70% of Texans Live Inside the Texas Triangle
Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Austin-San Antonio together produce almost 80% of the state's economy.
Wendover Productions · Why Texas WinsSeven in 10 Texans live inside the Texas Triangle, a shape formed by Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, and the Austin-San Antonio area.
The Triangle holds 70% of the state's population and generates almost 80% of its economic output. The state's fastest growing population centers sit on the outskirts of those urban areas, in the fastest growing state.
That concentration helps explain why Texas keeps growing. Energy and gas exports and business-friendly policies help, but the steady engine is geographic, with people and jobs continuing to gather in the same three corners over many years.
Questions people ask
How big is the Texas economy, really?
Very large. If Texas were its own country, it would be the world's eighth largest economy by GDP, ahead of most nations. The Triangle alone would rank among the world's major economies on its own.
How close together are the three corners?
They are a few hours apart by car. Dallas to Houston is about 240 miles, Dallas to San Antonio is about 275 miles, and Houston to San Antonio is about 200 miles.
Are people still moving to Texas?
In recent years, yes. Texas has ranked as the No. 1 or No. 2 destination for one-way U-Haul trucks every year since 2016. That ranking describes the state as a whole and does not break out where in Texas the trucks end up.