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The 30-county West Texas region covers about 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 region contains three metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs): The Midland MSA, the Odessa MSA and the San Angelo MSA.
West Texas Region Counties:
- Andrews
- Borden
- Coke
- Concho
- Crane
- Crockett
- Dawson
- Ector
- Gaines
- Glasscock
- Howard
- Irion
- Kimble
- Loving
- Martin
- Mason
- Mcculloch
- Menard
- Midland
- Pecos
- Reagan
- Reeves
- Schleicher
- Sterling
- Sutton
- Terrell
- Tom Green
- Upton
- Ward
- Winkler
$166.5 Billion
West Texas region
gross domestic product,
2022
About 6.9 percent of Texas’ GDP of $2.4 trillion.
Population Change (2012 to 2022)
REGION
7.2%
TEXAS
15.1%
U.S.
6.2%
The region’s population rose by 7.2 percent between 2012 and 2022, led by gains in the counties of Gaines (21.2 percent), Sterling (19.1 percent), Andrews (13.9 percent) and Midland (16.7 percent).
Jobs & Wages
The region added nearly 40,000 jobs between 2012 and 2022, a gain of 15.2 percent. Oil and gas extraction and support services for mining stand out as unique to the regional economy. A location quotient (LQ) of 1.25 or higher indicates that the region has a competitive advantage in the industry. Commercial and industrial machinery/equipment leasing and consulting services experienced strong growth in the region in recent years.
Percent change in total jobs, 2012 to 2022
The number of jobs in the West Texas Region increased 15.2%, in Texas 23.5% and in the U.S. 13.9%.
Top Industries by Location Quotient, 2022
View the LQ data
| Industry | Employment | Average Annual Wages | Location Quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support Activities for Mining | 38,840 | $101,499 | 72.23 |
| Oil and Gas Extraction | 11,102 | $195,454 | 47.98 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil | 833 | $126,782 | 37.28 |
| Sheep and Goat Farming | 59 | $24,994 | 17.72 |
| Other Pipeline Transportation | 240 | $131,985 | 14.35 |
Industries with Largest Total Jobs Growth, 2012 to 2022
View the job growth data
| Industry | Employment Change, 2012 to 2022 | Percent Employment Change, 2012 to 2022 | Average Annual Wages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support Activities for Mining | 10,528 | 37.2% | $101,499 |
| Restaurants and Other Eating Places | 5,198 | 27.4% | $23,481 |
| Utility System Construction | 2,224 | 50.8% | $86,005 |
| Elementary and Secondary Schools | 2,023 | 11.9% | $50,483 |
| Grocery and Convenience Retailers | 2,003 | 57.9% | $31,219 |
THE West Texas REGION IS ONE OF THE COMPTROLLER’S 12 ECONOMIC REGIONS.
Sources: JobsEQ; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; U.S. Census Bureau; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis; Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts