economy

Capital 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 Capital region — one of the 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 (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 Capital region comprises 10 counties located largely in Central Texas, covering about 8,400 square miles stretching from Llano to San Marcos and from La Grange to Georgetown. The Capital region includes one metropolitan area — Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos — and no micropolitan areas.

Exhibit 1 highlights CBSA designations by county and includes population, population density and median ages for all the counties in the region. The Capital region’s population grew by nearly 31 percent (about 602,200) between 2012 and 2022, compared with a more than 15 percent growth statewide. Travis County led total gains, adding 229,500 residents, while Hays County and Williamson County led regional growth rates at 59.9 percent and 47 percent, respectively.

The metropolitan areas bolstered the regional population growth, as Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos saw an increase of 32 percent. Population rose by 13.9 percent in non-CBSA designated counties. Every county in the region saw population gains during the period.

The Capital region had a median age of 36.0 years in 2021, older than the statewide median age of 35 years. Median ages in the region ranged from 33.1 in Hays County to 57 in Llano County.

CBSA Classification and Population by County, Capital Region, 2012-2022

County	CBSA Title	Metropolitan/ Micropolitan	2022 Population	Total Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Median Age, 2021	Population Density
Bastrop	Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos	Metropolitan	106,188	31,443	42.1%	38.5	109.4
Blanco	N/A	N/A	12,418	1,799	16.9%	50.5	16.0
Burnet	N/A	N/A	52,502	9,119	21.0%	44.7	49.4
Caldwell	Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos	Metropolitan	47,848	9,200	23.8%	36.7	84.3
Fayette	N/A	N/A	24,913	268	1.1%	47.7	25.7
Hays	Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos	Metropolitan	269,225	100,819	59.9%	33.1	356.2
Lee	N/A	N/A	17,954	1,450	8.8%	41.8	27.8
Llano	N/A	N/A	22,540	3,274	17.0%	57	22.7
Travis	Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos	Metropolitan	1,326,436	229,518	20.9%	34.9	1,297.9
Williamson	Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos	Metropolitan	671,418	215,274	47.2%	36.7	545.8
Capital Region Total*	N/A	N/A	2,551,442	602,164	30.9%	36.0	285.3
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos Metropolitan Area	N/A	N/A	2,421,115	586,254	32.0%	35.4	541.1
All Non-CBSA Counties*	N/A	N/A	130,327	15,910	13.9%	47.4	29.3
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 strong annual net gains in domestic migration every year since 2012, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Population gains by natural increase (births minus deaths) slowed throughout this period, though to a lesser extent seen in other Texas regions and throughout the U.S. The region saw consistent net gains in international migration every year during this period (Exhibit 2).

Exhibit 2 data

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

Year	Natural Increase	Net Domestic Migration	Net International Migration
2013	16,083	26,573	6,128
2014	16,764	34,173	8,062
2015	16,934	34,847	9,293
2016	16,762	36,484	8,588
2017	15,263	31,669	7,823
2018	14,854	31,778	5,633
2019	14,039	43,353	5,437
2020	13,780	51,383	4,392
2021	11,356	47,771	3,594
2022	13,345	41,019	9,845

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Population and Housing Unit Estimates Program; Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts analysis

Population by Race and Ethnicity

The white population led total gains in the Capital region between 2012 and 2022, growing by more than 222,100, an increase of greater than 20 percent. Hispanics in the region grew by 215,303, a 36 percent increase. The region’s Asian population nearly doubled during this period, growing by more than 89,800, a 96.7 percent increase. Those comprising two or more races and other races saw gains of 62.7 percent during this per, though their total gains were much more modest when compared with other races. The Black population rose by about 50,400, or nearly 38 percent (Exhibit 3).

Population Change by Race/Ethnicity, Capital Region, 2012-2022

Year	White	Black	Asian	Two or More Races and Other Races	Hispanic or Latino	Total Population
2012	1,080,259	133,735	92,883	39,160	603,241	1,949,278
2022	1,302,386	184,095	182,707	63,710	818,544	2,551,442
Total Change	222,127	50,360	89,824	24,550	215,303	602,164
Percent Change	20.6%	37.7%	96.7%	62.7%	35.7%	30.9%

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 55.4 percent in 2012 to 51 percent in 2022, while the Hispanic population grew from 30.9 percent to 32.1 percent during this period. All other racial groups comprised nearly 17 percent of the regional population in 2022, up from 13.7 percent in 2012 (Exhibit 4).

Exhibit 4 data

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

Race/Ethnicity	2012	2022
White	55.4	51.0
Black or African American	6.9	7.2
Asian	4.8	7.2
Two or More Races and Other Races	2.0	2.5
Hispanic or Latino	30.9	32.1

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

Like the state, the Capital 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-or-older population leading regional population gains, the share of this group grew from around 10 percent in 2012 to almost 13 percent in 2022.This group grew by a staggering 74 percent between 2012 and 2022, compared with a strong gain of 42 percent statewide. The region’s population ages 4 and under grew by 6.2 percent, bucking statewide trends, which saw a decline 2 percent for this age group. All age groups analyzed in the region outpaced statewide growth, often doubling the Texas average (Exhibit 5).

Exhibit 5 data

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

Age Group	Capital Region	Texas
65 or older	73.6%	41.9%
50 to 64	29.8%	13.0%
35 to 49	37.5%	15.2%
20 to 34	27.2%	14.4%
5 to 19	17.7%	10.0%
0 to 4	6.2%	-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 Capital region population with a bachelor’s degree or higher was 47.3 percent in 2022. This far exceeds the Texas share of 32.3 percent and the U.S. share of 34.3 percent. If the region were a state, it would have the highest share of post-secondary graduates.

In 2022, about the same share of women and men in the region had at least a bachelor’s degree, 47.6 percent versus 47.0 percent, respectively (Exhibit 6). Women have overtaken men in postsecondary attainment levels since 2012, when 38.3 percent of women had at least a bachelor’s degree, compared with 39.1 percent of men.

The share of the region that has earned at least a high school diploma rose from 87.6 percent in 2012 to 91.1 percent in 2022.

Exhibit 6 data

Educational Attainment by Gender, Capital Region, 2022

Educational Attainment	Male	Female	Total
Less than high school graduate	9.3%	8.5%	8.9%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	18.4%	18.4%	18.4%
Some college, no degree	18.9%	18.7%	18.8%
Associate degree	6.4%	6.7%	6.6%
Bachelor's degree	29.8%	30.3%	30.0%
Graduate or professional degree	17.2%	17.4%	17.3%

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 a cornerstone for growth and competitiveness in the global economy. Postsecondary education delivers a good return on investments of time and tuition.

Data for 2023 indicate that occupations in the Capital region requiring at least an associate degree or certificate paid an average of $9,281 more annually than jobs requiring no postsecondary education. Occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree paid an average of $47,785 more annually than those requiring an associate degree or certificate, and occupations requiring a post-graduate degree paid an average of $28,881 more annually than those requiring a bachelor’s degree (Exhibit 7).

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

Typical Entry-Level Educational Requirement	Total Employment	Share of Total Regional Employment	Average Annual Wages
No postsecondary award	816,654	59.8%	$44,738
Associate degree or certificate	99,345	7.3%	$54,019
Bachelor's degree	394,760	28.9%	$101,804
Post-graduate degree	54,802	4.0%	$130,685
Total	1,365,561	N/A	$65,400

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

Regional Institutions of Higher Education

The Capital region offers a variety of options for higher educational achievement, including six universities, one community college and one health science school. There are two Texas public institutions of higher education and four private institutions of higher learning in the Capital region. The region’s two large public universities, the University of Texas at Austin and Texas State University, saw enrollment increases of 4.3 percent and 1.5 percent between 2019 and 2023. All other higher education institutions experienced declines in enrollment, including a 36 percent decrease at Concordia University. Enrollment in all institutions of higher education in the region fell by 3.4 percent (Exhibit 8).

Institutions of Higher Education and Enrollments, Capital 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 at Austin	University	50,894	53,082	4.3%
Texas State University	University	38,187	38,759	1.5%
Austin Community College	Junior or Community College	38,730	32,997	-14.8%
St. Edward’s University	Private University	3,976	3,310	-16.8%
Concordia University Texas	Private University	2,511	1,618	-35.6%
Southwestern University	Private University	1,502	1,457	-3.0%
Huston-Tillotson University	Private University	1,121	1,053	-6.1%
The University of Texas at Austin Dell Medical School	Health Science School	196	199	1.5%
Total - Capital Region	N/A	137,117	132,475	-3.4%

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

Healthcare

Availability of Hospital Services

Residents of the Capital 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, Capital Region, 2023

Facility Type	Number of Facilities	Total Number of Beds	Average Number of Beds Per Facility
General and Special Hospital	48	4,578	95.4
Private Psychiatric Hospital	6	539	89.8
State Psychiatric Hospital	1	240	240.0

Source: Texas Health and Human Services Commission

Healthcare 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 15.5 percent in 2021, the Capital region’s uninsured rate was not only below the state average but also the lowest of the 12 regions, although rates in six of its 10 counties were higher than the state average. The rates of individual counties ranged from a low of 13.3 percent in Williamson County to a high of 25.4 percent in Caldwell County (Exhibit 10).

Estimated Uninsured by County, Capital Region, 2021

County	Uninsured Population	Percent Uninsured
Bastrop	19,128	22.8%
Blanco	1,762	20.0%
Burnet	8,286	21.7%
Caldwell	9,697	25.4%
Fayette	3,694	20.5%
Hays	35,870	16.4%
Lee	3,157	22.9%
Llano	3,186	22.9%
Travis	172,235	15.0%
Williamson	74,563	13.3%
Capital Region	331,578	15.5%

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 Capital region totaled $229.2 billion in 2022, accounting for 9.5 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 professional, scientific and technical services industry was the most unique and specialized regional industry, accounting for about 18.6 percent of the industry’s GDP statewide. Wholesale trade also plays an outsize role in the region, accounting for nearly 13 percent of industry GDP in Texas (Exhibit 11).

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

Industry	Capital Region (billions)	Capital - Share of Total Regional GDP	Texas (billions)	Capital as Share of Texas Industry GDP
Professional, scientific, and technical services	$31.90	13.9%	$171.00	18.6%
Wholesale trade	$23.80	10.4%	$184.90	12.9%
Durable goods manufacturing	$14.20	6.2%	$114.10	12.4%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation	$1.50	0.7%	$12.80	12.0%
Accommodation and food services	$7.60	3.3%	$66.20	11.5%
All industry total	$229.20	N/A	$2,402.10	9.5%

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

Median Household Income

The Capital region had a median household income of $84,453 in 2021, up from $58,207 in 2011, a 45 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, Capital Region and Texas, 2011-2021

Year	Capital Region	Texas
2011	$58,207	$50,920
2012	$58,725	$51,563
2013	$59,999	$51,900
2014	$61,253	$52,576
2015	$62,751	$53,207
2016	$65,377	$54,727
2017	$68,913	$57,051
2018	$72,439	$59,570
2019	$76,101	$61,874
2020	$80,151	$63,826
2021	$84,453	$67,321

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

Jobs and Industry

Between 2012 and 2022, regional employment rose by a whopping 46 percent, double the growth in Texas as a whole (23.5 percent) and three times the U.S. growth (13.9 percent). The Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro area saw positive employment gains during this period, increasing by nearly 48 percent (Exhibit 13).

Total Employment (2022) and Changes in Employment Levels (2012-2022), Capital 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
Capital Region	1,240,192	393,036	46.4%	$81,123
Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos Metro Area	1,199,857	387,315	47.7%	$82,110

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

The Capital region’s largest industries by employment are in restaurants, public education and higher education, computer systems design and services, management and consulting service and employment services. These large regional industry sectors experienced strong employment growth in the 10-year period ending in 2022, including a 224 percent gain in computer systems design and services 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, Capital Region, 2022

Industry	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient	Establishments
Restaurants and Other Eating Places	97,286	27,357	39.1%	$28,118	1.11	4,197
Elementary and Secondary Schools	62,811	6,237	11.0%	$51,985	0.94	201
Computer Systems Design and Related Services	58,141	40,186	223.8%	$159,004	2.82	5,157
Employment Services	31,840	13,942	77.9%	$63,051	1.00	820
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	30,631	19,338	171.2%	$101,100	2.05	3,986
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	29,977	-2,680	-8.2%	$73,682	1.22	58
Grocery and Convenience Retailers	25,512	8,609	50.9%	$35,689	1.11	508
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	24,527	3,385	16.0%	$83,682	0.49	48
Building Equipment Contractors	23,203	9,995	75.7%	$68,839	1.18	1,709
Management of Companies and Enterprises	21,671	16,811	345.9%	$154,412	1.05	432
Total – All Industries	1,240,192	393,036	46.4%	$81,123	1.00	79,580

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

The Capital region has experienced very strong gains in its high-tech sector and business services during the last decade. The computer systems design and services industry saw the region’s largest total job gains between, as well as strong percentage growth. Other regional industries that experienced both strong total and percentage gains were management, scientific and consulting services, management of companies and enterprises, warehousing and storage and computing infrastructure and data processing (Exhibit 15).

Industries with Largest Total Employment Growth, Capital Region, 2012-2022

Industry	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient	Establishments
Computer Systems Design and Related Services	58,141	40,186	223.8%	$159,004	2.82	5,157
Restaurants and Other Eating Places	97,286	27,357	39.1%	$28,118	1.11	4,197
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	30,631	19,338	171.2%	$101,100	2.05	3,986
Management of Companies and Enterprises	21,671	16,811	345.9%	$154,412	1.05	432
Employment Services	31,840	13,942	77.9%	$63,051	1.00	820
Building Equipment Contractors	23,203	9,995	75.7%	$68,839	1.18	1,709
Warehousing and Storage	11,323	9,834	660.4%	$32,879	0.71	98
Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services	11,156	8,999	417.3%	$191,733	2.85	552
Grocery and Convenience Retailers	25,512	8,609	50.9%	$35,689	1.11	508
Offices of Other Health Practitioners	12,175	8,047	194.9%	$51,314	1.35	1,516
Total - All Industries	1,240,192	393,036	46.4%	$81,123	1.00	79,580

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 — highlights a variety of manufacturing activity, including for computer and peripheral equipment, semiconductors and other electronic components, industrial machinery and communications equipment. The computing infrastructure providers and web hosting industry had an LQ nearing 3.0, meaning the industry is about three times as large in the Capital 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, Capital Region, 2022

Industry	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient	Establishments
Interurban and Rural Bus Transportation	1,107	888	406.8%	$69,472	6.68	14
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing	8,863	1,352	18.0%	$291,335	6.66	36
Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing	15,965	2,470	18.3%	$160,423	5.00	110
Industrial Machinery Manufacturing	4,650	2,852	158.5%	$130,013	4.32	35
Land Subdivision	1,182	446	60.7%	$133,173	3.85	132
Manufacturing and Reproducing Magnetic and Optical Media	349	258	285.6%	$155,120	3.57	44
Communications Equipment Manufacturing	2,261	967	74.8%	$184,006	3.17	23
Insurance and Employee Benefit Funds	269	-257	-48.8%	$111,278	3.12	7
Professional and Commercial Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers	17,485	-7,153	-29.0%	$150,172	2.89	498
Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services	11,156	8,999	417.3%	$191,733	2.85	552

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 and software and web developers and programmers saw some of the strongest job gains from 2012 through 2022 and had average wages far above regional averages. Other high-wage occupations that saw strong growth were sales representatives and logisticians and project management specialists. Computer support specialists also saw strong growth during the period (Exhibit 17).

Occupations with Largest Total Employment Growth, Capital Region, 2012-2022

Occupation	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient
General and Operations Managers	44,196	24,986	130.1%	$120,100	1.53
Laborers and Material Movers	45,340	18,126	66.6%	$36,600	0.79
Software and Web Developers, Programmers, and Testers	32,294	17,828	123.2%	$118,100	1.81
Customer Service Representatives	31,007	12,192	64.8%	$42,100	1.27
Fast Food and Counter Workers	31,878	9,175	40.4%	$27,300	1.11
Logisticians and Project Management Specialists	13,755	9,045	192.0%	$96,700	1.52
Driver/Sales Workers and Truck Drivers	22,012	8,648	64.7%	$47,600	0.73
Miscellaneous Sales Representatives, Services	13,253	8,055	155.0%	$73,700	1.43
Cooks	20,465	6,675	48.4%	$32,900	0.89
Computer Support Specialists	12,465	6,390	105.2%	$64,100	1.69

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

Capital 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-priced 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 family earning the median-income in the Austin-Round Rock metro area would not earn the income needed to afford a median-priced home in the area; affordability levels are lower in the region and in Texas in 2022 compared with 2017 (Exhibit 18).

Exhibit 18 data

Texas Housing Affordability Index (THAI) by Metropolitan Areas, Capital Region, 2017 to 2022

Year	Austin-Round Rock MSA	Texas
2017	1.47	1.54
2018	1.33	1.39
2019	1.38	1.43
2020	1.73	1.78
2021	1.36	1.53
2022	0.96	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. One MPO coordinates transportation planning in the Capital region —located in Austin.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) oversees the construction and maintenance of state highways through its 25 districts across the state. The Capital region includes two of these county-based districts, with offices in Austin and Yoakum.

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, Capital Region, 2022

Road Type	Centerline Miles	Lane Miles	Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled	Daily Truck Miles Traveled
Interstate Highways	107.7	608.9	11,561,299.6	1,798,870.5
U.S. Highways	410.3	1,532.3	8,467,486.2	695,709.1
State Highways, Spurs, Loops, Business Routes	777.1	2,580.0	14,615,170.6	1,584,434.1
Farm or Ranch to Market Roads and Spurs	1,668.2	3,723.7	8,240,602.5	506,165.9
Pass, Parks and Recreation Roads	34.4	68.7	18,678.7	759.2
Frontage Roads	447.2	1,018.1	4,424,145.3	218,764.4
On-System Subtotal	3,444.9	9,531.6	47,327,382.8	4,804,703.3
City Streets	6,259.2	13,367.4	9,321,829.9	353,088.6
Certified County Roads	7,746.4	15,591.8	3,413,967.4	140,520.5
Toll Road Authority Roads	41.1	179.3	1,786,021.3	133,855.3
Federal Roads	33.3	66.6	5,597.6	179.9
Off-System Subtotal	14,080.0	29,205.2	14,527,416.1	627,644.2
Grand Total	17,524.9	38,736.8	61,854,799.0	5,432,347.5

Source: Texas Department of Transportation

Transit Districts

Several transit districts help provide safe, reliable and accessible transportation services to citizens of the Capital region. The region includes one Metropolitan Transit Authority (serving areas with populations greater than 200,000) in Austin, one Urban Transit System (serving areas with populations between 50,000 and 200,000) in San Marcos and two Rural Transit Systems (serving areas outside the urbanized area) (Exhibit 20).

Transit Districts , Revenue and Ridership Statistics, Capital Region, 2022

Transit District	Type	Total Operating Expense	Total Revenue	Unlinked Passenger Trips	Passenger Trips Per Capita	Operating Expense Per Trip
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority	MTA	$292,706,134	$395,072,618	20,079,566	14.74	$14.58
San Marcos	Small Urban	$1,674,515	$387,788	76,008	1.44	$22.03
Capital Area Rural Transportation System	Rural	$7,087,751	$2,332,885	135,756	0.34	$52.21
Hill Country Rural Transit District	Rural	$2,668,959	$228,128	56,792	0.34	$47.00

Source: Texas Department of Transportation

Airports

Texas has 27 airports offering passenger or commercial service airports including one in the Capital region – Austin-Bergstrom International. The airport experienced a large increase in the number of enplanements (passenger boardings) in 2022 compared with 2021, spiking by 56 percent (Exhibit 21).

Commercial Airports and Enplanements, Capital Region, 2021 and 2022

U.S. Rank	Airport ID	City	Airport Name	2021 Enplanements	2022 Enplanements	Percent Change
19	AUS	Austin	Austin-Bergstrom International	6,666,215	10,382,573	55.8%

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 Capital region has one direct trade official ports of entry (Exhibit 22).

Official Ports of Entry Trade Data, Capital Region, 2022

Port of Entry	Exports	Imports
Austin	$327,837,597	$255,462,295
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 Capital region were a state, it would have the 45th largest area, first for population growth and first in the share of its population with at least a bachelor’s degree. The region is also young, as its share of population age 65 or older would rank 50th among states, despite this age group’s very strong regional growth in the last 10 years. (Exhibit 23).

Capital Region Compared with Texas and the U.S.

Indicator	Capital Region Value	Rank if Region were a State	Texas Value	U.S. Value
Square Miles (land)	8,437	45	261,267	3,533,038
Population, 2022	2,551,442	36	30,029,572	333,287,557
Population Percent Change, 2012-2022	30.9%	1	15.1%	6.2%
Population with a High School Diploma or Higher, 2022	91.1%	28	85.2%	89.1%
Population with Bachelor’s Degree or Higher, 2022	51.9%	1	32.3%	34.3%
Per Capita Personal Income, 2022	$74,628	8	$62,586	$65,470
Median Household Income, 2021	$84,453	5	$67,321	$69,021
Population Age 65 or Over, 2022	12.7%	50	13.4%	17.3%
Population Under Age 18, 2022	21.4%	32	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

Capitol Region Economic Development Highlights

• NETSOL Technologies, a global business services provider, plans to open a new support and delivery center in Austin that will create upwards of 100 jobs. (Travis County)
• SAM, a geospatial data solutions company based in Austin has recently expanded into Cedar Park with a new 17,000 square-foot office that created 100 jobs. (Williamson County).
• Invoice Home Inc., a web-based invoicing software company, announces its plans to move its headquarters to Austin (PDF) (Travis County).
• 1E, a Digital Employee Experience (DEX) company, opened its North American headquarters in Austin. (Travis County).
• Staccato, a handgun manufacturer, moved its headquarters to Florence, creating 120 jobs. (Williamson County).
• H-E-B opened its first two story location in Austin in 2023. (Travis County).
• Emerald Cloud Lab, a cloud-based life science research lab, moved its high-tech facility from San Francisco to Austin, creating 100 jobs (Travis County).
• Sortera Alloys, a scrap metal sorting company, opened a new R&D facility in Austin (Travis County).
• SheetLabels.com opened a new facility in Pflugerville (Travis County).
• Northland, an $8 billion equity firm, opened a second headquarters in north Austin (Travis County).
• Tesla has registered with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation and indicated that upwards of $770 million will be spent on an expansion of the Giga Factory located in Travis County, creating 2500 jobs. These expansions are set to include a cell testing and manufacturing lab, a cathode and drive unit manufacturing space, among other projects (Travis County).
• Plastic Omnium, a French automotive supplier that manufactures plastics, plans to build a facility in Austin, which will create at least 800 jobs (Travis County).
• CharterUP, an online system for chartering buses, moves its headquarters to Austin and is set to create more than 100 jobs (Travis County).
• Q5iD, a cybersecurity software company, announced plans for a co-headquarters based in Austin (Travis County).
• Wirpro opened a new 5G Def-I innovation center in Austin (Travis County).
• Lead2Pipeline moved its headquarters from New York to Austin (Travis County).
• H-E-B opened a 105,689 square foot store worth an estimated $25.8 million on Highway 290 outside of Dripping Springs.
• LS Electric plans to build its first North American headquarters in Bastrop (Bastrop County).
• Schunk Xycarb Technology, a semiconductor supplier contracted by Samsung, is building a $19 billion 140,000 square-foot facility in Georgetown (Williamson County).
• Caracol, an additive manufacturing technology company, announces its first North American headquarters to be based in Austin (Travis County).

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Questions?

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