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Population Growth,
Gulf Coast REGION
The 13-county Gulf Coast region covers about 12,100 square miles in eastern coastal Texas, stretching from Huntsville in the North to Matagorda Bay and Galveston.
METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS:
Houston-Pasadena-The Woodlands
MICROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS:
Bay City, El Campo, Huntsville
Gulf Coast REGION
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT, 2023
$707.1 BILLION
27.4% OF TEXAS’ GDP
Population Growth,
2014 to 2024
THE GULF COAST REGION’S POPULATION ROSE 19.2% BETWEEN 2014 AND 2024.
Liberty and Chambers counties saw the greatest percentage gains at 47.4% and 46.7%, respectively.
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
In 2023, 85.1% of the region had at least a high school diploma and 35.1% had earned at least a bachelor’s degree.
Demographics
Population Change by Age Group,
2014 to 2024
| Age group | Percent Change |
|---|---|
| Age 0 to 4 years: | 3.0% |
| Age 5 to 19 years: | 16.1% |
| Age 20 to 34 years: | 13.1% |
| Age 35 to 49 years: | 21.9% |
| Age 50 to 64 years: | 13.7% |
| Age 65 years or older: | 56.3% |
COMPONENTS OF ANNUAL POPULATION CHANGE, 2014 to 2024
Population Data
| Year | Natural Increase | Net International Migration | Net Domestic Migration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 61,413 | 42,980 | 66,826 |
| 2015 | 63,132 | 46,635 | 62,900 |
| 2016 | 64,335 | 44,832 | 28,072 |
| 2017 | 59,471 | 43,051 | -9,036 |
| 2018 | 54,323 | 32,345 | -11,113 |
| 2019 | 51,577 | 31,397 | 4,461 |
| 2020 | 46,876 | 24,773 | 20,108 |
| 2021 | 34,764 | 17,949 | 26,652 |
| 2022 | 40,784 | 78,229 | 39,110 |
| 2023 | 48,995 | 106,334 | 42,000 |
| 2024 | 48,954 | 128,885 | 21,890 |
Jobs and Wages
More than 3.3 million people were employed in the region in 2024, up 13.9% from 2014.
Average annual wages in the region were about $82,600 in 2024.
Industry
Industries often aggregate based on unique regional characteristics, such as natural resources or worker skill sets, which give the region a comparative advantage.
- Pipeline Transportation of Natural Gas and Crude Oil;
- Oil and Gas Extraction;
- Space Research and Technology;
- And Basic Chemical Manufacturing
are seven to 16 times more concentrated in the Gulf Coast region than anywhere else in the U.S.
EXPLORE MORE DATA ON ALL THE REGIONS OF TEXAS.
Data current as of September 2025
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis; JobsEQ; Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
KELLY HANCOCK
ACTING TEXAS COMPTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS