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Population Growth,
WEST TEXAS REGION
The 30-county West Texas region covers about 39,700 square miles, stretching from the cities of Mason and Brady in the east, south to the Rio Grande and north to the city of Seminole.
METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS:
Midland, Odessa, San Angelo
MICROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS:
Andrews, Big Spring, Town of Pecos
West Texas TEXAS REGION
GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT, 2023
$154.5
BILLION
6.0% OF TEXAS’ GDP
Population Growth,
2014 to 2024
THE West Texas REGION’S POPULATION ROSE 5.1% BETWEEN 2014 AND 2024.
Gaines and Midland counties saw the greatest percentage gains at 18.5% and 17.1%, respectively.
EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
IN 2023, 81.6% OF THE REGION HAD AT LEAST A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND 21.7% 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: | 0.8% |
| Age 5 to 19 years: | 10.3% |
| Age 20 to 34 years: | -5.1% |
| Age 35 to 49 years: | 22.4% |
| Age 50 to 64 years: | -10.1% |
| Age 65 years or older: | 15.8% |
COMPONENTS OF ANNUAL POPULATION CHANGE, 2014 to 2024
Population Data
| Year | Natural Increase | Net International Migration | Net Domestic Migration |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 5,214 | 1,404 | 7,807 |
| 2015 | 5,615 | 1,676 | 7,670 |
| 2016 | 5,390 | 1,719 | -9,637 |
| 2017 | 4,673 | 1,238 | -9,185 |
| 2018 | 4,714 | 867 | 8,557 |
| 2019 | 5,190 | 1,029 | 7,488 |
| 2020 | 5,021 | 853 | -2,042 |
| 2021 | 2,340 | 797 | -14,105 |
| 2022 | 3,000 | 3,268 | -8,063 |
| 2023 | 4,021 | 3,697 | 2,728 |
| 2024 | 4,171 | 4,507 | 2,332 |
Jobs and Wages
MORE THAN 327,000 PEOPLE WERE EMPLOYED IN THE REGION IN 2024, UP 13.3% FROM 2014.
AVERAGE ANNUAL WAGES IN THE REGION WERE ABOUT $79,900 IN 2024.
Industry
In the 2014-2024 period, the
SUPPORT ACTIVITIES FOR MINING INDUSTRY
saw the largest total job gains at nearly 10,300.
Other industries with large gains:
- UTILITY SYSTEM CONSTRUCTION
- RESTAURANTS AND OTHER EATING PLACES
- ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS
- GROCERY AND CONVENIENCE RETAILERS
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