The Texas economy is the second largest of any U.S. state, with $2.904 trillion in 2025 GDP, or 9.44% of national output, according to Bureau of Economic Analysis data analyzed by Texas 2036. Texas also led all states with 57 Fortune 500 headquarters in 2026. That mix of output and corporate headquarters is why Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston and Austin each support a distinct PR market.
How big is the Texas economy?
The Texas economy produced $2.904 trillion in 2025, the second largest state GDP behind California's $4.251 trillion, according to Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) data analyzed by Texas 2036.
Measure
Figure
Source
Nominal GDP, 2025
$2.904 trillion
BEA, via Texas 2036
Rank among states
Second, behind California at $4.251 trillion
BEA, via Texas 2036
Share of U.S. GDP
9.44% in 2025, up from 7.24% in 2000
BEA, via Texas 2036
Growth, 2000 to 2025
291%, from $742.2 billion
BEA, via Texas 2036
Compound annual growth rate
5.61%, against 4.49% for the U.S.; third fastest of 50 states
BEA, via Texas 2036
Real GDP per person, 2025
$71,800, 13th among states
USAFacts, from BEA data
Texas passed New York to become the second largest state economy in 2006, according to Texas 2036. Only North Dakota and Utah grew faster from 2000 to 2025, and both start from far smaller economies.
The two GDP measures answer different questions. Nominal GDP of $2.904 trillion sizes the economy in current dollars, while inflation-adjusted real GDP of $2.28 trillion in chained 2017 dollars, per USAFacts, tracks growth over time. Quote nominal GDP for rank and share, and real GDP for growth.
Which industries drive Texas GDP?
Professional and business services was the largest industry in the Texas economy in 2025 at $317.8 billion in inflation-adjusted output, ahead of real estate, rental and leasing at $289 billion and manufacturing at $280.7 billion, according to USAFacts analysis of BEA data.
Industry
2025 real output (chained 2017 dollars)
Professional and business services
$317.8 billion
Real estate, rental and leasing
$289 billion
Manufacturing
$280.7 billion
USAFacts also reported that the information industry grew fastest, reaching 2.1 times its 2015 output. Jobs are growing more slowly than output. Texas nonfarm employment was 14.35 million in February 2026, 0.5% above a year earlier, with an unemployment rate of 4.3%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Mining and logging employment fell 3.8% over that year and manufacturing employment fell 0.8%.
Why does Texas lead the Fortune 500 headquarters count?
Texas had 57 Fortune 500 headquarters on the 2026 list, ahead of California with 56 and New York with 53, and its companies reported $2.8 trillion in combined revenue, the highest of any state, according to Fortune.
McKesson, Exxon Mobil and Chevron were the three largest Texas companies on the list, and Houston and Dallas are both among the five cities with the most Fortune 500 headquarters, according to coverage of the list by the Los Angeles Times and other outlets. Fortune noted that California's Fortune 500 companies remain the most profitable at $647 billion, the most valuable at about $20 trillion, and the largest employers at 2.8 million workers.
What does the Texas economy mean for PR demand?
PR demand in Texas follows each metro's anchor industry: corporate headquarters and financial services in Dallas-Fort Worth, energy, healthcare and industrial work in Houston, and technology and government in Austin.
Use the BEA and Fortune figures as context in investor, recruiting and economic development narratives, and cite each with its year. For the agency shortlist, read the best PR firms in Texas. For the visitor economy, which adds $98.7 billion in direct travel spending, read the Texas tourism spending overview.
What could slow Texas economic growth?
Texas 2036, a nonpartisan policy organization, says Texas growth depends on a qualified workforce, a dependable electricity grid and reliable water infrastructure, and it names rising electricity demand, rising water demand and drought as the pressure points.
For brands, those constraints are communications issues as much as policy issues, because grid reliability and water supply shape where companies expand. The state AI law map for brands covers another Texas regulatory topic that affects corporate communications.
What is the Texas economy's rank among U.S. states?
The Texas economy is the second largest of any U.S. state, with $2.904 trillion in 2025 GDP behind California's $4.251 trillion, according to BEA data analyzed by Texas 2036.
How much has the Texas economy grown since 2000?
The Texas economy grew 291% from 2000 to 2025, from $742.2 billion to $2.904 trillion, and its share of U.S. GDP rose from 7.24% to 9.44%, according to Texas 2036's analysis of BEA data.
How many Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in Texas?
Fifty-seven Fortune 500 companies were headquartered in Texas on the 2026 list, compared with 56 in California and 53 in New York, according to Fortune.
What is the largest industry in the Texas economy?
Professional and business services is the largest industry in the Texas economy, at $317.8 billion in real output in 2025, according to USAFacts analysis of BEA data.
What is the Texas unemployment rate?
The Texas unemployment rate was 4.3% in February 2026, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nonfarm employment was 14.35 million, up 0.5% from a year earlier. Sources checked for this page Texas 2036, The Texas Economic Miracle, June 4, 2026, using BEA state GDP data for 2000 to 2025 USAFacts, Texas GDP and GDP by industry, 2025, from BEA data Bureau of Labor Statistics, Economy at a Glance: Texas, data through February 2026 Fortune 500 list, June 2026, as reported by the Los Angeles Times and other outlets Bureau of Economic Analysis, GDP by State, current release September 30, 2026 Published October 8, 2026. Figures checked against the sources above on that date.
Written by
EPR Editorial Team
The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces original reporting, research, and analysis on communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question. Publishing since 2009.
