Workforce Solutions Heart of Texas - prosperity Dashboard
Region includes: Bosque, Falls, Freestone, Hill, Limestone, and McLennan Counties
Heart of Texas WDA Region - Data & Insights
6-County Region population grew by 17,922 over the last 5 years and is projected to grow by 14,799 over the next 5 years.
391,880
Total regional employment grew by 14,990 over the last 5 years and are projected to grow by 10,372 over the next 5 years.
178,941
Regional average earnings per job are $19.8K below the national average earnings of $89.4K per job.
$69.6K
Employment, Unemployment, Labor Force, & Jobs Postings
Unemployment Insurance Claims by Week
Heart of Texas Region
Data Source: Texas Workforce Commission
Labor Force, Employment, & Unemployment by Region
Area | Area Type | Apr 26 Labor Force | Apr 26 Employment | Apr 26 Unemployment | Apr 26 Rate | Mar 26 Labor Force | Mar 26 Employment | Mar 26 Unemployment | Mar 26 Rate | Apr 25 Labor Force | Apr 25 Employment | Apr 25 Unemployment | Apr 25 Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | State | 15,867,910 | 15,235,151 | 632,759 | 4% | 15,852,169 | 15,203,169 | 649,000 | 4.1% | 15,903,872 | 15,309,900 | 593,972 | 3.7% |
| Waco | MSA | 146,849 | 141,518 | 5,331 | 3.6% | 146,819 | 141,271 | 5,548 | 3.8% | 146,373 | 141,366 | 5,007 | 3.4% |
| Heart Of Texas | WDA | 183,151 | 176,350 | 6,801 | 3.7% | 182,633 | 175,646 | 6,987 | 3.8% | 181,796 | 175,505 | 6,291 | 3.5% |
| Bosque | County | 8,323 | 8,014 | 309 | 3.7% | 8,279 | 7,952 | 327 | 3.9% | 8,286 | 7,993 | 293 | 3.5% |
| Falls | County | 6,780 | 6,527 | 253 | 3.7% | 6,718 | 6,454 | 264 | 3.9% | 6,737 | 6,497 | 240 | 3.6% |
| Freestone | County | 7,749 | 7,408 | 341 | 4.4% | 7,648 | 7,297 | 351 | 4.6% | 7,493 | 7,192 | 301 | 4% |
| Hill | County | 19,174 | 18,407 | 767 | 4% | 18,864 | 18,153 | 711 | 3.8% | 18,655 | 18,034 | 621 | 3.3% |
| Limestone | County | 9,379 | 9,017 | 362 | 3.9% | 9,302 | 8,925 | 377 | 4.1% | 9,275 | 8,913 | 362 | 3.9% |
| McLennan | County | 131,746 | 126,977 | 4,769 | 3.6% | 131,822 | 126,865 | 4,957 | 3.8% | 131,350 | 126,876 | 4,474 | 3.4% |
| Waco | City | 71,736 | 69,092 | 2,644 | 3.7% | 71,728 | 69,031 | 2,697 | 3.8% | 71,543 | 69,037 | 2,506 | 3.5% |
Data Source: LAUS
Job Postings 5-Year Trend
Heart of Texas Region
Data Source: Lightcast
Job Postings by Industry
Heart of Texas Region
Industry Sector | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 1,553 | 5.5% |
| Retail Trade | 909 | -7.5% |
| Educational Services | 873 | 11.8% |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 792 | -3% |
| Manufacturing | 754 | -7% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 644 | 20.7% |
| Construction | 414 | 5.1% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 366 | 9% |
| Wholesale Trade | 323 | -3.1% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 215 | 12.1% |
| Public Administration | 185 | 0% |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 185 | 11.4% |
| Finance and Insurance | 183 | 7.1% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 177 | 10.7% |
| Information | 123 | -18.7% |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 60 | -3.3% |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 47 | -102.1% |
| Utilities | 47 | -2.1% |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 29 | -3.4% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 13 | 0% |
Data Source: Lightcast
Top 20 Companies
Heart of Texas Region
Company | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Baylor University | 207 | -1% |
| Baylor Scott & White Health | 189 | 3.7% |
| Walmart | 142 | -18.3% |
| Ascension | 127 | -6.3% |
| L3Harris Technologies | 117 | -6.8% |
| Waco Independent School District | 109 | 16.5% |
| Dollar General | 93 | 10.8% |
| Waco Isd | 87 | 10.3% |
| AccentCare | 80 | 7.5% |
| Connally Isd | 71 | |
| Midway Isd | 69 | |
| City Of Waco | 68 | -1.5% |
| Connally Independent School District Police Department | 66 | |
| AbbVie | 64 | 9.4% |
| Positive Behavior Supports Corp. | 57 | -8.8% |
| Waco Family Medicine | 57 | 21.1% |
| Wells Concrete | 48 | -6.3% |
| H-E-B | 47 | -42.6% |
| SpaceX | 47 | 21.3% |
| State Of Texas | 47 | 10.6% |
Data Source: Lightcast
2-Digit SOC code data
Occupation Workforce Data
Occupation Concentration
Heart of Texas Region
Profession | 2025 Jobs | 2024 Median Earnings | 2024 Average Hourly Wage | 2025 LQ (Occupation Concentration) | 2020-2025 % Change in Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | 28,084 | $66,414 | $43.27 | 1.27 | 25.27% |
| Office and Administrative Support | 24,357 | $40,201 | $21.58 | 1.03 | 3.09% |
| Sales and Related | 23,767 | $36,006 | $32.54 | 0.89 | 4.46% |
| Transportation and Material Moving | 18,178 | $37,372 | $22.6 | 0.94 | 28.51% |
| Business and Financial Operations | 16,438 | $71,467 | $52.02 | 0.87 | 33.54% |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | 16,192 | $27,790 | $14.24 | 1.06 | 20.74% |
| Educational Instruction and Library | 13,934 | $56,565 | $30.25 | 1.23 | -2% |
| Construction and Extraction | 13,675 | $45,618 | $26.09 | 1.32 | 14.91% |
| Production | 12,877 | $39,621 | $21.55 | 1.26 | 8.15% |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | 10,323 | $47,989 | $25.6 | 1.24 | 16.84% |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | 9,933 | $78,934 | $48.46 | 0.84 | 16.59% |
| Healthcare Support | 7,503 | $30,411 | $17.22 | 0.76 | 6.22% |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | 7,247 | $30,595 | $18.33 | 0.91 | 1.53% |
| Personal Care and Service | 6,896 | $29,455 | $20.65 | 0.85 | 9.35% |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | 5,469 | $48,037 | $36.28 | 0.73 | 20.88% |
| Protective Service | 4,637 | $52,679 | $27.47 | 1.1 | 7.21% |
| Community and Social Service | 3,644 | $52,516 | $27.77 | 0.95 | 4.23% |
| Computer and Mathematical | 3,388 | $80,495 | $43.91 | 0.53 | 16.77% |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | 2,321 | $28,565 | $17.93 | 1.53 | 11.71% |
| Architecture and Engineering | 2,250 | $86,238 | $47 | 0.7 | 0.1% |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | 2,081 | $68,649 | $42.53 | 0.92 | 14.07% |
| Legal | 1,226 | $79,838 | $53.82 | 0.67 | 15.49% |
| Military-only | 398 | $40,676 | $25.38 | 0.41 | -4.64% |
Data Source: Lightcast
2-Digit NAICS code data
Industry Workforce Data
Industry Characteristics
Heart of Texas Region
Industry | 2025 Jobs | 2025 Average Earnings Per Worker | 2025 LQ (Industry Concentration) | 2020-2025 % Change in Jobs | 2025 GRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government | 29,764 | $77,658 | 1.14 | 4.8% | 2784.33M |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 19,246 | $73,297 | 0.79 | 11.07% | 1740.73M |
| Manufacturing | 19,217 | $91,565 | 1.45 | 10.7% | 3768.67M |
| Retail Trade | 17,840 | $46,168 | 1.08 | 6.25% | 1872.35M |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 15,839 | $25,309 | 1.07 | 20.35% | 757.05M |
| Construction | 13,576 | $75,742 | 1.3 | 15.25% | 1620M |
| Educational Services | 10,208 | $56,343 | 2.18 | 2.25% | 749.7M |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 8,150 | $47,602 | 0.79 | -15.52% | 587.62M |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 7,821 | $40,310 | 0.88 | -4.07% | 495.06M |
| Finance and Insurance | 7,066 | $95,292 | 0.98 | 17.53% | 2315.44M |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 7,052 | $126,990 | 0.57 | 16.03% | 1327.57M |
| Wholesale Trade | 6,615 | $86,017 | 1.05 | 15.42% | 1360.5M |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 4,924 | $70,046 | 0.63 | 18.01% | 685.77M |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 3,275 | $74,913 | 1.05 | 15.4% | 3704.8M |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 1,937 | $133,996 | 3.2 | 61.71% | 872.31M |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 1,843 | $43,593 | 0.91 | 12.78% | 539.35M |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 1,744 | $41,469 | 0.53 | 54.96% | 156.45M |
| Information | 1,177 | $82,455 | 0.38 | 5.58% | 307.19M |
| Utilities | 1,067 | $155,797 | 1.71 | 9.89% | 785.08M |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 474 | $84,813 | 0.18 | 8.97% | 114.48M |
Data Source: Lightcast
Skills Demand & Education
Job Postings by Educational Attainment
Heart of Texas Region
Data Source: Lightcast
Job Postings by Experience Level
Heart of Texas Region
Data Source: Lightcast
Heart of Texas Region
Skills vs. Hires Gap
Postings vs. Hires by Occupation
Heart of Texas Region
Occupation | Total Postings | Total Hires | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | 13,182 | 4,331 | 8,851 |
| Sales and Related | 7,499 | 9,300 | -1,801 |
| Management | 5,676 | 5,053 | 623 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | 5,187 | 10,351 | -5,164 |
| Office and Administrative Support | 4,911 | 11,518 | -6,607 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | 4,593 | 4,311 | 282 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | 4,145 | 4,010 | 135 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | 3,907 | 21,025 | -17,118 |
| Healthcare Support | 3,087 | 6,103 | -3,016 |
| Production | 2,795 | 5,933 | -3,138 |
| Business and Financial Operations | 2,554 | 4,441 | -1,887 |
| Construction and Extraction | 2,015 | 6,502 | -4,487 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | 1,882 | 3,388 | -1,506 |
| Community and Social Service | 1,469 | 1,634 | -165 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | 1,421 | 1,022 | 399 |
| Architecture and Engineering | 1,198 | 727 | 471 |
| Computer and Mathematical | 1,138 | 1,409 | -271 |
| Protective Service | 958 | 1,671 | -713 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | 863 | 787 | 76 |
Data Source: Lightcast
Heart of Texas Region
In-Demand Skills
Top 20 Skills
Heart of Texas Region
Skill | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Lifting Ability | 1,085 | -0.3% |
| Office Equipment | 606 | 36% |
| Merchandising | 569 | -2.5% |
| Organizational Communications | 569 | 14.8% |
| Lesson Planning | 552 | 20.7% |
| Good Driving Record | 521 | 10.2% |
| Effective Communication | 506 | 7.3% |
| Nursing | 506 | -3.8% |
| Special Education | 503 | 19.1% |
| Continuous Improvement Process | 480 | 10% |
| Auditing | 476 | 13.7% |
| Inventory Management | 459 | -3.7% |
| Peripheral Devices | 453 | 45.5% |
| Individualized Education Programs (IEP) | 438 | 20.3% |
| Learning Styles | 432 | 16.4% |
| Curriculum Development | 418 | 15.6% |
| Food Safety And Sanitation | 400 | -4.5% |
| Educational Assessment | 391 | 15.1% |
| Classroom Management | 384 | 28.9% |
| Sanitation | 384 | -8.6% |
Data Source: Lightcast
Education Data by Region & County
Population by Educational Attainment
Heart of Texas Region
Data Source: Lightcast
Population of Bachelor's Degree or Higher Education Attainment by County
Click headers to sort data
County | Population with Bachelor's Degree or Higher | Bachelor's Degree or Higher % of Population |
|---|---|---|
| McLennan | 49,416 | 29.03% |
| Hill | 4,863 | 17.83% |
| Limestone | 3,031 | 19.21% |
| Freestone | 2,928 | 19.92% |
| Bosque | 2,453 | 17.54% |
| Falls | 2,447 | 19.23% |
Data Source: Lightcast
Population by Educational Attainment
Bosque County
Data Source: Lightcast
Population by Educational Attainment
Falls County
Data Source: Lightcast
Population by Educational Attainment
Freestone County
Data Source: Lightcast
Population by Educational Attainment
Hill County
Data Source: Lightcast
Population by Educational Attainment
Limestone County
Data Source: Lightcast
Population by Educational Attainment
McLennan County
Data Source: Lightcast
Degrees by Program
Heart of Texas Region: Includes all certificates and degrees
Description | 2024 Completions | 2011-2024 Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 8,769 | 3.1K 8.8K |
| Education | 1,949 | 0.1K 1.9K |
| Health Professions and Related Programs | 1,144 | 0.8K 1.1K |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services | 1,063 | 0.5K 1.1K |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services | 592 | 0.1K 0.6K |
| Psychology | 527 | 0.1K 0.5K |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 464 | 0.2K 0.5K |
| Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies | 418 | 0.2K 0.4K |
| Engineering/Engineering-related Technologies/Technicians | 352 | 0.2K 0.4K |
| Engineering | 349 | 0.2K 0.3K |
Data Source: Lightcast
Degrees by Institution
Heart of Texas Region: Includes all certificates and degrees
Institution | 2024 Completions | 2011-2024 Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Baylor University | 6,627 | 3.7K 6.6K |
| Texas State Technical College | 3,259 | 0K 3.3K |
| McLennan Community College | 1,722 | 0.8K 1.7K |
| Hill College | 759 | 0.5K 0.8K |
| Southern Careers Institute-Waco | 120 | 0K 0.1K |
| ATI Career Training Center-Waco (not current) | 0K 0K | |
| ITT Technical Institute-Waco (not current) | 0K 0K | |
| Texas State Technical College-Waco (not current) | 0.9K 0K |
Data Source: Lightcast *Note, data returns of zero indicate institutions in the database that are no longer offering programs in selected query.
Housing & Commuting
Net commuters is the number of people commuting into or out of the area. For negative values, there are more people commuting out for work than in. For positive values, there are more commuters coming in than out.
Commuting Patterns by County
Workforce Jobs, Resident Workers, and Net Commuters
Hover to display values
Label 2025 Jobs, colour darkslategray
2025 Jobs
Label 2025 Resident Workers, colour crimson
2025 Resident Workers
Label 2025 Net Commuters, colour teal
2025 Net Commuters
Data Source: Lightcast
Heart of Texas Region
Home Values by County
Median Home Values by County
Hover to display data / isolate trend line
Label Bosque County, colour darkslategray
Bosque County
Label Falls County, colour crimson
Falls County
Label Freestone County, colour teal
Freestone County
Label Hill County, colour lightsteelblue
Hill County
Label Limestone County, colour salmon
Limestone County
Label McLennan County, colour cornflowerblue
McLennan County
Data Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) is a measure of the typical home value and market changes across a given region and housing type. It reflects the typical value for homes in the 35th to 65th percentile range.
Lightcast, Bureau of Labor Statistics, US Census, Zillow, LAUS, Texas Workforce Commission
Data: