economy

Gulf Coast 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 Gulf Coast region —one of the 12 economic regions created by the Texas Comptroller’s office — to analyze demographic and economic data, trends and conditions unique to the region.

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 Gulf Coast region comprises 13 counties located largely in eastern coastal Texas, covering more than 12,100 square miles stretching from Huntsville in the north to Matagorda Bay and Galveston along the Gulf Coast. The Gulf Coast region includes one metropolitan area — Houston-Pasadena-the Woodlands — and three micropolitan areas — Bay City, El Campo and Huntsville.

Exhibit 1 highlights CBSA designations by county and includes population, population density and median ages for each county in the region. The Gulf Coast region’s population grew by more than 18 percent (approximately 1,168,000 people) between 2012 and 2022, compared with a more than 15 percent growth statewide. Harris County led total gains, adding 518,400 residents, while Fort Bend County led regional growth rates at 42 percent during this period.

The metropolitan areas bolstered the regional population growth, as Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands saw an increase of nearly 19 percent. Population rose by 7.2 percent in micropolitan counties and 0.1 percent in non-CBSA designated counties.

The Gulf Coast region had a median age of 34.9 years in 2021, slightly younger than the statewide median age of 35 years. Median ages in the region ranged from 29.9 in Waller County to 42.6 in Colorado County.

CBSA Classification and Population by County, Gulf Coast Region, 2012-2022

County	CBSA Title	Metropolitan/Micropolitan	2022 Population	Total Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Median Age, 2021	Population Density
Austin	Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands	Metropolitan	31,097	2,525	8.8%	41.0	46.7
Brazoria	Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands	Metropolitan	388,181	63,886	19.7%	36.1	272.9
Chambers	Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands	Metropolitan	51,288	14,791	40.5%	35.1	78.0
Colorado	N/A	N/A	20,754	30	0.1%	42.6	21.4
Fort Bend	Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands	Metropolitan	889,146	264,409	42.3%	36.7	954.8
Galveston	Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands	Metropolitan	357,117	56,018	18.6%	37.9	924.6
Harris	Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands	Metropolitan	4,780,913	518,364	12.2%	33.9	2,771.7
Liberty	Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands	Metropolitan	101,992	25,614	33.5%	34.6	79.1
Matagorda	Bay City	Micropolitan	36,125	-409	-1.1%	37.6	33.2
Montgomery	Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands	Metropolitan	678,490	193,863	40.0%	37.3	595.3
Walker	Huntsville	Micropolitan	78,870	10,268	15.0%	35.9	97.4
Waller	Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands	Metropolitan	61,894	17,529	39.5%	29.9	110.6
Wharton	El Campo	Micropolitan	41,824	694	1.7%	37.2	38.3
Gulf Coast Region Total*	N/A	N/A	7,517,691	1,167,582	18.4%	34.9	598.5
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands Metropolitan Area	N/A	N/A	7,368,466	1,158,391	18.7%	34.9	809.0
All Micropolitan Counties*	N/A	N/A	156,819	10,553	7.2%	36.7	52.0
All Non-CBSA Counties*	N/A	N/A	20,754	30	0.1%	42.6	21.4
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.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Population and Housing Unit Estimates Program; Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts analysis; JobsEQ

The region has experienced fluctuations in annual net domestic migration gains since 2012, including declines in 2017 and 2018. Population gains by natural increase (births minus deaths) fell throughout this period, particularly in 2021, with fewer births throughout the period and higher deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting trends in the state. The region saw net gains in international migration every year during this period, including its strongest growth in 2022 during the 10-year period (Exhibit 2).

Exhibit 2 data

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

Year	Natural Increase	Net Domestic Migration	Net International Migration
2013	57,596	55,059	31,856
2014	61,413	66,826	42,980
2015	63,132	62,900	46,635
2016	64,335	28,072	44,832
2017	59,471	-9,036	43,051
2018	54,323	-11,113	32,345
2019	51,577	4,461	31,397
2020	46,876	20,108	24,773
2021	33,755	25,821	17,949
2022	39,906	37,816	47,974

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 Gulf Coast Region between 2012 and 2022, growing by nearly 633,200, an increase of almost 28 percent. The region’s white population grew by more than 60,200, only a 2.4 percent increase. Those comprising two or more races and other races saw gains of 45.8 percent during this period, though their total gains were much more modest when compared with Hispanics. The Asian and Black populations saw strong gains, rising by 42 percent and 23 percent, respectively (Exhibit 3).

Total Population Change by Race/Ethnicity, Gulf Coast Region, 2012-2022

Year	White	Black	Asian	Two or More Races and Other Races	Hispanic or Latino	Total Population
2012	2,484,330	1,072,070	430,621	94,624	2,268,464	6,350,109
2022	2,544,575	1,322,118	611,380	137,958	2,901,660	7,517,691
Total Change	60,245	250,048	180,759	43,334	633,196	1,167,582
Percent Change	2.4%	23.3%	42.0%	45.8%	27.9%	18.4%

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 39.1 percent in 2012 to 33.8 percent in 2022, while the Hispanic population grew from 35.7 percent to 38.6 percent during this period. All other racial groups comprised nearly 28 percent of the regional population in 2022 (Exhibit 4).

Exhibit 4 data

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

Race/Ethnicity	2012	2022
White	39.1%	33.8%
Black or African American	16.9%	17.6%
Asian	6.8%	8.1%
Two or More Races and Other Races	1.5%	1.8%
Hispanic or Latino	35.7%	38.6%

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

As with the state as a whole, the Gulf Coast 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 9 percent in 2012 to almost 12 percent in 2022.This age group increased by 58 percent between 2012 and 2022. The population ages 4 and under fell by nearly 2 percent statewide but grew by just 0.6 percent regionally during this period (Exhibit 5).

Exhibit 5 data

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

Age Group	Gulf Coast Region	Texas
65 or older	57.5%	41.9%
50 to 64	15.2%	13.0%
35 to 49	18.2%	15.2%
20 to 34	14.0%	14.4%
5 to 19	15.2%	10.0%
0 to 4	0.6%	-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 Gulf Coast region population with a bachelor’s degree or higher was 34.5 percent in 2022. In 2022, a higher share of women than men in the region had at least a bachelor’s degree, 35.3 percent versus 33.7 percent of the men (Exhibit 6). Women have overtaken men in postsecondary educational attainment levels since 2012, when 27.8 percent of women had at least a bachelor’s degree, compared with 29.5 percent of men.

The share of the region that has earned at least a high school diploma rose from 80.7 percent in 2012 to 84.7 percent in 2022.

Exhibit 6 data

Educational Attainment by Gender, Gulf Coast Region, 2022

Educational Attainment	Male	Female	Total
Less than high school graduate	16.5%	14.2%	15.3%
High school graduate (includes equivalency)	23.7%	22.4%	23.1%
Some college, no degree	19.3%	20.3%	19.8%
Associate degree	6.8%	7.8%	7.3%
Bachelor's degree	21.0%	22.5%	21.8%
Graduate or professional degree	12.7%	12.8%	12.7%

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 Gulf Coast region requiring at least an associate degree or certificate paid an average of $9,945 more annually than jobs requiring no postsecondary education. Occupations requiring a bachelor’s degree paid an average of $47,389 more annually than those requiring an associate degree or certificate, and occupations requiring a post-graduate degree paid an average of $35,025 more annually than those requiring a bachelor’s degree (Exhibit 7).

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

Typical Entry-Level Educational Requirement	Total Employment	Share of Total Regional Employment	Average Annual Wages
No postsecondary award	2,238,010	63.5%	$44,551
Associate degree or certificate	297,019	8.4%	$54,496
Bachelor's degree	853,877	24.2%	$101,885
Post-graduate degree	135,167	3.8%	$136,910
Total	3,524,073	N/A	$62,800

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

Regional Institutions of Higher Education

The Gulf Coast region offers a variety of options for higher educational achievement, including 11 universities, nine community colleges, one technical college and six health science schools. There are six Texas public institutions of higher education and five private institutions of higher education in the Gulf Coast region. Wharton County Community College saw the largest decrease in enrollment in the region over the last four years, while Texas State Technical College-Fort Bend and Rice University saw a 65 percent and 17 percent increase, respectively. Enrollment in all institutions of higher education in the region fell by 3.2 percent (Exhibit 8).

Institutions of Higher Education and Enrollments, Gulf Coast Region, Fall 2019 and Fall 2023

Institution	Institution Type	Fall 2019 Enrollment	Fall 2023 Enrollment*	Percent Change in Enrollment
Lone Star College System District	Junior or Community College	78,452	76,672	-2.3%
University of Houston	University	46,148	46,502	0.8%
Houston Community College System	Junior or Community College	47,697	40,255	-15.6%
San Jacinto Community College	Junior or Community College	32,452	31,255	-3.7%
Sam Houston State University	University	21,363	20,762	-2.8%
University of Houston-Downtown	University	14,640	14,113	-3.6%
Prairie View A&M University	University	8,940	9,508	6.4%
Texas Southern University	University	9,034	8,472	-6.2%
Rice University	Private University	7,231	8,446	16.8%
University of Houston-Clear Lake	University	9,082	8,232	-9.4%
Lee College	Junior or Community College	7,516	8,150	8.4%
Wharton County Junior College	Junior or Community College	6,904	5,691	-17.6%
Alvin Community College	Junior or Community College	5,985	5,279	-11.8%
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston	Health Science School	5,317	5,078	-4.5%
College of the Mainland Community College District	Junior or Community College	4,687	4,967	6.0%
Houston Baptist University	Private University	3,741	4,182	11.8%
Brazosport College	Junior or Community College	4,212	4,125	-2.1%
University of St. Thomas	Private University	3,438	3,816	11.0%
The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston	Health Science School	3,314	3,327	0.4%
Galveston College	Junior or Community College	2,306	2,124	-7.9%
Baylor College of Medicine	Health Science School	1,580	1,653	4.6%
South Texas College of Law Houston	Private University	977	1,040	6.4%
Texas State Technical College-Fort Bend	Technical College	581	959	65.1%
Sam Houston State College Medical School	Health Science School	0	484	Undefined
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center	Health Science School	376	356	-5.3%
Texas Chiropractic College	Private University	269	267	-0.7%
University of Houston College of Medicine	Health Science School	0	171	Undefined
Total - Gulf Coast Region	N/A	326,242	315,886	-3.2%

*Fall 2023 enrollment numbers are preliminary and not certified. **Note: Sam Houston State College of Medicine and the University of Houston College of Medicine did not report enrollment in 2019; each schools’ inaugural classes began in Fall 2020.
Source: Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

Health Care

Availability of Hospital Services

Residents of the Gulf Coast 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, Gulf Coast Region, 2023

Facility Type	Number of Facilities	Total Number of Beds	Average Number of Beds Per Facility
General and Special Hospital	120	18,481	154.0
Private Psychiatric Hospital	16	1,499	93.7
State Psychiatric Hospital	1	264	264.0

Source: Texas Department of Health and Human Services

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 21.2 percent in 2021, the Gulf Coast region’s uninsured rate was higher than the state average, although rates in six of its 13 counties were lower than the state average. The rates of individual counties ranged from a low of 13.7 percent in Fort Bend County to a high of 23.8 percent in Harris County (Exhibit 10).

Estimated Uninsured by County, Gulf Coast Region, 2021

County	Uninsured Population	Percent Uninsured
Austin	5,242	21.9%
Brazoria	50,265	15.6%
Chambers	6,576	15.4%
Colorado	3,662	23.0%
Fort Bend	101,837	13.7%
Galveston	47,617	16.1%
Harris	975,640	23.8%
Liberty	18,706	23.2%
Matagorda	6,874	23.2%
Montgomery	99,760	17.9%
Walker	9,969	20.1%
Waller	11,361	23.8%
Wharton	7,972	23.6%
Gulf Coast Region	1,345,481	21.2%

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 Gulf Coast region totaled $642.1 billion in 2021, accounting for 26.7 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, nondurable goods manufacturing, such as petroleum products and chemical products, was the most unique and specialized regional industry, accounting for nearly half of the industry GDP statewide. Wholesale trade also plays an outsize role in the region, accounting for about 41 percent of industry GDP in Texas (Exhibit 11).

Gross Domestic Product by Industry, Gulf Coast Region, 2021 (Ranked by Gulf Coast Region Industries with Greatest Share of Texas Industry GDP)

Industry	Gulf Coast Region (billions)	Gulf Coast Region Industry GDP as Share of Total Regional GDP	Texas (billions)	Gulf Coast Region Industry GDP as Share of Texas Industry GDP
Nondurable goods manufacturing	$75.8	11.8%	$154.9	48.9%
Wholesale trade	$76.2	11.9%	$184.9	41.2%
Transportation and warehousing	$33.2	5.2%	$93.6	35.4%
Educational services	$5.9	0.9%	$16.7	35.2%
Management of companies and enterprises	$12.0	1.9%	$35.4	34.0%
All industry total	$642.1	N/A	$2,402.1	26.7%

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

Median Household Income

The Gulf Coast region had a median household income of $72,964 in 2021, up from $57,145 in 2011, a 28 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, Gulf Coast Region, 2011-2021

Year	Gulf Coast Region	Texas
2011	$57,145	$50,920
2012	$57,829	$51,563
2013	$58,038	$51,900
2014	$58,839	$52,576
2015	$59,646	$53,207
2016	$61,014	$54,727
2017	$63,559	$57,051
2018	$66,058	$59,570
2019	$68,140	$61,874
2020	$69,740	$63,826
2021	$72,964	$67,321

Sources: JobsEQ; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 5-year estimate

Jobs and Industry

Between 2012 and 2022, total regional employment rose by 17.3 percent, lower than the growth in Texas (23.5 percent) but higher the U.S. (13.9 percent). The Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands metro area saw positive employment gains during this period, increasing by nearly 18 percent (Exhibit 13).

Total Employment (2022) and Changes in Employment Levels, Gulf Coast Region, (2012-2022)

Region	Total Employed, 2022	Total Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages, 2022
United States	150,025,578	18,329,359	13.9%	$69,986
Texas	13,249,180	2,521,454	23.5%	$69,614
Gulf Coast Region	3,161,530	465,526	17.3%	$76,044
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands Metro Area	3,104,545	462,314	17.5%	$76,496

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

The Gulf Coast region’s largest industries by employment are in restaurants, public education, employment services and hospitals and other health care services. These large regional industry sectors overall experienced strong employment growth in the 10-year period ending in 2022, including a nearly 36 percent gain in restaurant jobs and 26 percent in physician office 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, Gulf Coast Region, 2022

Industry	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient	Establishments
Restaurants and Other Eating Places	259,626	68,336	35.7%	$24,245	1.14	11,738
Elementary and Secondary Schools	220,597	36,699	20.0%	$52,116	1.27	400
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	100,811	16,939	20.2%	$85,137	0.78	163
Employment Services	83,429	11,616	16.2%	$55,276	1.01	1,825
Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services	67,415	1,352	2.0%	$119,031	1.88	3,642
Grocery and Convenience Retailers	65,174	13,366	25.8%	$30,981	1.09	2,148
Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools	60,492	4,001	7.1%	$93,117	0.95	129
Offices of Physicians	58,611	12,143	26.1%	$100,968	0.95	5,786
Home Health Care Services	55,394	8,865	19.1%	$25,201	1.68	1,316
Justice, Public Order, and Safety Activities	52,669	4,321	8.9%	$75,489	1.32	255
Total – All Industries	3,161,530	465,526	17.3%	$76,044	1.00	181,173

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 68,000 jobs, an almost 36 percent gain. The warehousing and storage industry experienced some of the fastest growth, increasing by 295.2 percent during the period. Some of these fast-growing industries also offered strong average wages in 2022, including management of companies and enterprises and management consulting services (Exhibit 15).

Industries with Largest Total Employment Growth, Gulf Coast Region, 2012-2022

Industry	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient	Establishments
Restaurants and Other Eating Places	259,626	68,336	35.7%	$24,245	1.14	11,738
Elementary and Secondary Schools	220,597	36,699	20.0%	$52,116	1.27	400
Warehousing and Storage	36,356	27,157	295.2%	$49,466	0.88	421
Management of Companies and Enterprises	42,869	20,176	88.9%	$213,710	0.80	956
Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services	45,757	17,071	59.5%	$126,662	1.18	6,708
General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	100,811	16,939	20.2%	$85,137	0.78	163
Individual and Family Services	28,405	15,027	112.3%	$34,422	0.44	4,792
Grocery and Convenience Retailers	65,174	13,366	25.8%	$30,981	1.09	2,148
Building Equipment Contractors	51,972	12,513	31.7%	$72,615	1.02	3,589
Offices of Physicians	58,611	12,143	26.1%	$100,968	0.95	5,786
Total – All Industries	3,161,530	465,526	17.3%	$76,044	1.00	181,173

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&Mdash; shows that oil and gas-related activities, space research and technology, chemical manufacturing and mining are highly specialized in the region. The specialty hospitals industry had an LQ exceeding 4.0, meaning the industry is four times as large in the Gulf Coast 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, Gulf Coast Region, 2022

Industry	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient	Establishments
Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil	3,506	450	14.7%	$142,227	15.01	62
Oil and Gas Extraction	28,815	-25,108	-46.6%	$264,688	11.91	588
Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas	8,047	970	13.7%	$221,721	11.60	124
Space Research and Technology	2,958	-162	-5.2%	$144,903	7.70	3
Basic Chemical Manufacturing	23,121	2,050	9.7%	$167,225	7.11	242
Support Activities for Mining	33,861	-11,221	-24.9%	$150,043	6.02	1,230
Support Activities for Water Transportation	12,242	2,412	24.5%	$60,268	5.54	174
Other Pipeline Transportation	911	423	86.6%	$124,886	5.22	27
Petroleum and Petroleum Products Merchant Wholesalers	10,133	3,915	63.0%	$204,627	4.75	294
Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	27,825	10,783	63.3%	$124,870	4.67	51

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 logisticians and project management specialists had average wages far above regional averages and saw some of the strongest job gains from 2012 through 2022. Laborers and operations and fast food and counter workers also saw strong growth during the period (Exhibit 17).

Occupations with Largest Total Employment Growth, Gulf Coast Region, 2012-2022

Occupation	Employment	Employment Change, 2012-2022	Percent Change, 2012-2022	Average Annual Wages	Location Quotient
General and Operations Managers	10,271	3,620	54.4%	$96,500	1.16
Laborers and Material Movers	17,690	3,122	21.4%	$32,800	1.00
Fast Food and Counter Workers	11,447	1,896	19.8%	$24,000	1.31
Cooks	6,696	1,338	25.0%	$28,600	0.95
Supervisors of Food Preparation and Serving Workers	4,174	1,315	46.0%	$37,800	1.18
Customer Service Representatives	7,080	1,116	18.7%	$36,100	0.95
Driver/Sales Workers and Truck Drivers	11,187	1,022	10.1%	$46,500	1.22
Miscellaneous Agricultural Workers	8,323	862	11.5%	$31,700	4.27
Logisticians and Project Management Specialists	2,162	843	63.9%	$81,300	0.78
Miscellaneous Healthcare Support Occupations	4,218	775	22.5%	$35,300	0.99

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

Gulf Coast 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 Houston-Woodlands-Sugar Land metro area would have more income than needed to afford the median-priced home in the area, although affordability has declined in recent years (Exhibit 18).

Exhibit 18 data

Texas Housing Affordability Index by Metropolitan Areas, Gulf Coast Region, 2017 to 2022

Year	Houston-The Woodlands-Sugarland MSA	Texas
2017	1.68	1.54
2018	1.53	1.39
2019	1.55	1.43
2020	1.83	1.78
2021	1.63	1.53
2022	1.26	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. The Houston-Galveston MPO coordinates transportation planning in the Gulf Coast region.

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) oversees the construction and maintenance of state highways through its 25 districts across the state. The Gulf Coast region includes three of these county-based districts, with offices in Bryan, Houston 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, Gulf Coast Region, 2022

Road Type	Centerline Miles	Lane Miles	Daily Vehicle Miles Traveled	Daily Truck Miles Traveled
Interstate Highways	398.3	2,827.7	48,301,187.6	5,776,202.8
US Highways	312.1	1,198.2	10,337,276.3	1,250,423.3
State Highways, Spurs, Loops, Business Routes	1,376.8	4,774.5	26,384,010.2	2,486,003.4
Farm or Ranch to Market Roads and Spurs	2,486.3	5,816.6	15,896,078.2	1,070,994.5
Pass, Parks and Recreation Roads	20.0	39.7	5,074.2	473.4
Frontage Roads	1,272.2	2,810.3	13,361,410.2	754,963.7
On-System Subtotal	5,865.8	17,467.0	114,285,036.7	11,339,061.2
City Streets	13,914.3	30,851.7	30,057,458.1	1,328,989.4
Certified County Roads	17,813.4	36,943.4	23,307,319.6	916,279.0
Toll Road Authority Roads	140.8	770.5	9,848,003.9	855,424.4
Federal Roads	103.1	206.2	17,641.4	596.3
Off-System Subtotal	31,971.5	68,771.9	63,230,423.0	3,101,289.1
Grand Total	37,837.3	86,238.8	177,515,459.7	14,440,350.3

Sources: Texas Department of Transportation

Transit Districts

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

Transit Districts, Revenue and Ridership Statistics, Gulf Coast Region, 2022

Transit District	Type	Total Operating Expense	Total Revenue	Unlinked Passenger Trips	Passenger Trips Per Capita	Operating Expense Per Trip
Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County	MTA	$682,092,289	$1,014,098,026	55,959,354	11.32	$12.19
Conroe-The Woodlands	Large Urban	$7,286,538	$2,897,871	378,708	1.58	$19.24
Texas City LaMarque	Small Urban	$4,348,578	$489,306	193,048	1.81	$22.53
Galveston	Small Urban	$3,318,230	$1,169,013	201,264	3.67	$16.49
Lake Jackson-Angleton	Small Urban	$3,177,509	$304,824	86,254	1.15	$36.84
Colorado Valley Transit	Rural	$2,373,162	$219,449	98,709	0.74	$24.04
Fort Bend County	Rural	$7,682,508	$1,156,222	223,768	5.86	$34.33
Golden Crescent Regional Planning Commission	Rural	$3,483,016	$1,125,608	167,140	1.03	$20.84
Gulf Coast Transit District	Rural	$1,059,122	$34,276	32,383	0.35	$32.71

Source: Texas Department of Transportation

Airports

Texas has 27 airports offering passenger or commercial service airports including two in the Gulf Coast region — George Bush Intercontinental and William P Hobby. Both airports in the Gulf Coast region saw an increase in the number of enplanements (passenger boardings) in 2022 compared with 2021 (Exhibit 21).

Commercial Airports and Enplanements, Gulf Coast Region, 2021 and 2022

U.S. Rank	Airport ID	City	Airport Name	2021 Enplanements	2022 Enplanements	Percent Change
12	IAH	Houston	George Bush Intercontinental/Houston	16,242,821	19,814,052	22.0%
33	HOU	Houston	William P Hobby	5,560,780	6,462,948	16.2%

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 and indirect ways. The Gulf Coast region has six direct trade official ports of entry, with exports totaling nearly $550 billion in 2022 (Exhibit 22).

Official Ports of Entry Trade Data, Gulf Coast Region, 2022

Port of Entry	Exports	Imports
Sugar Land Regional Airport	$38,760	$2,034
Galveston	$3,990,812,178	$4,506,846,416
Houston Intercontinental Airport	$8,749,483,187	$5,745,702,773
Texas City	$9,246,361,802	$2,272,099,293
Freeport	$13,656,188,634	$4,918,005,675
Houston	$131,659,259,034	$109,766,324,036
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 Gulf Coast region were a state, it would have the 42nd largest area, second largest share of its population under 18 years old and the third fastest population growth. The region’s population — and Texas’— is relatively young, with a quarter of its population younger than 18 (Exhibit 23).

Gulf Coast Region Compared with Texas and the U.S.

Indicator	Gulf Coast Region Value	Rank if Region were a State	Texas Value	U.S. Value
Square Miles (land)	12,192	42	261,267	3,533,038
Population, 2022	7,517,691	14	30,029,572	333,287,557
Population Percent Change, 2012-2022	18.4%	3	15.1%	6.2%
Population with a High School Diploma or Higher, 2022	84.7%	50	85.2%	89.1%
Population with Bachelor’s Degree or Higher, 2022	40.7%	8	32.3%	34.3%
Per Capita Personal Income, 2022	$67,781	16	$62,586	$65,470
Median Household Income, 2021	$72,964	16	$67,321	$69,021
Population Age 65 or Over, 2022	12.4%	50	13.4%	17.3%
Population Under Age 18, 2022	25.6%	2	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

Gulf Coast Region Economic Development Highlights

• RS Technologies Inc. announced a new manufacturing facility in Houston to meet increasing demand for its composite utility structure solutions. The project is expected to create more than 400 new jobs.
• FreezPak Logistics and BG Capital are partnering to build a $102 million temperature-controlled warehouse in Baytown, which is scheduled to open in 2024.
• Volkswagen Group of America will open a $114 million importation facility at Port Freeport, which will serve as the company’s Gulf Coast hub for easy access to production in Mexico and imports from Europe.
• Collins Aerospace opened a new facility at the Houston Spaceport to expand their footprint in the area and accommodate several future space exploration activities. The company will hire 300 new employees in the coming years.
• Utility, a U.S. based decarbonization technology company, will open a new office in Houston, which will become the company’s headquarters.
• PackGene has broken ground on a facility in Houston set to offer customers adeno-associated virus vector development and manufacturing services. The 25,000 square-foot expansion in Houston is expected to cost about $20 million.
• The University of Houston plays an essential role in the overall economic vitality of the city for which it is named and the state of Texas. The University of Houston generates a remarkable $6.4 billion annual impact on Greater Houston and a $7.7 billion impact on Texas.
• Elin Energy plans to build a 200,000 square-foot facility in Waller County that will create approximately 100 jobs.
• Exxon announced construction of two new chemical production facilities in Baytown worth $2 billion.
• Anheuser-Busch announced a $22.5 million investment into its pre-existing Houston based brewery.
• Black & Veatch, a leader in sustainable infrastructure solutions, announced plans to accelerate its timeline on creating 800 new craft positions in Texas by opening a new recruitment office in Deer Park.
• Hendrix Industries broke ground in late 2021 on a new manufacturing plant in Sealy that will create between 130-150 new jobs upon completion.
• H-E-B opened a 100,000 square-foot fulfillment center in Katy that will employ over 300 part-time and full-time positions.
• Zenner USA invests $3.5 million to build an assembly operations center in Huntsville that will create 50 new jobs.
• Drax, a renewable energy company, announced plans to establish its North American headquarters in Houston.
• RS Technologies announced plans to build a 400,000 square-foot manufacturing facility in Houston that will create upwards of 400 new jobs.

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Questions?

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