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Population Growth,
SOUTHEAST REGION
The 15-county Southeast region covers about 12,000 square miles along the Louisiana border, stretching from the Gulf Coast to Nacogdoches.
METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS:
Beaumont-Port Arthur
MICROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS:
Lufkin, Nacogdoches
SOUTHEAST REGION
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT, 2023
$48.7
BILLION
1.9% OF TEXAS’ GDP
Population Growth,
2014 to 2024
THE SOUTHEAST REGION’S POPULATION ROSE 1.3% BETWEEN 2014 AND 2024.
Polk and San Jacinto counties saw the greatest percentage gains at 18.4% and 8.3%, respectively.
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
IN 2023, 85.7% OF THE REGION HAD AT LEAST A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND 17.9% HAD EARNED AT LEAST A BACHELOR’S DEGREE.
Demographics
Population Change by Age Group,
2014 to 2024
| Age 0 to 4 years: | -5.5% |
|---|---|
| Age 5 to 19 years: | 2.0% |
| Age 20 to 34 years: | -3.7% |
| Age 35 to 49 years: | 3.8% |
| Age 50 to 64 years: | -7.5% |
| Age 65 years or older: | 17.7% |
COMPONENTS OF ANNUAL POPULATION CHANGE, 2014 to 2024
Population Data
| Year | Natural Increase | Net International Migration | Net Domestic Migration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 1,565 | 1,072 | -2,235 |
| 2015 | 1,666 | 1,057 | 1,547 |
| 2016 | 1,815 | 842 | 866 |
| 2017 | 1,150 | 695 | 941 |
| 2018 | 555 | 513 | -5,283 |
| 2019 | 1,021 | 339 | -1,629 |
| 2020 | 130 | 326 | 189 |
| 2021 | -1,738 | 286 | 1,948 |
| 2022 | -1,852 | 1,315 | 2,878 |
| 2023 | -80 | 1,765 | 4,370 |
| 2024 | -116 | 2,166 | 177 |
Jobs and Wages
ABOUT 274,000 PEOPLE WERE EMPLOYED IN THE REGION IN 2024, UP NEARLY 2% FROM 2014.
AVERAGE ANNUAL WAGES IN THE REGION WERE ABOUT $62,000 IN 2024.
Industry
In the 2014-2024 period, the
NONRESIDENTIAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY
saw the largest total job gains at more than 3,000.
Other industries with large gains:
- RESTAURANTS AND OTHER EATING PLACES
- BUILDING EQUIPMENT CONTRACTORS
- INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY SERVICES
- UTILITY SYSTEM CONSTRUCTION
FIND MORE DATA ON ALL THE REGIONS OF TEXAS AT:
COMPTROLLER.TEXAS.GOV/ECONOMY/ECONOMIC-DATA/REGIONS/
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