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Population Growth,
UPPER RIO GRANDE REGION
The 6-county Upper Rio Grande region covers about 21,700 square miles, stretching from the most western part of the state, where the state line meets at the border with Mexico, along the Rio Grande past Big Bend and up again to New Mexico near the Guadalupe Mountains National Park.
METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS:
El Paso
UPPER RIO GRANDE REGION
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT, 2023
$53.3
BILLION
2.1% OF TEXAS’ GDP
Population Growth,
2014 to 2024
THE UPPER RIO GRANDE REGION’S POPULATION ROSE 4.8% BETWEEN 2014 AND 2024.
Hudspeth and El Paso counties saw the greatest percentage gains at 9.3% and 5.1%, respectively.
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
IN 2023, 80.6% OF THE REGION HAD AT LEAST A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND 25.5% HAD EARNED AT LEAST A BACHELOR’S DEGREE.
Demographics
Population Change by Age Group,
2014 to 2024
| Age 0 to 4 years: | -17.3% |
|---|---|
| Age 5 to 19 years: | -3.0% |
| Age 20 to 34 years: | 5.4% |
| Age 35 to 49 years: | 8.7% |
| Age 50 to 64 years: | 4.2% |
| Age 65 years or older: | 29.7% |
COMPONENTS OF ANNUAL POPULATION CHANGE, 2014 to 2024
Population Data
| Year | Natural Increase | Net International Migration | Net Domestic Migration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 8,778 | 2,686 | -9,182 |
| 2015 | 8,559 | 2,829 | -13,478 |
| 2016 | 8,246 | 2,232 | -6,895 |
| 2017 | 7,435 | 646 | -5,667 |
| 2018 | 6,509 | -44 | -7,236 |
| 2019 | 6,037 | 175 | -4,480 |
| 2020 | 5,784 | 358 | -2,434 |
| 2021 | 2,032 | 457 | -2,182 |
| 2022 | 4,094 | 3,217 | -6,152 |
| 2023 | 4,642 | 3,649 | -2,149 |
| 2024 | 3,957 | 4,559 | -7,599 |
Jobs and Wages
ABOUT 345,000 PEOPLE WERE EMPLOYED IN THE REGION IN 2024, UP 17% FROM 2014.
AVERAGE ANNUAL WAGES IN THE REGION WERE NEARLY $51,000 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.
- FOOTWEAR MANUFACTURING,
- CUT AND SEW APPAREL MANUFACTURING
- AND BUSINESS SUPPORT SERVICES
are five to 33 times more concentrated in the Upper Rio Grande 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