Workforce Solutions for the
Heart of Texas
Heart of Texas
Workforce Solutions Heart of Texas analyzes local and regional labor market data to provide businesses with current, in-depth information. The Heart of Texas Workforce Development Area consists of Bosque, Falls, Freestone, Hill, Limestone, and McLennan counties.
Region includes: Bosque, Falls, Freestone, Hill, Limestone, and McLennan Counties
Heart of Texas WDA Region - Data & Insights
6-County Region Population grew by 16,424 over the last 5 years and is projected to grow by 15,957 over the next 5 years.
386,670
Total Regional Employment grew by 7,068 over the last 5 years and are projected to grow by 11,803 over the next 5 years.
175,321
Regional average earnings per job are $18.8K below the national average earnings of $82.5K per job.
$64.7K
Employment, Unemployment, Labor Force, & Jobs Postings
Top current UI Claim Industries:
- Caterers
- School and employee bus transportation
- Temporary help services
- Nursing care facilities (skilled nursing facilities)
- Elementary and secondary schools
UI Claimants by Gender:
- Male: 335
- Female: 448
- Sex Unknown: 0
Unemployment Insurance Claims by Week
Heart of Texas Region
Data Source: Texas Workforce Commission
Labor Force, Employment, & Unemployment by Region
Area | Area Type | May 25 Labor Force | May 25 Employment | May 25 Unemployment | May 25 Rate | April 25 Labor Force | April 25 Employment | April 25 Unemployment | April 25 Rate | May 24 Labor Force | May 24 Employment | May 24 Unemployment | May 24 Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | State | 15,826,370 | 15,194,230 | 632,140 | 4% | 15,922,902 | 15,334,895 | 588,007 | 3.7% | 15,501,676 | 14,913,510 | 588,166 | 3.8% |
| Waco | MSA | 149,456 | 143,845 | 5,611 | 3.8% | 150,288 | 145,264 | 5,024 | 3.3% | 145,252 | 140,068 | 5,184 | 3.6% |
| Heart Of Texas | WDA | 185,200 | 178,177 | 7,023 | 3.8% | 186,303 | 179,997 | 6,306 | 3.4% | 180,038 | 173,516 | 6,522 | 3.6% |
| Bosque | County | 8,477 | 8,157 | 320 | 3.8% | 8,553 | 8,260 | 293 | 3.4% | 8,273 | 7,983 | 290 | 3.5% |
| Falls | County | 6,719 | 6,449 | 270 | 4% | 6,781 | 6,543 | 238 | 3.5% | 6,587 | 6,324 | 263 | 4% |
| Freestone | County | 7,451 | 7,120 | 331 | 4.4% | 7,494 | 7,194 | 300 | 4% | 7,236 | 6,924 | 312 | 4.3% |
| Hill | County | 18,830 | 18,147 | 683 | 3.6% | 18,998 | 18,380 | 618 | 3.3% | 18,342 | 17,667 | 675 | 3.7% |
| Limestone | County | 9,463 | 9,065 | 398 | 4.2% | 9,523 | 9,159 | 364 | 3.8% | 9,208 | 8,857 | 351 | 3.8% |
| McLennan | County | 134,260 | 129,239 | 5,021 | 3.7% | 134,954 | 130,461 | 4,493 | 3.3% | 130,392 | 125,761 | 4,631 | 3.6% |
| Waco | City | 72,751 | 69,923 | 2,828 | 3.9% | 73,093 | 70,584 | 2,509 | 3.4% | 70,629 | 68,041 | 2,588 | 3.7% |
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 (2-Digit) | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 1,353 | -6.3% |
| Retail Trade | 927 | 8.7% |
| Educational Services | 869 | 0.1% |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 742 | 13.9% |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 675 | -0.3% |
| Manufacturing | 565 | 6.4% |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 365 | 4.4% |
| Construction | 318 | 3.5% |
| Wholesale Trade | 314 | -1% |
| Finance and Insurance | 263 | 1.9% |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 176 | -26.7% |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 155 | -11.6% |
| Public Administration | 141 | -24.1% |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 135 | -17% |
| Information | 103 | 0% |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 52 | 28.8% |
| Utilities | 52 | -3.8% |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 45 | 11.1% |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 38 | -39.5% |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 8 | 37.5% |
Data Source: Lightcast
Top 20 Companies
Heart of Texas Region
Company | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings | Latest 30 Days Unique Postings % Change |
|---|---|---|
| Baylor Scott & White Health | 189 | 11.6% |
| Waco Independent School District | 162 | 3.1% |
| Waco Isd | 161 | -0.6% |
| Walmart | 114 | 16.7% |
| Ascension | 107 | -21.5% |
| Baylor University | 105 | 7.6% |
| Capital One | 91 | 20.9% |
| AccentCare | 84 | 25% |
| Iowa City Community School District | 84 | |
| Texas State Technical College | 63 | -66.7% |
| Brookshire Grocery Company | 61 | 13.1% |
| L3Harris Technologies | 60 | 13.3% |
| Taco Bell | 60 | 66.7% |
| Domino's Pizza | 59 | 0% |
| City Of Waco | 51 | -23.5% |
| TIC - The Industrial Company | 48 | 10.4% |
| Pizza Hut | 44 | 40.9% |
| Enhabit Home Health & Hospice | 43 | 67.4% |
| SpaceX | 43 | 41.9% |
| Compass Group | 40 | 25% |
Data Source: Lightcast
2-Digit SOC code data
Occupation Workforce Data
Occupation Concentration
Heart of Texas Region
Profession | 2024 Jobs | 2024 Median Salary | 2024 Average Hourly Wage | 2024 LQ (Occupation Concentration) | 2019-2024 % Change in Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Management | 27,942 | $64,373 | $42.6 | 1.29 | 30.95% |
| Office and Administrative Support | 24,246 | $40,141 | $21.64 | 1.02 | 4.13% |
| Sales and Related | 24,116 | $35,604 | $31.68 | 0.9 | 6.36% |
| Transportation and Material Moving | 17,532 | $37,165 | $22.39 | 0.94 | 23.51% |
| Business and Financial Operations | 16,088 | $71,079 | $50.72 | 0.86 | 43.56% |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | 15,946 | $27,805 | $14.24 | 1.06 | 3.73% |
| Construction and Extraction | 13,322 | $45,519 | $25.94 | 1.33 | 12.76% |
| Educational Instruction and Library | 12,801 | $55,443 | $29.25 | 1.15 | -13.1% |
| Production | 12,801 | $39,594 | $21.39 | 1.25 | 4.8% |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | 10,137 | $47,884 | $25.56 | 1.24 | 14.52% |
| Healthcare Practitioners and Technical | 9,662 | $78,509 | $47.93 | 0.85 | 13.41% |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | 7,295 | $30,391 | $17.99 | 0.93 | -2.3% |
| Healthcare Support | 7,281 | $30,309 | $17.09 | 0.78 | 1.86% |
| Personal Care and Service | 6,833 | $29,422 | $20.98 | 0.87 | 0.36% |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | 5,156 | $44,809 | $33.16 | 0.72 | 11.62% |
| Protective Service | 4,407 | $52,824 | $27.81 | 1.06 | -1.54% |
| Community and Social Service | 3,409 | $52,015 | $27.45 | 0.94 | -2.7% |
| Computer and Mathematical | 3,182 | $80,720 | $43.89 | 0.51 | 14.56% |
| Farming, Fishing, and Forestry | 2,272 | $27,958 | $17.81 | 1.52 | 1.24% |
| Architecture and Engineering | 2,211 | $85,928 | $46.8 | 0.7 | 0.27% |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | 1,939 | $68,297 | $41.93 | 0.89 | 14.5% |
| Legal | 1,197 | $78,153 | $52.45 | 0.66 | 11.19% |
| Military-only | 386 | $38,641 | $24.11 | 0.39 | -5.6% |
Data Source: Lightcast
2-Digit NAICS code data
Industry Workforce Data
Industry Characteristics
Heart of Texas Region
Industry | 2024 Jobs | 2024 Average Earnings Per Worker | 2024 LQ (Industry Concentration) | 2019-2024 % Change in Jobs | 2024 GRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government | 29,230 | $75,833 | 1.11 | 1.24% | 2643.37M |
| Retail Trade | 22,016 | $40,064 | 1.07 | 9.55% | 1726.77M |
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 20,788 | $67,966 | 0.79 | 6.14% | 1633.39M |
| Manufacturing | 19,718 | $88,069 | 1.39 | 9.31% | 3655.98M |
| Accommodation and Food Services | 17,133 | $25,109 | 1.06 | 8.64% | 704.66M |
| Construction | 16,620 | $66,730 | 1.29 | 18.39% | 1474.71M |
| Finance and Insurance | 15,736 | $69,564 | 1.08 | 44.09% | 1955.36M |
| Other Services (except Public Administration) | 12,571 | $33,013 | 0.98 | 3.19% | 470.85M |
| Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services | 11,685 | $38,976 | 0.87 | -3.07% | 595.2M |
| Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting | 11,428 | $24,609 | 3 | 1.36% | 535.43M |
| Real Estate and Rental and Leasing | 9,925 | $56,119 | 0.74 | 39.18% | 3341.26M |
| Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services | 9,539 | $83,892 | 0.55 | 29.3% | 1078.03M |
| Transportation and Warehousing | 9,323 | $48,383 | 0.72 | 36.21% | 667.83M |
| Educational Services | 7,890 | $72,042 | 1.43 | -25.17% | 708.58M |
| Wholesale Trade | 7,723 | $77,847 | 1.06 | 29.63% | 1280.96M |
| Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction | 2,840 | $133,687 | 2.52 | 15.43% | 1120.26M |
| Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation | 2,683 | $25,357 | 0.54 | 11.5% | 96.97M |
| Management of Companies and Enterprises | 2,185 | $58,794 | 0.68 | 28.19% | 141.75M |
| Information | 1,780 | $57,806 | 0.43 | 12.71% | 305.17M |
| Utilities | 1,032 | $154,691 | 1.54 | -0.13% | 704.4M |
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 | 12,152 | 4,544 | 7,608 |
| Sales and Related | 7,795 | 10,575 | -2,780 |
| Management | 6,057 | 5,430 | 627 |
| Office and Administrative Support | 5,301 | 13,141 | -7,840 |
| Transportation and Material Moving | 4,857 | 11,344 | -6,487 |
| Food Preparation and Serving Related | 4,424 | 22,378 | -17,954 |
| Installation, Maintenance, and Repair | 4,369 | 4,398 | -29 |
| Educational Instruction and Library | 3,915 | 4,613 | -698 |
| Healthcare Support | 2,933 | 6,160 | -3,227 |
| Production | 2,688 | 6,936 | -4,248 |
| Business and Financial Operations | 2,513 | 4,652 | -2,139 |
| Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance | 1,962 | 4,001 | -2,039 |
| Construction and Extraction | 1,914 | 7,076 | -5,162 |
| Community and Social Service | 1,534 | 1,619 | -85 |
| Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media | 1,523 | 1,124 | 399 |
| Computer and Mathematical | 1,169 | 1,471 | -302 |
| Architecture and Engineering | 976 | 898 | 78 |
| Protective Service | 930 | 1,738 | -808 |
| Life, Physical, and Social Science | 768 | 848 | -80 |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Organizational Communications | 615 | -8.8% |
| Special Education | 606 | -7.6% |
| Merchandising | 583 | 12.3% |
| Individualized Education Programs (IEP) | 551 | -9.6% |
| Learning Styles | 517 | -17.6% |
| Lesson Planning | 500 | -13% |
| Nursing | 498 | -20.9% |
| Curriculum Development | 480 | -12.3% |
| Educational Assessment | 465 | -12% |
| Learning Strategies | 459 | -10.7% |
| Effective Communication | 451 | -10% |
| Restaurant Operation | 421 | 0.2% |
| Food Safety And Sanitation | 406 | 2% |
| Housekeeping | 349 | 10.3% |
| Office Equipment | 349 | -11.2% |
| Selling Techniques | 343 | -2.3% |
| Marketing | 331 | -9.1% |
| Machinery | 325 | 5.5% |
| Auditing | 323 | 9.6% |
| Hand Tools | 307 | 13.7% |
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
Region | Population with Bachelor's Degree or Higher | Bachelor's Degree or Higher % of Population |
|---|---|---|
| Bosque County, TX | 2,476 | 18.35% |
| Falls County, TX | 1,551 | 12.61% |
| Freestone County, TX | 2,228 | 15.89% |
| Hill County, TX | 4,431 | 17.55% |
| Limestone County, TX | 2,469 | 16.2% |
| McLennan County, TX | 43,534 | 26.48% |
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 | 2023 Completions | 2010-2023 Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 8,381 | 3.3K 8.4K |
| Education | 2,119 | 0.1K 2.1K |
| Health Professions and Related Programs | 1,052 | 0.9K 1.1K |
| Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services | 919 | 0.5K 0.9K |
| Psychology | 559 | 0.1K 0.6K |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | 458 | 0.2K 0.5K |
| Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services | 421 | 0.2K 0.4K |
| Engineering/Engineering-related Technologies/Technicians | 362 | 0.2K 0.4K |
| Engineering | 350 | 0.3K 0.4K |
| Homeland Security, Law Enforcement, Firefighting and Related Protective Services | 341 | 0.2K 0.3K |
Data Source: Lightcast
Degrees by Institution
Heart of Texas Region: Includes all certificates and degrees
Institution | 2023 Completions | 2010-2023 Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Baylor University | 6,143 | 3.7K 6.1K |
| Texas State Technical College | 2,525 | 0K 2.5K |
| McLennan Community College | 1,713 | 0.8K 1.7K |
| Hill College | 621 | 0.5K 0.6K |
| Southern Careers Institute-Waco | 122 | 0K 0.1K |
| ATI Career Training Center-Waco (not current) | 0 | 0K 0K |
| ITT Technical Institute-Waco (not current) | 0 | 0K 0K |
| Texas State Technical College-Waco (not current) | 0 | 1K 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
2024 Jobs
2024 Resident Workers
2024 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
McLennan County
Hill County
Limestone County
Freestone County
Bosque County
Falls 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: