Centerline Miles	Lane Miles	Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled	Daily Truck Miles Traveled
Interstate Highways	488.9	1,955.6	7,571,867.1	3,161,495.0
U.S. Highways	1,517.3	3,940.3	5,509,019.2	1,202,429.5
State Highways, Spurs, Loops, Business Routes	1,604.0	3,933.3	7,506,773.5	1,652,399.0
Farm or Ranch to Market Roads and Spurs	3,190.3	6,497.5	3,253,203.7	900,296.5
Pass, Parks and Recreation Roads	10.5	18.6	1,309.1	232.9
Frontage Roads	734.1	1,477.1	835,598.7	99,696.7
On-System Subtotal	7,544.9	17,822.4	24,677,771.3	7,016,549.6
City Streets	3,033.5	6,414.3	3,036,926.0	166,315.3
Certified County Roads	10,025.5	20,067.4	1,869,215.9	149,414.9
Toll Road Authority Roads	0.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Federal Roads	36.1	72.1	4,740.2	157.1
Off-System Subtotal	13,095.0	26,553.9	4,910,882.1	315,887.3
Grand Total	20,640.0	44,376.2	29,588,653.4	7,332,436.9

Source: Texas Department of Transportation

Transit Districts

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

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

Transit District	Type	Total Operating Expense	Total Revenue	Unlinked Passenger Trips	Passenger Trips Per Capita	Operating Expense Per Trip
Midland-Odessa – EZ Rider	Small Urban	$6,329,043	$1,589,897	214,506	0.88	$29.51
San Angelo	Small Urban	$3,456,319	$936,076	206,485	2.22	$16.74
Concho Valley Transit District	Rural	$1,800,934	$313,940	20,291	0.35	$88.76
Hill Country Transit District	Rural	$2,668,959	$228,128	56,792	0.34	$47.00
West Texas Opportunities Inc.	Rural	$4,764,637	$1,059,834	63,483	0.32	$75.05

Source: Texas Department of Transportation

Airports

Texas has 27 airports offering passenger or commercial service, including two in the West Texas region. Midland International Air saw a 26 percent increase in enplanements (the number of passenger boardings) in 2022 from 2021 (Exhibit 21).

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

U.S. Rank	Airport ID	City	Airport Name	2021 Enplanements	2022 Enplanements	Percent Change
109	MAF	Midland	Midland International Air and Space Port	504,264	633,964	25.7%
253	SJT	San Angelo	San Angelo Regional/Mathis Field	60,115	54,347	-9.6%

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 West Texas region has one direct trade official port of entry (Exhibit 22).

Official Port of Entry Trade Data, West Texas Region, 2022

Port of Entry	Exports	Imports
Midland International Airport	$156,175	$0
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 West Texas region were a state, it would have the 36th largest land area, third highest per capita personal income and the largest share of its population under 18 years old. The region’s per capita personal income is the highest among the Texas economic regions (Exhibit 23).

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

Indicator	West Texas Region Value	Rank if Region were a State	Texas Value	U.S. Value
Square Miles (land)	39,731	36	261,267	3,533,038
Population, 2022	638,536	50	30,029,572	333,287,557
Population Percent Change, 2012-2022	7.2%	18	15.1%	6.2%
Population with High School Diploma or Higher, 2022	80.6%	51	85.2%	89.1%
Population with Bachelor’s Degree or Higher, 2022	26.1%	48	32.3%	34.3%
Per Capita Personal Income, 2022	$81,270	3	$62,586	$65,470
Median Household Income, 2021	$69,498	19	$67,321	$69,021
Population Age 65 or Over, 2022	12.7%	50	13.4%	17.3%
Population Under Age 18, 2022	27.6%	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

West Texas Region Economic Development Highlights

• Rich Dealy, the president of Pioneer Natural Resources and keynote speaker at the 2023 State of Oil and Gas presentation, expects rig counts to grow from 330 to 400 over the rest of this decade, which will be a catalyst for economic growth in West Texas.
• Kimbell Royalty Partners, owner of oil and gas mineral and royalty interests in 28 states, secured approximately 60,000 acres across Howard and Borden counties. Kimbell Royalty Partners have invested approximately $140.8 million into the acquisition and development of this land to expand and increase their oil and natural gas production.
• Milestone Carbon plans to develop a new carbon sequestration site in Midland, which has the potential to support multiple wells that will enable the permanent geological storage of carbon dioxide.

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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.