Interactive: The Texas Economy by Region

Often lost in conversations about the Texas economy are the regional variations across the state. At 8.4 percent, the statewide unemployment rate is well below the 9.1 percent national unemployment rate. But in some Texas cities, unemployment is as high as 13.2 percent. While 65,100 jobs were being created in Houston and the surrounding area over the last year, Abilene, San Angelo, Brownsville and a few cities bordering Oklahoma lost jobs. Use the maps below to explore the economic variations across the big state of Texas. Click between the maps to see the unemployment rates in July 2011, the number of jobs created or lost over the last year and the median annual income in 2010 for each of the metropolitan regions in Texas.