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West Region Snapshot - Text Version2015
As the state's chief financial officer, I am charged with monitoring the economic health of our state. Therefore, it's vitally important that my office studies factors related to our regional economies.
The 30 counties comprising the West Region, while sparsely populated, have enjoyed a renaissance over the past decade, yet falling oil prices have exposed the vulnerability that comes with reliance on a volatile oil and gas industry.
Below, we track regional trends in population growth, personal income, jobs and wages, education and health care access — a wildcard issue that, if left unaddressed, is of particular concern to the region.
Glenn Hegar
Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
West 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
Personal income in the West Region grew 136 percent from 2004 to 2014.
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis and Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Key Industries 2016
- Support Activities for Mining
- Oil and Gas Extraction
- Pipeline Transportation
- Crop Production
- Machinery Manufacturing
- Utilities
- Truck Transportation
- Rental and Leasing Services
- Specialty Trade Contractors
- Merchant Wholesalers
- Support Activities for Agriculture
Population Growth
West Region vs. Texas and U.S., 2004-2014
- Region: 18%
- Texas: 20%
- U.S.: 9%
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis and Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Midland/Odessa have been home to:
- Two presidents
- Two dirst ladies
- One Texas speaker of the House
- Three Texas railroad commissioners
Source: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, personal biographies
The West region encompasses 39,731 square miles, making it the largest of the state's economic regions.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Personal Income
Personal income in the West Region more than doubled from $14.9 billion in 2004 to $35.2 billion in 2014. It accounted for 2.9 percent of the state's $1.23 trillion in personal income in 2014.
| County | 2014 Per Capita Income | 10-Year Per Capita Income Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Midland | $96,463 | 140% |
| Sutton | $66,362 | 134% |
| Glasscock | $65,970 | 109% |
| Irion | $60,959 | 121% |
| Upton | $60,551 | 130% |
| Reagan | $59,221 | 138% |
| Terrell | $55,079 | 74% |
| Andrews | $54,928 | 104% |
| Sterling | $53,564 | 107% |
| Martin | $49,193 | 70% |
| Borden | $48,928 | 37% |
| Ward | $48,094 | 115% |
| Ector | $47,069 | 97% |
| Crane | $45,308 | 99% |
| Schleicher | $44,732 | 84% |
| McCulloch | $42,574 | 76% |
| Tom Green | $42,114 | 48% |
| Crockett | $41,534 | 76% |
| Kimble | $41,000 | 63% |
| Winkler | $40,441 | 68% |
| Mason | $39,689 | 58% |
| Gaines | $36,333 | 46% |
| Howard | $36,313 | 60% |
| Coke | $33,588 | 53% |
| Dawson | $33,539 | 49% |
| Menard | $33,538 | 44% |
| Loving | $33,453 | -56% |
| Pecos | $32,710 | 85% |
| Reeves | $27,247 | 59% |
| Concho | $23,920 | 26% |
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis and Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Per Capita Personal Income Growth, 2004-2014
- Region: 100%
- Texas: 47%
- U.S.: 34%
Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis and Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Per capita personal income grew 100 percent, faster than the state's 47 percent average.
Jobs and Wages
Job Growth, 2004-2014
- Region: 36.7%
- Texas: 21.7%
- U.S.: 5.5%
Source: Economic Modeling Specialists Intl.
The West Region added 80,000 jobs from 2004 to 2014; Midland and Ector counties led this expansion. Their principal cities, Midland and Odessa, accounted for 78 percent of net job growth.
Regional wages grew quickly as well. At $55,278, the average wage topped the state average of $52,537.
Wages in Midland averaged $61,158 in 2014 — a 93 percent increase from 2004.
Education
West Region Public High School Graduates, 2014
- Ector County: 21%
- Midland County: 23%
- Tom Green County: 19%
- Other counties in Upper East Region: 37%
Source: Texas Education Agency
San Angelo's International Waterlily Collection houses 90 percent of the world's known wild species and more than 4,000 hybrids.
Source: International Waterlily Collection
Ector, Midland and Tom Green counties produced 63 percent of West Region's public high school graduates in 2014.
Economic Vulnerability
No other Texas region relies more heavily on oil and gas jobs than the West Region. Activities related to oil and gas account for up to 90 percent of the region's county tax bases, and the mining sector creates more than 15 percent of regional jobs — well above the state average of 2.6 percent.
Workers in oil and gas occupations contribute an estimated 4.6 times more toward gross state product than average Texas workers; consequently, these workers earn above-average wages for their high productivity.
Yet the West Region is one of the state's most economically vulnerable. Industry activity relies heavily on notoriously volatile crude oil prices.
Midland has the nation's first commercial service airport also licensed as a commercial spaceport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
Source: Federal Aviation Administration
| Component | West Region | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction Industries | $21,842,439,946 | $165,189,550,936 |
| Total GRP | $52,130,144,078 | $1,581,574,784,541 |
| Gross Product Share: Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction, 2014 | 41.9% | 10.4% |
Source: Economic Modeling Specialists Intl. and Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
Conclusion
Perhaps more than any other part of Texas, the West Region embodies our state's virtues of endurance, resilience and determination. When times are good, they are very good. Workers in these wide-open expanses enjoy some of the nation's highest earnings.
For the past decade, West Texans in and around the Permian Basin have reaped the benefits — and the burdens — of a petroleum renaissance. Lured by lucrative and quickly growing wages, workers have flocked to the region.
Fluctuating oil markets have once again exposed the vulnerability of the region's economy, yet growth has not slowed completely. For those who were born there — and those who came as fast as they could — West Texas remains a place to dream big.
Questions?
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the material on this page, please contact the Comptroller’s Data Analysis and Transparency Division.