economy

The Metroplex Region2022 Regional Report

Metroplex Region Snapshot

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About the 2022 Regional Reports

The 2022 regional reports use the latest available annual data from a variety of state and federal sources on or about Sept. 1, 2021. The data for the 2020 U.S. Census is as of Oct. 1, 2021. Sources include 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.

The 19-county Metroplex region covers about 15,600 square miles in north Texas, stretching from Oklahoma south to the Brazos River and from the Cedar Creek Reservoir in the east to Possum Kingdom Lake in the west.

The Metroplex region includes two metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs): The Sherman-Denison MSA, composed of Grayson County and the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington MSA. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington MSA, in turn, comprises two Metropolitan Divisions (MDs): the Fort Worth-Arlington MD, which includes Hood, Johnson, Parker, Somervell, Tarrant and Wise counties and the Dallas-Plano-Irving MD, which includes Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Hunt, Kaufman and Rockwall counties. The region’s other five counties are not associated with an MSA. Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas; Fort Worth is among the nation’s fastest-growing cities.

This report examines regional economic information and trends regarding population, personal income, jobs and wages, and education, as well as economic conditions unique to the Metroplex region.

Demographics

Population

According to the 2020 Census, the Metroplex region has a total population of more than 8 million, or 27.6 percent of the state’s total population. The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington MSA accounts for 94.9 percent of the region’s population and 26.2 percent of the state’s population.

The region’s population has grown by 19.5 percent (about 1.3 million people) since the 2010 Census (compared to 15.9 percent growth statewide) with all counties in the region reporting population growth. Dallas and Tarrant counties, respectively, comprised 32 percent and 26 percent of the region’s population.

The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington MSA’s median age (34.8 years) in 2019 was similar to the state (34.6 years). Erath (30.4 years) was the youngest county in the region and Fannin (41.3 years) was the oldest (Exhibit 1). An area’s age distribution can reveal specific challenges. A younger county may prioritize education and workforce development, for example, while an older county might face retirement issues and higher health care costs.

Note: Median age data for the counties are from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, 2015 to 2019; Region median age calculations are from JobsEQ.
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau 2010 and 2020 Census; JobsEQ

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Median Household Income and Income Distribution

The Metroplex region had a median household income of $70,583 in 2019, up from $56,869 in 2010, a 24.1 percent increase. Median household income in Texas, by comparison, was $61,874 in 2019, up 24.6 percent from 2010.

The region’s income distribution finds proportionally more households in the top quintile when compared to Texas as a whole (Exhibit 2).

Note: Figures may not sum due to rounding.
Source: Income distribution derived by JobsEQ using data from U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2015 to 2019.

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Education

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 2021 indicates that occupations in the Metroplex region requiring at least an associate degree or certificate earned an average of $7,300 more annually than those requiring less than a postsecondary education. Occupations requiring at least a bachelor’s degree earned an average of $49,900 more (Exhibit 3).

Note: Figures may not sum due to rounding.
Sources: JobsEQ; Education requirement category assignments are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

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Regional Institutions of Higher Education

A postsecondary education also offers opportunity for greater job prospects, workplace advancement, higher wages and the development of a richer world view. The Metroplex region offers a variety of options for higher educational achievement (Exhibit 4).

Source: Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

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Health Care

Availability of Hospital Services

Residents of the Metroplex region have access to a variety of hospital 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 5).

For a list of facilities offering services other than hospitals such as rural health clinics, community mental health centers and birthing centers visit Texas Health and Human Services.

Note: State psychiatric hospitals data as of February 2019
Source: Texas Department of Health and Human Services

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Health Care Access

Access to health care facilities adds to the viability of a community. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the share of Texans without health insurance 18.4 percent in 2019 was twice the national average of 9.2 percent.

In 2019, the rate of uninsured in the Metroplex region ranged from a low of 12.5 percent in Collin County (the fourth lowest in the state) to a high of 25.1 percent in Dallas County; the overall rate for the region was 19.6 percent (Exhibit 6). (For additional information, see Uninsured Texans, Fiscal Notes, October 2020).

Note: Uninsured population includes under 65 (ages 0-64) only.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, SAHIE (Small Area Health Insurance Estimates)

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Regional Economy and Employment

In 2020, the Metroplex region had a gross domestic product (GDP) of $548.6 billion, about 30.5 percent of Texas’ statewide GDP of $1.8 trillion. Between 2010 and 2020, GDP rose by an average annual rate of 4.1 percent, more than the statewide average annual rate of 3.6 percent. In 2020, GDP fell from the previous year by 3.5 percent, less than the state’s GDP fall of 4.7 percent (GDP values not adjusted for inflation). Preliminary data for the first two quarters of 2021, however, suggest a significant economic rebound in many industries and regions.

Regional Employment Levels

Of the nearly 4 million people employed in the Metroplex region in 2020, 96.2 percent were in the Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington MSA while 1.3 percent were in the Sherman-Denison MSA. Between 2010 and 2020, employment rose in the area by 22 percent, a much faster pace than in the state (17.1 percent) and the U.S. (7.8 percent) (Exhibit 7).

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

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Regional Industries

In the five-year period between 2015 and 2020, jobs in the Metroplex region increased by 6.3 percent, or about 232,000 jobs. During this period, by comparison, jobs rose by 3.3 percent in Texas and fell by 0.5 percent in the U.S.

The Metroplex region’s largest industry sectors are restaurants, education, health care and retail. Additionally, the technology and management consulting industries employ many workers and have seen considerable growth in the past five years (Exhibit 8).

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

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Employment in the warehousing and storage industry nearly tripled between 2015 and 2020. Management and delivery services were also leaders in regional job gains (Exhibit 9).

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

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Using the location quotient (LQ) a measure of an industry’s relative size in a region compared to its average size in the nation the communications equipment manufacturing, aerospace manufacturing and semiconductor manufacturing industries stand out as highly concentrated and unique to the regional economy. An LQ of 1.25 or higher indicates that the region has a comparative advantage in the industry (Exhibit 10).

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

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Regional Occupations

Occupations with high levels of employment and relative concentration reflect the industrial composition of the region. The Metroplex region has large numbers of people in labor, trucking, restaurant and retail occupations. Material moving, customer service and management occupations have seen particularly high growth in the last five years (Exhibit 11).

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

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Metroplex Regional Infrastructure

Housing Affordability

The Texas Housing Affordability Index (THAI) from the Texas A&M Real Estate Center 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.^[1]

According to the THAI, in both the Dallas-Plano-Irving and Fort Worth-Arlington MDs, a median-income family would have about one and a half times the income needed to afford the median home (Exhibit 12). Home prices in these areas are less affordable than in the state as a whole. For the Sherman-Denison MSA, home prices in these cities are more affordable than in the state as a whole.

Source: Texas A&M Real Estate Center

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U.S. Military Installation Impact

Texas has 14 U.S. military installations within its borders. In 2019, these bases directly employed more than 226,000 and supported nearly 634,000 jobs in all. They also contributed an estimated $75.3 billion annually to the state’s GDP. Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, the only installation within the Metroplex region, supported an estimated 20,000 jobs and contributed about $2.3 billion to the state’s GDP in 2019 (Exhibit 13).

Learn more about the impact of U.S. military installations on the state’s economy.

Sources: Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts; Texas Military Preparedness Commission and REMI

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Regional Transportation

Metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) are federally mandated policymaking organizations created to coordinate transportation planning in urbanized areas. Two MPOs operate in the Metroplex region, the Dallas-Fort Worth MPO and the Grayson County MPO. Roadways within the region make up parts of the Dallas, Fort Worth, Paris and Wichita Falls Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) districts.

Road miles and vehicle miles traveled for the region’s roadway network, as of 2019, are listed by road type (Exhibit 14).

Source: Texas Department of Transportation

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Transit authorities and transit districts are governmental entities or companies that coordinate public transit in an area. Parts of the Metroplex are served by three metropolitan transit authorities (MTAs), six urban transit districts and 10 rural transit districts (Exhibit 15).

Source: Texas Department of Transportation

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The state of Texas has 27 commercial service airports offering passenger service. Three of those commercial service airports are in the Metroplex region (Exhibit 16).

Source: Federal Aviation Administration

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Amtrak interstate passenger rail service runs three routes through Texas (Texas Eagle, Heartland Flyer and Sunset Limited). Texans can get direct service to Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans and Oklahoma City plus numerous stops along the way as well as connections to the rest of the country. Amtrak’s station stops in the Metroplex region are in the cities of Cleburne, Dallas, Fort Worth and Gainesville.

Ports of entry within Texas account for 17 percent of all U.S. international trade, and each region contributes to international trade in direct and indirect ways. The Metroplex region has four official ports of entry (Exhibit 17).

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, USA Trade Online, Port Level Data for 2020

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Region vs. Texas

If the Metroplex region were a state, it would be the 42nd largest in terms of area and 13th in terms of population. Further, the region would have the fastest-growing population between 2010 and 2020 (Exhibit 18). For more information on how Texas and its distinct, diverse regions compare to the U.S. and other states visit TexIndex.

Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis

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Metroplex Region Economic Development Highlights

• The Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington MSA is the fourth largest MSA in the United States with an annual GDP of more than $477 million in 2020, according to the St. Louis Fed.^[2]
• The Texas State Fair has been held annually in Dallas since 1886 with few exceptions.^[3] The fair boasted more than 2.2 million visitors in 2021.^[4]
• MD7 LLC, formerly headquartered in San Diego, will relocate its corporate headquarters to Allen. The project will create 218 new jobs and more than $6.8 million in capital investment.^[5]
• Texas Instruments, Inc. announced up to four new semiconductor fabrication facilities in Sherman. The company could employ up to 3,000 people and invest nearly $30 billion in the project over the coming decades. ^[6] The company also has a project in the works for the creation of a semiconductor wafer fabrication facility in Collin County. This new building includes the tools, machinery and equipment as the first step in the supply chain of 300-millimeter semiconductors that are then shipped to other sites for finishing and assembly. The project has a projected total investment of nearly $3.2 billion dollars in the Plano ISD.^[7]
• Australian-based structural fiberglass manufacturer, Wagners CFT, is building its first U.S. manufacturing and assembly plant in Parker County. A Texas Enterprise Fund grant of $1,799,984 was extended to the company for the creation of more than 300 new jobs. ^[8]
• The Metroplex region’s economy has the added benefit of being home to many professional sports teams including the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, Dallas Stars, Dallas Mavericks, Dallas Wings and FC Dallas.^[9]
• According to the Dallas Sports Commission, the Dallas-Fort Worth area hosted 82 sporting events in 2019, contributing $545.6 million in economic impact.^[10]
• Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport is the first carbon-neutral airport in North America.^[11]

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Endnotes

Links are correct at the time of publication. The Comptroller's office is not responsible for external websites.

1. Texas A&M Real Estate Research Center, “Texas Housing Affordability Index: Data Series Description,” (Last visited March 24, 2022) ↳
2. Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, Total Real Gross Domestic Product for Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX,” (Last visited March 22, 2022). ↳
3. State Fair of Texas, (Last visited March 22, 2022).↳
4. State Fair of Texas,Daily Attendance (Last visited March 22, 2022). ↳
5. Email from Lauren Vay, Marketing & Communications Specialist - Economic Development & Tourism, Office of Governor Greg Abbott, December 3, 2021; and Office of the Texas Governor, “Governor Abbott Announces MD7 Headquarters Relocation To Allen,” (Last visited March 22, 2022). ↳
6. Email from Lauren Vay, Marketing & Communications Specialist - Economic Development & Tourism, Office of Governor Greg Abbott, December 3, 2021; and Office of the Texas Governor, “Governor Abbott Announces Texas Instruments' Potential $30 Billion Investment in Sherman,” (Last visited March 22, 2022). ↳
7. Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Chapter 313 School Value Limitation, Plano ISA No. 1286, Texas Instruments Incorporated, (Last visited May 2, 2022) ↳
8. Email from Lauren Vay, Marketing & Communications Specialist - Economic Development & Tourism, Office of Governor Greg Abbott, December 3, 2021; and Office of the Texas Governor, “Governor Abbott Announces Wagners CFT, LLC Building First U.S. Manufacturing Plant In Parker County,” (Last visited May 2, 2022). ↳
9. DFW Child, A Complete List of Pro Sports Teams in Dallas-Fort Worth, (Last visited May 2, 2022). ↳
10. Visit Dallas, 2019 Annual Report, (PDF) (Last visited May 2, 2022). ↳
11. Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, Trusted With Tomorrow, (Last visited May 2, 2022). ↳