At the Heart of Texas
At the Heart of Texas
The third edition of this special report is a comprehensive look at the historical, economic and demographic profiles of 12 of Texas' key metropolitan areas with additional tables on average annual earnings, demographics and more.
February 20, 2026
At the Heart of Texas
El Paso: Gateway to Mexico relies on commerce, government
Retail is among the largest clusters in El Paso. Health services, food services, and transportation and logistics are also important, reflecting El Paso’s proximity to Mexico and its trading relationship with neighboring Ciudad Juárez.
February 06, 2026
At the Heart of Texas
McAllen–Edinburg–Mission: Retail, medical hub draws on cross-border trade
Health services, education and retail trade are the largest clusters in McAllen. Formation of the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley has brought greater access to education and a focus on addressing local workforce gaps.
February 06, 2026
Southwest Economy
Mexican residents favor local retailers over cross-border shopping in Texas
Despite a relatively stable peso-dollar exchange rate that would normally favor shopping in the U.S., Mexican consumers increasingly stay closer to home.
January 16, 2026
El Paso, Texas
El Paso navigates new complexities in international economy
On President Lorie Logan’s second visit to El Paso as part of her 360 Listening Tour, she heard from business and community leaders about key issues for the Borderplex region, including immigration, trade and water.
July 16, 2025
Southwest Economy
Santa Teresa port of entry navigates future during fraught time
Jerry Pacheco, president of the Border Industrial Association in Santa Teresa, New Mexico, discusses his work attracting investment from private and public sources for the Santa Teresa project and its prospects in an environment of rapidly changing rules of trade.
May 30, 2025
Dallas Fed Economics
Texas economic outlook downbeat as uncertainty increases
The Texas economy grew slightly below trend through the first quarter of 2025. While job growth appears just off its long-term annual trend rate of about 2.1 percent, the Dallas Fed Texas Business Outlook Surveys (TBOS) point to slowing activity in both the services and manufacturing sectors.
April 03, 2025
Southwest Economy
Weighing Texas economic resilience amid tariffs, workforce challenges
Ray Perryman, principal of Waco-based The Perryman Group, has been an observer of the Texas economy for more than four decades. He offers his views of what has propelled Texas since the 1980s oil bust and the state’s future prospects, and he recounts how he grew his economics firm.
March 07, 2025
Southwest Economy
Mexico, U.S. and China offer an evolving ‘triangular’ trade relationship
Enrique Dussel Peters, a professor at the Graduate School of Economics at the Universidad Nacional Autonóma de México and coordinator of the university’s Center for Chinese–Mexican Studies, discusses trade flows between the U.S., Mexico and China and their prospects.
March 03, 2025
Southwest Economy
New Mexico draws on energy, trade to spur economy
While New Mexico continues to navigate economic and demographic challenges, increased revenues from oil and gas production provide opportunities to invest in education, infrastructure and other improvements to boost long-term growth.
December 04, 2024