May 2019
COUNTY PROFILEGregg County
GIS Services Program
Table of contents
Introduction
01Demography
02
Economy
03Labor Market
04
Purpose
About Gregg County
01Introduction
4
Purpose
This document provides information
and data about Gregg County that can
be used to guide local decision-
making activities.
The Data SnapShot showcases a variety of
demographic, economic and labor market
information that local leaders, community
organizations and others can use to gain a
better perspective on current conditions
and opportunities in their county.
To strengthen the value and usability of the
information, we showcase the data using a
variety of visual tools, such as charts,
graphs and tables. In addition, we offer key
points about the data as a way of assisting
the user with the interpretation of the
information presented.
Finally, short takeaway messages are
offered at the end of each section in order
to highlight some of the more salient
findings.
Introduction
section 01
5
About Gregg County
Introduction
section 01
County Background
Established 1873
County
Seat
Longview
Area 276 sq. mi.
Neighboring
Counties
Rusk
Smith
Harrison
Upshur
Population Change
Population Projections
Population Pyramids
Race
Ethnicity
Educational Attainment
Takeaways
02Demography
7
Population ChangeGregg County, TX
Components of Population Change*, 2010-2018
Total Change 1,962
Natural Increase 4,785
International Migration 1,544
Domestic Migration -4,308
The population growth
rate has greatly
diminished.
Demography
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, 2010 Decennial Census, 2018 Population Estimates, Estimates of the Components of Resident Population Change (PEPTCOMP)
section 02
The total population increased 1.6 percent between 2010
and 2018. Natural Increase (births minus deaths over the
considered period) was the major contributor with a net
gain of 4,785 people.
Domestic migration (the difference between the number of
people moving out of the county versus moving in) resulted
in a net loss of 4,308 people.
Over the same period, international migration had a net
increase of 1,544, indicating that the county experienced a
growth of new people from outside the U.S.
111,379121,730
123,707
201820102000
Total population
projections
*Population Change includes a residual. This is the change in population that cannot be
attributed to any specific demographic component.
9.3%1.6%
8
Population ProjectionsGregg County, TX
Population is
projected to continue
increasing at a
decreasing rate.
Demography
Sources: The Texas Demographic Center (http://txsdc.utsa.edu/data/TPEPP/Projections/ )
section 02
125,112125,729
127,029127,679
2030202520202018*
Population
projections
0.5%1.0% 0.5%
*2018 Population in the above chart is from a different source than the previous slide.
The Texas Demographic Center released population
projections for all counties in Texas that go from 2010
through 2050.
Gregg County’s projected population in 2050 is 123,702.
Population is projected to peak in 2032 and gradually
decrease afterward.121000
122000
123000
124000
125000
126000
127000
128000
Po
pu
lati
on
Year
9
Population PyramidsGregg County, TX
Population pyramids are visual representations of the age distribution of the population by gender.
The male to female ratio of the population did not
change dramatically between 2010 and 2017.
Demography
section 02
The percent of people under 50 years old has slightly
decreased for both males and females over the 2010 to
2017 period.
Male Female
20172010
Male Female
7.7
7.0
7.2
6.5
5.5
6.5
4.5
2.8
1.2
7.2
6.6
6.9
6.5
6.0
6.6
5.5
3.2
2.6
10 5 0 5 10
00-09
10-19
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
80+
Percent of the Population
Age
Co
ho
rt
7.3
7.6
7.2
6.1
6.6
6.2
3.9
2.6
1.3
7.1
6.8
7.3
6.1
6.9
6.6
4.5
3.4
2.7
10 5 0 5 10
00-09
10-19
20-29
30-39
40-49
50-59
60-69
70-79
80+
Percent of the Population
Age
Co
ho
rt
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (S0101: Age and Sex)
10
Social Identification of Race & EthnicityGregg County, TX
Demography
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (B03002: Hispanic or Latino Origin by Race)
section 02
White
71%
Other
29%
2010
Black
Asian
Native
Other
Mixed
Whites
74%
Other
26%
2017
Black
Asian
Native
Other
Mixed
• The white population of Gregg County
increased about 3 percent from 2010
to 2017
• Black or African American represents
20% of the population
11
Social Identification of Race & EthnicityGregg County, TX
Hispanics are individuals of
any ethnic group whose
ancestry is from any Spanish-
speaking country (North,
Central or South America, The
Caribbean and Spain)
There were 17,928 Hispanics
residing in Gregg County in 2010.
This figure expanded to 22,449 by
2017, a 25.2 percent increase.
As a result, Hispanics now make
up 18.2 percent of the overall
population (versus 15 percent in
2010).
Demography
section 02
18.2%
15%
Hispanics - 2010
Hispanics - 2017
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (B03002: Hispanic or Latino Origin by Race)
12
Educational Attainment Gregg County, TX
Demography
section 02
15%
29%
37%
18%
No Diploma
High School
Some
College/Associate's
Bachelor's degree
or higher
2017
19%
30%
33%
18%
No Diploma
High School
Some
College/Associate's
Bachelor's degree or
higher
2010
Educational attainment for adults 18
years of age and older in Gregg County
is increasing.
The proportion of adults (18 years of age
and older) with a high school education or
more improved from 81 percent in 2010 to
85 percent by 2017.
The percentage with less than a high
school education fell by 4 percent between
2010 and 2017.
Those with some college education grew
from 33 percent to 37 percent.
The number of adults with a bachelor’s
degree or more stayed unchanged at 18%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (S1501: Educational Attainment)
13
Takeaways
The population of Gregg County has grown since
2010 and is expected to continue growing slowly
over the next few years. Natural Increase and
International Migration have been positive, while
Domestic Migration has been negative since
2010.
The domestic out-migration experienced,
suggests that young individuals and those of
prime working age (20-39 years of age) are
moving out of the county at a faster pace than
they are moving in which is surprising and
worrisome for the second largest county in the
region.
In addition, the aging of the population and
relative lack of diversity are not likely to benefit
future population growth.
Educational attainment has increased slightly, but
not enough, in Gregg County since 2010.
In order to achieve a balanced ratio of
working-age individuals and dependents
(minors and elderly), Gregg County should
explore what mix of services and amenities
will retain and attract educated young
adults.
Demography
section 02
Establishments
Industries
Occupations
Median Earnings
Poverty Rates
Income and Inflation
Opportunity Zones
Takeaways
03Economy
15
EstablishmentsGregg County, TX
Components of Change (2010 to 2016)
Num. of Establishments
Net Change:
% of Change:+47
+1.1 %
Paid Employees
Net Change:
% of Change:
+1,617+2.6%
Annual Payroll ($1,000)
Net Change:
% of Change:
+338,855
+14.5%
Economy
section 03
# of
EmployeesEstablishments % of Whole
1-4 1,877 46%
5-9 896 22%
10-19 619 15%
20-99 570 14%
100-499 88 2%
500+ 7 1%
The number of establishments in Gregg County
has increased 1.1% between 2010 and 2016.
Industries 2010 2016 Net Change % Change
Professional,
scientific, and
technical services344 380 36 10.5%
Accommodation and
food services321 349 28 8.7%
Health care and
social assistance454 462 8 1.8%
Manufacturing 165 172 7 4.2%
Industries that experienced growth(by number of establishments, 2010 - 2016)
From 2010 to 2016, Gregg County saw a modest gain in the number
of Establishments accompanied with increases in the number of Paid
Employees and Annual Payroll.
The number of establishments with 5 to 9 employees grew by 5.1%,
these are mostly local and/or small-scale establishments. This was
offset by the number of establishments with 10 to 19 employees
decreasing 6.6%.
The largest increase in the number of establishments has been in the
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services sector, with a change
rate in the period of 10.5% (net change, 36)
1-4
5-9
10-
19
20-
99
100-
499
500+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns
16
Establishments by # of EmployeesGregg County, TX
Economy
section 03
2010 2016
#
EmployeesEstablishments Establishments % Change
1-4 1,842 1,877 +1.9%
5-9 852 896 +5.1%
10-19 663 619 -6.6%
20-99 558 570 +2.1%
100-499 87 88 +1.1%
500+ 8 7 -12.5%
Total 4,010 4,057 1.1%
46%
22%
15%
14%
2%1%
Proportion of
Establishments by
employee size
1-4
5-9
10-19
20-99
100-499
500+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns
17
Industry DistributionGregg County, TX
NAICS
CodeDescription
Establishments
2010
Establishments
2016+/- Change Proportion
11 Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting 3 4 +1 0.10%
21 Mining, Quarrying and Oil and Gas Extraction 194 172 -22 4.24%
22 Utilities 18 15 -3 0.37%
23 Construction 257 263 +6 6.48%
31-33 Manufacturing 165 172 +7 4.24%
42 Wholesale Trade 283 280 -3 6.90%
44-45 Retail Trade 675 651 -24 16.05%
48-49 Transportation and Warehousing 105 111 +6 2.74%
51 Information 67 59 -8 1.45%
52 Finance and Insurance 275 278 +3 6.85%
53 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 193 197 +4 4.86%
54Professional, Scientific and Technical
Services344 380 +36
9.37%
55 Management of Companies and Enterprises 33 35 +2 0.86%
56 Administrative and Waste Management 171 173 +2 4.26%
61 Educational Services (Private) 22 28 +6 0.69%
62 Health Care and Social Assistance 454 462 +8 11.39%
71 Arts, Entertainment and Recreation 39 43 +4 1.06%
72 Accommodation and Food Services 321 349 +28 8.60%
81 Other Services (except Public Administration) 383 380 -3 9.37%
99 Unclassified Industry 8 5 -3 0.12%
00 Total 4,010 4,057 +47 100%
Economy
section 03
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns
18Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns
Top Industries by Establishments,2016Gregg County, TX
61.8% of jobs are tied to the
top six industries in Gregg
County
Professional, Scientific, and Technical
Services saw the greatest increase in
the # of establishments..
Retail Trade saw the greatest
decrease in the # of establishments.
Economy
section 03
Retail trade, 16.1%
Health care and
social assistance,
11.4%
Professional,
Scientific, and
Technical Services,
9.4%
Other Services,
9.4%
Accomodation and
food services,
8.6%
Wholesale trade, 6.9%
All other industries,
38.2%
19
Industries, Jobs, and Payroll Gregg County, TX
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns
NAICS Code Industry Description Paid Employees Annual Payroll ($1,000)
62 Health care and social assistance 10,903 474,063
44-45 Retail trade 9,509 257,518
31-33 Manufacturing 8,735 524,177
72 Accommodation and food services 6,846 102,117
23 Construction 4,064 179,959
56 Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
3,822 119,296
42 Wholesale trade 3,584 201,916
81 Other services (except public administration) 3,465 93,471
54 Professional, scientific, and technical services 2,722 162,032
21 Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction 2,465 157,217
52 Finance and insurance 2,108 104,284
48-49 Transportation and warehousing 1,879 90,287
61 Educational services 1,178 28,225
53 Real estate and rental and leasing 1,149 45,333
55 Management of companies and enterprises 948 68,009
51 Information 820 42,639
71 Arts, entertainment, and recreation 493 7,158
22 Utilities 242 22,371
11 Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting 9 192
99 Industries not classified 6 111
00 Total for all sectors 64,947 2,680,375
a. 0 to 19 employees
D. Withheld to avoid disclosing data for individual companies
Economy
section 03
20
Top Industries by Jobs, 2016Gregg County, TX
73.1 percent of jobs are tied to
the top seven industries in
Gregg County
Health Care and Social Assistance is
the largest industry sector with 10,903
paid employees.
Wholesale Trade is the smallest of the
top industry sectors with 3,584 paid
employees.
Economy
section 03
Construction, 6.3%Manufacturing,
13.5%
Wholesale trade,
5.5%
Retail trade, 14.6%
Administrative,
support, waste
management and
remediation
services,
5.9%
Heatlh care and social
assistance, 16.8%
Accomodation and
food services,
10.5%
All other industries,
26.9%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns
21
Employment ChangeGregg County, TX
The largest employment gains
in Gregg County occurred in:
▪ Management of companies and
enterprises (34.3%)
▪ Professional, scientific, and
technical services (21.7%)
The largest employment losses
occurred in:
▪ Information (-27.6%)
▪ Utilities (-16.3%)
▪ Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas
extraction (-16.2%)
Economy
section 03
Employment Increase Employment Decrease
Employment changes in the industry sectors
(2010-2016):
Management of
companies &
enterprises
Professional,
scientific, and
technical services
Mining, quarrying, and
oil and gas extraction
Utilities
Information
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns
22
Description Jobs 2010 Jobs 2017 % Change (2010-2017)Office and administrative support 7,187 7,350 2.3%
Sales and related 6,878 6,500 -5.5%
Production 5,077 5,087 0.2%
Management 4,897 4,293 -12.3%
Construction and extraction 3,983 4,203 5.5%
Food preparation and serving related 3,189 3,596 12.8%
Education, training, and library 3,384 2,792 -17.5%
Transportation 2,448 2,323 -5.1%
Installation, maintenance, and repair 2,340 2,267 -3.1%
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance 2,521 2,265 -10.2%
Health diagnosing and treating practitioners and other technical 1,727 2,190 26.8%
Personal care and service 1,667 2,024 21.4%
Material moving 1,467 1,681 14.6%
Business and financial operations 1,559 1,640 5.2%
Healthcare support 1,306 1,415 8.3%
Health technologists and technicians 1,056 1,239 17.3%
Architecture and engineering 1,069 928 -13.2%
Community and social services 730 833 14.1%
Fire fighting and prevention, and other protective service workers including supervisors
299 604 102.0%
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media 574 421 -26.7%
Legal 348 417 19.8%
Law enforcement workers including supervisors 621 409 -34.1%
Computer and mathematical 423 346 -18.2%
Life, physical, and social science 375 265 -29.3%
Farming, fishing, and forestry 214 149 -30.4%
Total Occupations 55,339 55,237 -0.2%
Occupation DistributionGregg County, TX
Economy
section 03Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (S2401: OCCUPATION BY SEX FOR THE CIVILIAN EMPLOYED POPULATION 16 YEARS AND OVER)
23
Top Five Occupations in 2017Gregg County, TX
The top five occupations in
Gregg County represent 49.7%
percent of all jobs.
Office and Administrative Support
(7,350 / 13%) and Sales and related
occupations (6,500 / 12%) have the
largest number of workers.
Management (4,293 / 8%) and
Construction and Extraction (4,203 /
8%) are the smallest of the top five
occupations in the county.
Economy
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (S2401: OCCUPATION BY SEX FOR THE CIVILIAN EMPLOYED POPULATION 16 YEARS AND OVER)
section 03
Office and
administrative
support
13%
Sales and related
12%
Production
9%
Management
8%
Construction and
extraction
8%
All Other
50%
24
Occupation ChangeGregg County, TX
Economy
section 03
The largest percentage gains in
jobs, for the considered period, in
Gregg County occurred in:
▪ Fire fighting and prevention, and other
protective service workers including
supervisors
▪ Health diagnosing and treating
practitioners
The largest percentage loss in
employment, in the same period,
occurred in:
▪ Law enforcement workers including
supervisors
▪ Farming, Fishing, and Forestry
▪ Life, physical and social science
Occupational change (2010-2017):
Fire fighting and
prevention
Health diagnosing and
treating practitioners
Life, physical and social
science
Farming, Fishing, & Forestry
Law enforcement workers
including supervisors
Employment Increase Employment Decrease
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (S2401: OCCUPATION BY SEX FOR THE CIVILIAN EMPLOYED POPULATION 16 YEARS AND OVER)
25
Description % Male % FemaleOffice and administrative support 26.90% 73.10%
Sales and related 50.00% 50.00%
Production 76.80% 23.20%
Management 60.60% 39.40%
Construction and extraction 98.00% 2.00%
Food preparation and serving related 36.60% 63.40%
Education, training, and library 25.50% 74.50%
Transportation 83.50% 16.50%
Installation, maintenance, and repair 92.10% 7.90%
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance 59.90% 40.10%
Health diagnosing and treating practitioners and other technical
22.30% 77.70%
Personal care and service 16.70% 83.30%
Material moving 91.80% 8.20%
Business and financial operations 34.70% 65.30%
Healthcare support 13.10% 86.90%
Health technologists and technicians 11.30% 88.70%
Architecture and engineering 89.90% 10.10%
Community and social services 45.90% 54.10%
Fire fighting and prevention, and other protective service workers including supervisors
81.00% 19.00%
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media 31.60% 68.40%
Legal 47.20% 52.80%
Law enforcement workers including supervisors 68.20% 31.80%
Computer and mathematical 70.50% 29.50%
Life, physical, and social science 84.90% 15.10%
Farming, fishing, and forestry 100.00% 0.00%
All Occupations 53.30% 46.70%
Male vs. Female EmploymentGregg County, TX
Economy
section 03
Male dominated occupations:
1. Farming, fishing, and forestry
2. Construction and extraction
3. Installation, maintenance, and
repair
Female dominated occupations:
1. Health technologists and
technicians
2. Healthcare support
3. Personal care and service
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (S2401: OCCUPATION BY SEX FOR THE CIVILIAN EMPLOYED POPULATION 16 YEARS AND OVER)
26
DescriptionMedian
Earnings
Male Median
Earnings
Female Median
Earnings
Women’s Earnings as % of
Men’s
Office and administrative support 25,082 30,417 23,796 78.20%
Sales and related 24,707 45,239 16,295 36.00%
Production 32,359 38,867 20,955 53.90%
Management 61,965 77,022 46,741 60.70%
Construction and extraction 35,276 35,370 26,406 74.70%
Food preparation and serving related 11,190 8,861 11,587 130.80%
Education, training, and library 38,204 46,654 37,358 80.10%
Transportation 30,722 35,521 14,535 40.90%
Installation, maintenance, and repair 35,380 36,076 29,896 82.90%
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance 16,347 21,451 12,469 58.10%
Health diagnosing and treating practitioners and other technical
63,435 123,750 61,998 50.10%
Personal care and service 15,804 25,234 14,438 57.20%
Material moving 28,281 30,196 20,517 67.90%
Business and financial operations 49,063 68,558 42,485 62.00%
Healthcare support 18,926 13,295 19,826 149.10%
Health technologists and technicians 39,269 34,800 39,306 112.90%
Architecture and engineering 56,221 56,337 49,615 88.10%
Community and social services 31,286 40,709 27,208 66.80%
Fire fighting and prevention, and other protective service workers including supervisors
24,455 24,920 2,500- -
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media 15,758 16,250 15,625 96.20%
Legal 81,375 95,919 46,912 48.90%
Law enforcement workers including supervisors 34,564 38,542 33,681 87.40%
Computer and mathematical 58,036 62,266 32,632 52.40%
Life, physical, and social science 39,421 39,360 60,139 152.80%
Farming, fishing, and forestry 4,888 4,888 - -
All Occupations 29,790 36,722 23,829 64.90%
Median Earnings by SexGregg County, TX
Economy
section 03Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (S2411: OCCUPATION BY SEX AND MEDIAN EARNINGS FOR THE CIVILIAN EMPLOYED POPULATION 16 YEARS AND OVER) (2017)
27
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
80,000
90,000
Office and
Administrative
Support
Sales and
related
Production Management Construction
and extraction
Inco
me
($
)
Occupations
Median Earnings for the Top 5
Occupations in Gregg County
Median (ALL) Men Women
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (S2411: OCCUPATION BY SEX AND MEDIAN EARNINGS FOR THE CIVILIAN EMPLOYED POPULATION 16
YEARS AND OVER) (2017)
section 03
• Male Median Earnings are higher
than women for all of the top 5
occupations in Gregg County.
• “Sales and Related” has the greatest
difference between men and women
earnings. Women made 36% what
men did in 2017.
Overall, women made 64.9% as much as men in Gregg County in 2017.
Median Earnings by SexGregg County, TX
Economy
28
Poverty RatesGregg County, TX
2010 2017
Total Population in
Poverty21.8% 17.6%
Minors (under 18) 33.1% 24.5%
18 to 64 19.3% 16.6%
65 and over 12.0% 8.8%
▪ Poverty rates decreased
across the board between
2010 and 2017.
Economy
section 03
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (S1701: Poverty Status in the Past 12 Months)
29
Income and InflationGregg County, TX
Economy
section 03
Inflation rate, measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI),
Increased at a greater rate than median and mean income
between 2010 and 2017.
$43,367
$47,970
$59,000
$65,537
40000
45000
50000
55000
60000
65000
70000
2010 2017
Household Income
Median Income Mean Income
• Median income has increased 10.6%
• Mean income has increased 11.1%
• Inflation rate over same period:
12.5%
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (S1901: Income in the Past 23 Months)
30
Opportunity ZonesGregg County, TX
Economy
U.S. Department of the Treasury, Community Development Fund Initiative (www.cdfifund.gov/pages/opportunity-zones.aspx)
Gregg County has 6 census tracts designated as qualified
opportunity zones
• 48183000800
• 48183001100
• 48183001400
• 48183010200
• 48183010500
• 48183010700
https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-drop/n-18-48.pdf
Established by the 2017 Investing in
Opportunity Act:
Investments in Opportunity Zones are
eligible for tax deferrals on original
capital gains invested and tax
exclusion on new capital gains
achieved from investments.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-
congress/senate-bill/293/text
Cities included: parts of Kilgore, Longview,
Gladewater, Warren City, Clarksville City, White
Oak, and Lakeport
• Possible tax deferral till 12/31/2026
• 5 year investment = 10% decrease on original capital gains tax
• 7 year investment = 15% decrease on original capital gains tax
• Permanent exclusion on new gains realized if held at
least 10 years
31
Takeaways
Overall, Gregg County saw an increase in
establishments between 2010 and 2016,
with most of the growth coming from
establishments employing 1-4 or 5-9
employees.
Retail Trade and Health Care and Social
Assistance are the two largest industries (by # of
establishments) in Gregg County.
Median income has increased while poverty
has decreased in Gregg County since 2010.
Promoting job growth for occupations
requiring educated workers could help
retain adults with higher educational
attainment and help increase median
income.
Economy
section 03
Labor Force and
Unemployment
Laborshed
Commuteshed
Takeaways
04Labor
Market
33
Labor Force and UnemploymentGregg County, TX
2010 2017
Population 16 years
and over92,085 94,898
Labor Force 59,815 58,027
Labor Force
Participation Rate65.0% 61.1%
Unemployment Rate 7.4% 4.8%
The population 16 years
and over increased 3.1%
between 2010 and 2017
but the labor force
decreased by 3.0%.
The unemployment rate
decreased 2.6 percentage
points
Labor market
section 04
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics)
34
Unemployment RateGregg County, TX
Between 2010 and 2017, the unemployment rate in Gregg County peaked at 7.4 percent. Unemployment rate has trended downward in this period.
Labor market
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (DP03: Selected Economic Characteristics)
section 04
7.4
6.8
7.47.1
6.5
5.9 5.8
4.8
0.0
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
6.0
7.0
8.0
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
Unemployment Rate
35
Commuteshed
A county’s commuteshed is the
geographic area to which its
work force travels to work.
In 2015, 41.1 percent of employed
residents in Gregg County commute
to jobs located outside of Gregg
County.
The top five commuteshed counties
in Texas for Gregg County residents
who work outside of the county are
Harrison County, Dallas County,
Smith County, Harris County, and
Rusk County.
Labor market
Source: U.S. Census Bureau – Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD)
section 04
20,182
Out-Commuters
28,938
Same Work/
Home
Commuters Proportion
Harrison, TX 2,883 5.9%
Dallas, TX 2,507 5.1%
Smith, TX 2,260 4.6%
Harris, TX 1,481 3.0%
Rusk, TX 1,153 2.3%
36
Laborshed
Commuters Proportion
Harrison, TX 6,774 9.4%
Upshur, TX 4,929 6.9%
Smith, TX 4,888 6.8%
Rusk, TX 4,849 6.7%
Harris, TX 2,145 3.0%
Labor market
Source: U.S. Census Bureau – Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics (LEHD)
section 04
42,996
In-Commuters
28,938
Same Work/
Home
A county’s laborshed is the geographic
area from which it draws employees.
In 2015, 59.8% of individuals working in Gregg
County commute from another county in Texas
for work. Harrison County, Upshur County,
Smith County, Rusk County and Harris County,
are the biggest sources of outside labor for
Gregg County.
In this same period, 29.8 % of in-commuters
reside in counties adjacent to Gregg County;
however, the fifth largest laborshed county is
Harris County, that share 3.0% of in-
commuters that work in Gregg, TX.
37
Commuteshed in 2015Labor market
section 04
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, OTM, LEHD, PCRD
By 2015 forty percent (40.2 %) of Gregg
County’s working residents are employed
in the County itself. However, 9.7
percent of Gregg County’s working
residents are employed in Dallas and
Smith counties. Another 3.0 percent
commute to Harris County, while an
additional 8.5 percent travel to jobs
between Tarrant, Upshur, Collin counties
in TX and Caddo Parrish, LA.
Collectively, these six counties and Caddo
Parish in LA represent 27.1 percent of the
commuteshed for Gregg County.
38
Laborshed in 2015
Labor market
section 04
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, OTM, LEHD, PCRD
The bulk (40.2 percent) of Gregg
County’s workforce is drawn from
Gregg itself. Some other 29%
comes from adjacent counties
(Harrison, Upshur, Smith and
Rusk). An additional 4.8 percent
comes from Harris and Dallas
Counties.
Combined, the top five counties
where the majority of workers who
live outside of Gregg County
reside, accounts for 32.8% of all
workers in Gregg County.
39
Takeaways
Gregg County’s unemployment rate has
decreased since 2010, from 7.4% in 2010 down
to 4.8% in 2017.
Despite a population increase, the county’s labor
force has slightly decreased since 2010, perhaps
indicating that there is a higher number of
dependent population in general.
Most of the in-commuters (employees that work
but do not live in Gregg County), commute from
adjacent counties, mostly from Harrison and
Upshur counties. On the flip side, people who
commute out of Gregg County for work tend to
travel mostly to Harrison and Dallas counties and
as far as Harris County.
The laborshed and commuteshed data
offer solid evidence of the value of
pursuing economic and workforce
development on a regional (multi-county)
basis.
Labor market
section 04
40
.
Report ContributorsThis report was prepared by Regional Technology Solutions, a subdivision of the East Texas Council of Government (ETCOG).
section 04
Report AuthorsMichelle Cahal
Harrison W. Flores-Ortiz
Kenan Johnson
Report DesignReport template from: Purdue
University Cooperative Extension
Service
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Please contact
Michelle CahalGIS Services Manager
903-218-6434
East Texas Council of Governments
Regional Technology Solutions3800 Stone Road
Kilgore, TX 75662
903-218-6400
www.etcog.org
Regional Technology SolutionsETCOG'S Regional Technology Services (RTS) provides the highest quality
technology-based IT, GIS, and data services, in the most cost-effective manner to
facilitate your management, technology, training, or community service program.
East Texas Council of GovernmentsVision
We are a trustworthy organization committed to providing leadership, education, and
financial resources to our 14 county region.
Mission
In order to improve the Quality of Life for all of our citizens, ETCOG pledges all of its
resources to educate and assist its members to accomplish their goals.
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