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West Texas Region
gross domestic product,
2020
About 4 percent of Texas’ GDP of $1.8 trillion.
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
The 30-county West Texas region covers about 39,800 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.
Population Change
The region’s population rose by 13.2 percent between 2010 and 2020, led by gains in the counties of Andrews (25.9 percent), Midland (24.2 percent), Gaines (23.2 percent), and Ector (20.4 percent).
REGION
13.2%
TEXAS
15.9%
U.S.
7.4%
Jobs & Wages
The region added more than 46,000 jobs between 2010 and 2020, a gain of nearly 18 percent. Oil and gas extraction and related services 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. Construction jobs related to utility systems experienced strong growth in recent years.
Percent change in total jobs, 2010 to 2020
Employment growth in the West Texas Region was 17.8%, compared to Texas at 17.1% and the U.S. at 7.8%.
Top Industries by Location Quotient, 2020
| Industry | Employment | Average Annual Wages | Location Quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support Activities for Mining | 31,080 | $86,588 | 63.36 |
| Oil and Gas Extraction | 12,312 | $153,270 | 44.57 |
| Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil | 874 | $121,387 | 34.74 |
| Sheep and Goat Farming | 64 | $23,544 | 20.10 |
| Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing | 3,223 | $81,487 | 10.21 |
Industries with Largest Total Jobs Growth, 2015 to 2020
| Industry | Average Annual Wages | Employment Change, 2015 to 2020 | Percent Employment Change, 2015 to 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Support Activities for Mining | $86,588 | 2,800 | 9.9% |
| Utility System Construction | $81,539 | 2,731 | 80.5% |
| General Medical and Surgical Hospitals | $60,003 | 1,312 | 12.8% |
| Grocery Stores | $30,853 | 749 | 16.3% |
| Specialized Freight Trucking | $66,745 | 605 | 14.0% |
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