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Population Growth,
UPPER EAST REGION
The 23-county Upper East region encompasses about 15,400 square miles in the northeast corner of Texas, stretching from the Arkansas and Louisiana borders in the east to Cedar Creek Reservoir in the west.
METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS:
Longview, Texarkana, Tyler
MICROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS:
Athens, Jacksonville, Mount Pleasant, Palestine, Paris, Sulphur Springs
UPPER EAST REGION
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT, 2023
$67.3
BILLION
2.6% OF TEXAS’ GDP
Population Growth,
2014 to 2024
THE UPPER EAST REGION’S POPULATION ROSE 6.6% BETWEEN 2014 AND 2024.
Van Zandt and Rains counties saw the greatest percentage gains at 23.7% and 21%, respectively.
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
IN 2023, 86.9% OF THE REGION HAD AT LEAST A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND 21.4% HAD EARNED A BACHELOR’S DEGREE.
Demographics
Population Change by Age Group,
2014 to 2024
| Age 0 to 4 years: | -2.3% |
|---|---|
| Age 5 to 19 years: | 4.9% |
| Age 20 to 34 years: | 5.8% |
| Age 35 to 49 years: | 7.4% |
| Age 50 to 64 years: | -1.9% |
| Age 65 years or older: | 21.9% |
COMPONENTS OF ANNUAL POPULATION CHANGE, 2014 to 2024
Population Data
| Year | Natural Increase | Net International Migration | Net Domestic Migration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 2,472 | 1,145 | 1,979 |
| 2015 | 1,972 | 993 | 1,770 |
| 2016 | 2,079 | 986 | 2,539 |
| 2017 | 1,362 | 656 | 4,823 |
| 2018 | 333 | 437 | 6,754 |
| 2019 | 948 | 406 | 4,987 |
| 2020 | −225 | 383 | 6,539 |
| 2021 | −3,746 | 426 | 13,866 |
| 2022 | −3,514 | 1,744 | 12,824 |
| 2023 | −804 | 2,137 | 14,706 |
| 2024 | −639 | 2,672 | 8,519 |
Jobs and Wages
ABOUT 440,000 PEOPLE WERE EMPLOYED IN THE REGION IN 2024, UP 5.3% FROM 2014.
AVERAGE ANNUAL WAGES IN THE REGION WERE $55,575 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.
- MOTOR VEHICLE BODY AND TRAILER MANUFACTURING,
- SUPPORT ACTIVITIES FOR MINING,
- RAIL TRANSPORTATION AND SUPPORT ACTIVITIES,
- AND POULTRY AND EGG PRODUCTION INDUSTRIES
are seven to eight times more concentrated in the Upper East region than anywhere else in the U.S.
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