What are County Narrative Profiles?

The Labor Market and Career Information (LMCI) department of the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has developed the County Narrative Profile (CNP) as a tool for presenting Texas county based statistical data in an easy-to-read narrative format. This CNP module is one of many analytical tools available from the SOCRATES labor market information system. The narrative approach is an alternative to looking through stacks of tables and charts which can be confusing and difficult to understand or interpret. It allows the user to easily request an easy to understand report on one or more of the 254 counties in Texas. To review all the current TWC's initiatives and services, link to: http://www.twc.state.tx.us

Geography

Regional Information: The Hockley region (FIPS code:48219) had an estimated population of 22,716 in 2000. The region consists of 909 square miles with a population density of 24.99 residents per square mile compared to a statewide density of 79.54. This county ranked 105^th in 2000 population compared to all 254 counties in Texas. Hockley is a member of TWC's South Plains Local Workforce Development region. This area is a rural county. This county also ranked 148^th in size by square miles when compared to all counties in Texas. The Hockley area is assigned to the following district(s): Texas Representative District(s) of 83 and State Senatorial District(s) of 28. The area is in the U.S. Congressional District(s) of: 19. The county seat is Levelland and the county's major city, town or place is Levelland. See Texas Online at http://www.state.tx.us/category.jsp?language=eng&categoryId=11.1 for State and local updates. Hockley is classified as a rural county by virtue of either its close relationship with a significant central city or lack thereof. Using 2000 Census population data, roughly 86.05 percent of all Texas population could be found in the 76 metropolitan counties defined by the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for 2003. In 1993 the county was classified as a rural county. Texas has established a network of 24 Councils of Government (COGs) to assist local governments in planning for common needs and to coordinate regional economic development activity. Hockley falls within the South Plains Association of Governments region. For additional information and links to the COG regions see www.txregionalcouncil.org/.

The Office of the State Climatologist in College Station, under the guidance of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, maintains 10-year intervals of weather compilations. For most recent interval as of January 1, 1993, the rainfall in the region averages 19.3 inches per year compared to the Texas average of 30.1 inches per year. The average growing season in the Hockley region is 196 days. Texas is so climatically diverse that statewide averages are generally irrelevant as a means of comparison. The average temperature in January gathered by the Office of the State Climatologist ranges from 22 degrees to an average for July of 92 degrees. The Texas Department of Agriculture estimates the freeze dates range from Oct 28 to Apr 15. Current and past climate information can be found at http://www.farmersalmanac.com/weather/uszone5.html and http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/ncdc.html.

Natural amenities of the area, according to the U.S. Department of Interior, reflect an overall percent of surface water of 0.0 percent compared to 2.5 percent statewide. The land surface form topography for the region is described as smooth plains. Considerably more detailed information can be found at: http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/texaswater/sb1/ and http://www.netstate.com/states/geography/tx_geography.htm.

Local Workforce Boards: Hockley is a member of the TWC South Plains local workforce board area. In order to contact the board or TWC's Tele Center by phone, call 1-800-939-6631. Local addresses, references to specific needs and services can be found at the South Plains web site at http://www.twc.state.tx.us/dirs/wdas/wda02.html. For further information on all Local Workforce Board go to http://www.twc.state.tx.us/dirs/wdbs/wdbmap.html.

Population

According to the 2000 Census, Texas grew from 16,986,510 in 1990 to 20,851,820 in 2000 reflecting an increase of 22.8 percent growth. During this same time period, the Hockley region had a decrease from 24,199 persons to 22,716 persons which reflected a -6.1 percent change. A variety of data topics for Texas and all the counties is available at: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48000.html.

The region's race/ethnic distibution in 2000 is estimated by the Census Bureau to be:

Race/Ethnicity	Population	Area Percent	Statewide Percent
White	16,897	74.4	70.97
Black	846	3.7	11.53
Other	225	1.0	3.33
Hispanic�	8,459	37.2	31.99

� Hispanic count includes White, Black and other representation when reported.

Population Age

The age distribution of an area can provide valuable insight into the region's economic composition and income potential. By national standards, Texas has a relatively young population. The 2000 Census estimates for Texas show a population composition as follows:

Age	Population	Area Percent	Statewide
Under 5	1,646	7.2	7.8
5-14	3,659	16.1	15.8
15-19	2,361	10.4	7.8
20-44	7,509	33.1	38.5
45-64	4,675	20.6	20.2
65+	2,866	12.6	9.9

While the median age for Texas was 32.30 years in 2000, the Hockley area had a median age of 33.30 according to the 2000 Census.

Population Gender

The gender distribution of an area can provide additional insight into the region's overall distribution in the population by male and female. Of the area's population, 11,146 were male which represents 49.1 percent and 11,570 were female which represents 50.9 percent. This compares to the statewide percentage of 49.6 percent for male and 50.4 percent for female.

Special Age Groups and Gender

Youth and Older Workers: Other age cohorts may be of special interest for Workforce Development Board's summer youth programs and older worker programs. The Hockley region has 4,581 persons age 14-21 representing 17.2 percent of the population. This compares with 13.3 percent statewide. For the potential older age cohort, 2,979 persons or 11.2 percent are 55 or over in the Hockley region based on the 2000 Census. This compares to 9.9 percent statewide.

Ages 25-44: If the population cohort 45 and over is higher than the state average, this suggests a stable, mature population comprised of mainly "empty-nesters," retirees and the aged. When the 25-44 age cohort is higher than the state average, this is a healthy economic situation since this group contains the greatest share of the labor force. Decreases over time in this group, especially when similar changes are not occurring statewide, can be an indication that people are moving out of an area they consider to be a poor labor market. In Hockley the total number in the age groups of 25 to 44, was 7,387 or 27.7 percent. This compares to a statewide percentage of 31.9 percent.

Ages 18 and Older: For the population generally considered in the ages to participate in the labor market, the total population who were 18 years and over totaled 14,965,061 in Texas which represented 71.8 percent of the total population. In this study area, the total persons in this age group was 16,098 or 70.9 percent of the total population. Within this age group in Texas the number of males in 2000 who were 18 years and over represented 7,338,177 persons or 35.2 percent of the total population while females age 18 years and over represented 7,626,884 or 36.6 percent. In the Hockley area, males 18 and over represented 7,721 or 34.0 percent in comparison and females totaled to 8,377 or 36.9 percent.

Veteran Status: According to the U.S. Bureau of Census, the area had 16,095 persons in the population age 18 years and older in the year 2000. Of that number, 1,640 or 10.2 percent responded as being a civilian veteran, compared to 11.8 percent statewide. A "civilian veteran" is a person 18 years old or over who has served (even for a short time), but is not now serving, on active duty in the U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, or the Coast Guard, or who served in the U.S. Merchant Marine during World War II. People who served in the National Guard or military Reserves are classified as veterans only if they were ever called or ordered to active duty, not counting the 4-6 months for initial training or yearly summer camps.

Disability Status: From the 2000 Census, data on Disability Status were derived when respondents reported long-lasting conditions: (a) blindness, deafness, or a severe vision or hearing impairment, (sensory disability) and (b) a condition that substantially limits one or more basic physical activities such as walking, climbing stairs, reaching, lifting, or carrying (physical disability). Disability status was also derived if the individuals in the working age range of 21 to 64 years had a physical, mental, or emotional condition lasting 6 months or more that made it difficult to perform certain activities such as: (a) learning, remembering, or concentrating (mental disability); (b) dressing, bathing, or getting around inside the home (self-care disability); (c) going outside the home alone to shop or visit a doctor's office (going outside the home disability); and (d) working at a job or business (employment disability).

It was reported in the 2000 Census that the area had an estimated 6,355 persons residing there between the ages of 5 to 20 years of age with approximately 509 or 8.0 percent with a disability. In Texas, the percent with disabilities in this same age bracket was 7.9 percent. In the working age population group - ages 21 to 64 years, the area had approximately 11,793 persons, of which 2,448 were categorized to be in a disability status. This represented 20.8 percent compared to 19.9 percent in the state overall. For those persons in this age group that had a disability, approximately 1,295 or 52.9 percent were employed. For those who had no disability, an estimated 6,990 or 74.8 percent were employed. For the retirement age group of 65 years of age and older, 2,654 persons resided of which 1,254 were disabled. The percent of this age group with a disabled status was 47.2 percent and this compared to 44.8 percent in Texas overall.

Ages 65 and Older: For the population who are considered to be at the age of retirement or older - 65 years and older, the total number of persons in Texas was 2,072,532 or 9.9 percent of the total population in 2000. This region had a total of 2,866 or 12.6 percent in this older age group. In the same age group of 65 years and over, males in Texas represented 862,181 or 4.1 percent of the total population and females totaled to 1,210,351 or 5.8 percent, while in this study area, males totaled to 1,188 or 5.2 percent of all persons in this area and females represented 1,678 or 7.4 percent of all persons. For other general and special population information from the 2000 Census as well as specific populations topics, link to http://www.census.gov/census2000/states/tx.html.

Population Projections

The Office of the State Demographer for the State of Texas distributes the most widely used population projections for Texas. Projection estimates in these tables and the methodology for migration scenarios have been revised as of June, 2004 by the Texas State Data Center and Office of the State Demographer - now housed at University of Texas San Antonio. Each projection series includes three scenarios resulting in three alternative sets of population values for the State and each county are presented in these projections. These scenarios assume the same set of mortality and fertility assumptions in each scenario but differ in their assumptions relative to net migration. The net migration assumptions made for three scenarios are derived from 1990-2000 patterns which have been altered relative to expected future population trends. This is done by systematically and uniformly altering the adjusted 1990-2000 net migration rates by age, sex and race/ethnicity. The scenarios so produced are referred to as the zero migration (0.0) scenario, the one-half 1990-2000 (0.5) scenario, the 1990-2000 (1.0) scenario and the 1990-2000 (2.0) scenario.

The recommended scenario for most county based projection reporting used is believed to be the 0.5 scenario as most appropriate scenario for most counties in Texas. This scenario has been prepared as an approximate average of the zero (0.0) and 1990-2000 (1.0) scenarios. It assumes rates of net migration one-half of those of the 1990s. The reason for including this scenario is that many counties in the State are unlikely to continue to experience the overall levels of relatively extensive growth of the 1990s. A scenario which projects rates of population growth that are approximately an average of the zero and the 1990-2000 scenarios is one that suggests slower but steadier growth than occurred during 1990-2000 (For a more detailed discussion see http://txsdc.utsa.edu).

Using this projection scenario, the following table represents population projections for Hockley:

Population Projections and Percent Change Since 2000*
Year	Total	Pct Chg	Anglo	Pct Chg	Black	Pct Chg	Hispanic	Pct Chg	Other	Pct Chg
2000	22,716	---	13,261	---	860	---	8,459	---	136	---
2005	23,729	4.5	13,226	-0.3	913	6.2	9,452	11.7	138	1.5
2010	24,714	8.8	13,164	-0.7	959	11.5	10,450	23.5	141	3.7
2015	25,365	11.7	12,979	-2.1	984	14.4	11,256	33.1	146	7.4
2020	25,793	13.5	12,703	-4.2	997	15.9	11,942	41.2	151	11.0
2025	26,081	14.8	12,332	-7.0	988	14.9	12,612	49.1	149	9.6
2030	26,363	16.1	11,955	-9.8	984	14.4	13,280	57.0	144	5.9
2035	26,467	16.5	11,508	-13.2	969	12.7	13,854	63.8	136	0.0
2040	26,330	15.9	10,986	-17.2	930	8.1	14,286	68.9	128	-5.9

* Anglo, Black,and Other excludes Hispanic counts.

For comparison purposes, the Texas population projections, using the same scenario methodology, are as follows:

Population Projections and Percent Change Since 2000*
Year	Total	Pct Chg	Anglo	Pct Chg	Black	Pct Chg	Hispanic	Pct Chg	Other	Pct Chg
2000	20,851,820	---	11,074,716	---	2,421,653	---	6,669,666	---	685,785	---
2005	22,556,027	8.2	11,327,876	2.3	2,588,603	6.9	7,820,842	17.3	818,706	19.4
2010	24,330,643	16.7	11,533,980	4.1	2,754,737	13.8	9,080,466	36.1	961,460	40.2
2015	26,156,761	25.4	11,694,534	5.6	2,913,059	20.3	10,436,556	56.5	1,112,612	62.2
2020	28,005,792	34.3	11,796,479	6.5	3,052,412	26.0	11,882,993	78.2	1,273,908	85.8
2025	29,897,444	43.4	11,830,586	6.8	3,170,981	30.9	13,448,477	101.6	1,447,400	111.1
2030	31,830,579	52.7	11,789,292	6.5	3,268,611	35.0	15,140,088	127.0	1,632,588	138.1
2035	33,789,670	62.0	11,682,021	5.5	3,345,693	38.2	16,934,443	153.9	1,827,513	166.5
2040	35,761,159	71.5	11,525,083	4.1	3,403,176	40.5	18,804,297	181.9	2,028,603	195.8

* Anglo, Black,and Other excludes Hispanic counts.

County to County Migration

Out Migration: Using Internal Revenue Service (IRS) information regarding changes in residences between two filing years 2005 and 2006, statistics regarding moving in and out of counties can reveal patterns of migration as well as patterns of out-of-state and foreign migration to and from selected counties. During this time Hockley reported 7,451 total tax were matched to tabulate outflow migration. Of these returns approximately 8.3 percent showed a change in residences by moving out from their originating county in 2005 to another county in 2006. Of these who moved out of their original county, 86.7 percent moved to another county within Texas, while 13.3 percent moved to a different state but within the U.S. Those who moved from their originating county in the year 2005 to a foreign country in 2006 was approximately 0.0 percent.

In-Migration: During the period 2005 to 2006, there were approximately 7,409 total tax returns were matched to calculate inflow migration. Of these returns approximately 7.7 percent showed a change in residences by moving in from their originating county in 2005 to a county in the study area in 2006. Of these who moved into the study area from another county, 81.5 percent moved from other counties in Texas, while 18.5 percent moved from a county in a different state but within the U.S. Those who moved into the study area during the 2005-2006 period from a foreign country was approximately 0.0 percent.

Vital Statistics: According to the Texas Department of State Health Services for vital statistics for the year 2002, the Hockley area had a total of 347 live births which represents a live birth rate of 15.3 births for every 1,000 persons in the study area compared to a statewide rate of 16.7 births per 1,000 persons in the population. The area had a total of 219 deaths representing a rate of 9.7 for every 1,000 persons compared to a statewide rate of 7.0.

Employment

Civilian Labor Force (CLF): The most recent civilian labor force estimates from TWC for Texas statewide in June 2007 is 11,617,689 which is an increase in the labor force of 53,573 persons since June 2006. This represents a 0.5 percent change in Texas during this time period. These estimates are not seasonally adjusted. Hockley had a civilian labor force of 11,445 for June 2007 which was a change of -300 in CLF since June 2006. This change represented a decrease of -2.6 percent for the study area. For another glimpse into TWC/LMI's Texas and County information, link to: http://www.tracer2.com/cgi/dataanalysis/AreaSelection.asp?tableName=Labforce.

Economic Diversification: Relative to the Texas economy, the LMCI economic diversification index measures the degree to which a county economy is diversified. Significant concentrations of employment in only one or two industrial sectors makes an area less diversified and more susceptible to widespread economic decline should a key sector suffer a significant loss. While economic diversification or a balanced distribution of employment across all major industry sectors, is generally desirable, in some cases, especially where a region is exploiting a comparative advantage (such as access to raw materials, access to transportation routes, etc.) a statistically diverse economy does not necessarily correlate with higher growth. Of the three levels of diversification ranging from below average, average and above average, Hockley had an economic base which is of average diversity.

Employment By Major Industry Sector: The most recent employment data from TWC by major industrial sector for Hockley compared to Texas are shown below in a table for two years. The Department of Labor calls these major categories "Super Sectors". One advantage in reviewing employment changes at broad industrial levels is that it allows for a unique snapshot of major differences in the total civilian labor force for a selected study area when compared to any larger statewide trend. When employment changes at a higher rate than the state, there may be comparative advantages in the local economy which are driving these changes. Conversely, when change is at a lower rate, then the Super Sector is showing less growth in comparison to the state and may consequently have a smaller comparative change impact.

Hockley	AREA EMPLOYMENT				STATEWIDE EMPLOYMENT
Industry Sector	2005 1st Qtr	2006 1st Qtr	Abs Chg	Pct Chg	2005 1st Qtr	2006 1st Qtr	Abs Chg	Pct Chg
Total, All Industries	7,900	8,352	452	5.72	9,398,289	9,731,814	333,525	3.55
Natural Resources & Mining	1,472	1,850	378	25.68	220,234	236,591	16,357	7.43
Construction	408	405	-3	-0.74	580,548	622,404	41,856	7.21
Manufacturing	251	223	-28	-11.16	893,942	914,914	20,972	2.35
Trade, Transport. & Utilities	1,307	1,413	106	8.11	2,045,349	2,104,863	59,514	2.91
Information	32	33	1	3.13	229,026	229,123	97	0.04
Financial Activities Group	271	262	-9	-3.32	593,696	613,568	19,872	3.35
Prof., Business & Other Svcs	215	200	-15	-6.98	1,123,432	1,205,612	82,180	7.32
Education & Health Svcs.	2,424	2,380	-44	-1.82	2,138,054	2,183,614	45,560	2.13
Leisure & Hospitality Group	409	509	100	24.45	897,022	926,088	29,066	3.24
Other Services	NA	NA	NA	NA	273,575	275,605	2,030	0.74
Public Administration	241	256	15	6.22	392,759	408,486	15,727	4.00
Nonclassified	NA	NA	NA	NA	10,652	10,946	294	2.76

Compared to Texas, the table above shows employment sectors in Hockley changed at a higher rate for Natural Resources & Mining, Trade, Transport. & Utilities, Information, Leisure & Hospitality Group and Public Administration between 1st quarter 2005 and 1st quarter 2006. During that same time period, area employment for Construction, Manufacturing, Financial Activities Group, Prof., Business & Other Svcs and Education & Health Svcs. changed at a lower rate when compared to Texas.

Occupations: The best source of occupational information at the county level is from the 2000 Census. The total number of persons 16 years of age or older who were employed in Hockley during the 2000 Census was 9,572. The following presents a table of those employed by occupational categories for this region compared to statewide percentages:

Occupational Categories	Count	Area Percent	Statewide Percent
Mgmt., Professional Occs.	2,629	27.5	33.3
Service Occupations	1,535	16.0	14.6
Sales and Office Occupations	2,321	24.2	27.2
Farming/Fishing/Forestry Occs.	355	3.7	0.7
Constr., Extraction Occs.	1,394	14.6	10.9
Production, Transport. Occs.	1,338	14.0	13.2

Class of Worker: Another way to view the types of workers in an area's labor force is by class of worker. According to the 2000 Census, the area had 6,897 employees who were private wage and salary workers representing 72.1 percent of all workers. The region had another 1,710 persons who were government workers or 17.9 percent, 905 who were self employed workers or 9.5 percent and 60 who were unpaid family workers representing 0.6 percent. This compares to the Texas statewide distribution of 78.0 percent for private wage and salary workers, 14.6 percent for government workers, 7.1 percent for self employed, and 0.3 percent for unpaid family workers.

Unemployment: According to TWC unemployment figures for June 2007 Hockley had an unemployment estimate of 492 persons which represents a rate of 4.3 compared to a Texas statewide unemployment rate of 4.6 for the same month. For the study area these estimates represent a decrease from June 2006 unemployment rate of 5.0 percent. The Texas statewide unemployment rate was 5.5 for June 2006. For the latest unemployment rates, see TWC's LMI website - Unemployment Rates (LAUS): http://www.tracer2.com/cgi/dataanalysis/AreaSelection.asp?tableName=Labforce and for a description of methodology link to: http://www.tracer2.com/article.asp?ARTICLEID=148.

Reporting Establishments: The TWC indicates 588 business reporting units operating in Hockley in the first quarter of 2006 with an average of 14.20 workers per unit. Average firm size makes a difference for job hunting and job development strategy because larger firms tend to have better defined ports of entry and in-house training capabilities. Although definitions vary greatly, small business can be defined as less than 50 workers and medium sized is 250 or less. The Texas average is 23.12 workers per unit. Regions with higher than average number of workers per unit tend to be dominated economically by a few very large employers.

Commuting to Work: Commuting to work for workers 16 years and over has a number of implications for transportation and municipal services study. Hockley had a total of 7,259 or 77.8 percent who drove their car to work alone, 1,498 or 16.1 percent who car pooled, 30 or 0.3 percent used public transportation, 195 or 2.1 percent who walked to work, 135 or 1.4 percent of regional workers who used other means to work, and 211 or 2.3 percent who worked at home. These methods of commuting to work compare to the Texas statewide results by: car alone (77.7%), car pool (14.5%), public transportation (1.9%), walked (1.9%), other means (1.3%), and worked at home (2.8%). The average travel time to work in minutes was 22.40 for the region as compared to an overall statewide average of 25.4 minutes.

Employers by Employee Size Class: According to the information used by the SOCRATES labor market information system which utilizes the American Labor Market Information System's (ALMIS) employer contact data from INFOUSA, Inc. for Fall, 2004, the area had approximately 161 establishments which employed 10 or more employees. Of these employers, approximately 0.0 percent employed over 1000 employees. 0.6 percent employed between approximately 500 and 999 employees, 5.0 percent employed between approximately 100 and 499 employees, 12.4 percent employed between 50 and 99 employees, 32.3 percent employed between 20 and 49 employees, and 49.7 percent employed between approximately 10 and 19 employees.

Top 11 Manufacturers for the Hockley Region:

Worley Welding Works Inc

Big Bear Oil Field Svc Inc

Oxy Permian

Levelland Compress Co

Walsh Petroleum Inc

Occidental Permian Ltd

Boggs Manufacturing

Levelland Delinting Inc

Halliburton Energy Svc

Morgan Welding Inc

Anadarko Petroleum Corp

Income

Personal Income: According to the most recent data released by the BEA 2005, Hockley's total personal income, excluding farm, was $555,444,000 which represented an increase of $29,890,000 when compared to the 2004 total personal income, excluding farm, of $ 525,554,000. For Statewide personal income, the total of $686,943,289,000 for 2004 and $741,099,703,000 for the year 2004, shows an increase of $54,156,414,000. This indicates that Hockley has a personal income showing a rate change of 5.7 percent compared to the statewide income at a rate change of 7.9 percent for the same period. Income from all government and government enterprises for the area was a total of $73,157,000 for the year 2005. This was an increase of 3.8 percent from the 2004 figure of $70,512,000. Texas statewide had an increase of 5.7 percent for government income. Military income, excluding federal civilian income, for 2005 was $2,079,000 compared to $1,863,000 in 2004 for the study area. This was an increase of 11.6 percent compared to a statewide change of no change percent for the same period. For further information link to: http://www.bea.gov/bea/regional/reis.

Per Capita Income: Total personal income is a widely used measure of regional economic health while per capita income is generally used to compare the relative well-being of residents across areas (not accounting for differences in area cost of living). The per capita personal income for 2005 was $25,274 in Hockley while Texas statewide had a per capita income of $32,460. For more information on this data, please go to http://www.bea.gov/bea/regional/reis.

Government Transfer Payments: The Hockley region received over $130,988,000 in transfer of payments in FY2005 which reflected a $5,751 per capita transfer payment compared to the Texas per capita payment of $4,194. Transfer payments includes the total amount of government allocations to people who qualify for income assistance. This consists largely of supplemental security income payments, family assistance, general assistance payments, food stamp payments, and other assistance payments, including emergency assistance. For more information on this data, please go to http://www.bea.gov/bea/regional/reis.

Residence Adjustment: Some areas function as major employment centers and others serve as "bedroom communities". This means that residents may work in one region but live, pay taxes and spend most of their income in their resident region. The degree to which a regional area serves as a bedroom community can be measured by a "residence adjustment" to the area personal income. The residence adjustment in the Hockley region was $46,620 in 2004. By 2005 the adjustment represented an increase to $51,288. A negative number implies that workers commute into the region to earn income but do not reside there. Growth over time of negative residence adjustments generally implies an eroding tax base for the region. Similarly, a positive figure implies that on balance the region exports jobs and income to residents of other regions. For more information on this data, please go to http://www.bea.gov/bea/regional/reis.

Average Weekly Wage: TWC reported an average weekly wage during 1^st quarter 2005 for all covered wages and salaried employment in the Hockley region to be $519.80. Average weekly wages for 1^st quarter 2006 was $594.01, an increase of 14.3 percent. This is compared to an increase of 8.7 percent statewide for the same period of time. The Texas statewide average weekly wage in the 1^st quarter of 2006 was $824.72. These wage data are the result of the reported quarterly wages and salaries paid by employers divided by 13 weeks. For the most current information, link to: http://www.tracer2.com/cgi/dataanalysis/AreaSelection.asp?tableName=Industry

UI Benefits: The region had $771,524 in Unemployment Insurance benefits paid during calendar year 2001. In the Hockley region, the average duration before exhausting regular UI benefits in calendar year 2001 was approximately 18.26 weeks, while the statewide average duration before exhausting regular UI benefits in calendar year 2001 was approximately 15.85 weeks. The most likely interpretation of longer duration times is greater difficulty finding a job. Therefore, duration can serve as a good barometer for local general economic conditions. The average weekly benefits payment for Regular UI in 2001 was $201.23 for the Hockley region compared to $238.53 in Texas statewide.

Personal Income by Place of Residence: Personal income by place of residence, based on the 2000 Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) estimates was roughly $59,785 for the Hockley region. This compares to $78,626 statewide. This figure is much higher than the per capita income level because it includes all wage earners living within a single household. Also, income data from BEA will be different than income data from other agencies due to that fact the BEA includes other sources of income such as farm wages, dividends, interest, rent and transfer payments. For more information on this data, please go to http://www.bea.gov/bea/regional/reis.

Poverty Population: The U.S. Department of Census estimated a 2002 poverty population for the Hockley region for people of all ages at 3,805 persons. That figure represents 16.8 percent of the non-institutional population compared to a Texas percentage of 15.4 percent for people of all ages. The estimated number of people under the age of 18 in the study area in poverty was 1,607 in 1999. This figure was 6.5 percent of all people under 18 in the study area compared to Texas statewide which was 6.0 percent of all people under 18 as estimated in 1999. According to the 2000 Census, the number of families living below poverty status in 1999 were 904 which was 14.8 percent of all families in the study area. This compared to 12.0 percent of all families statewide living in poverty status in 1999. The total number of individuals living below poverty status was 4,169 in 1999 which was 18.4 percent of all individuals in the study area. This compared to 15.0 percent of all individuals living below poverty status statewide. For the most recent Poverty information, see: http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/saipe/county.html .

Gross Retail Sales: Income can be viewed in several ways and under different definitions. Per capita income tends to have a direct relationship with the growth of gross sales and most service sector industries in an area. Gross sales for the region estimated by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts were $61,689,642 in the 3^rd quarter 2005 which represented a decrease of -4.0 percent to $59,240,765.00 by the 3^rd quarter 2006. The statewide change for the same period was an increase of 2.8 percent in gross sales. The total number of reporting outlets for the same period was 229 in the 3^rd quarter 2005 and 196 in the 3^rd quarter 2006. This region had a decrease of -14.4 percent in the study area compared to the statewide change for the same period of a decrease of -13.1 percent. For the most recent Gross Retail Sales information, please see: http://www.window.state.tx.us/taxinfo/sales/.

Housing

Household Units and Size: The total number of housing units in 2000 in Hockley according the Census was 7,994 with an average household size of 2.8 persons. The average household size for Texas was 2.7 persons for the same period. Home ownership rates for this area was 74.4 percent compared to Texas statewide which had a rate of 63.8 percent. While in Texas statewide the percent of households with persons under 18 years of age in 2000 was 40.9 percent, this study area had a percent of 42.5. The percent of households with persons 65 years of age or older was 19.9 percent in Texas statewide while 25.0 percent of Hockley had households with individuals 65 years of age and older.

Types of Structures: While Texas had approximately 63.4 percent of the housing units in the category of one detached structures in 2000 according to the census, the study area had approximately 73.5 percent. Mobile homes in the area made up 17.7 percent when compared to a statewide percentage of 9.0 percent. More recently built housing structures in the area shows new development has taken place in the region. The total number of new housing structures built between 1995 and March 2000 was 522 or 5.7 percent in Hockley compared to 13.2 percent statewide.

Owner and Renter Occupied: According to the 2000 Census, the percent of owner-occupied units with a value of $100,000 or greater in Hockley was 10.7 percent compared to 36.7 percent for the state. The percent of renter-occupied units with rent values of $500 per month or greater was 22.0 percent as compared to the Texas percentage of 60.4 percent. The median home value in Hockley according to the 2000 census was $50,400.00 compared to a statewide median value of $82,500.00. Median rent for the area was $410.00 compared to $574.00 for the state. For this area, the total number of renter-occupied housing units was 2,046 which represented 25.6 percent of all occupied housing units in 2000. This compares to a Texas statewide percentage of 36.2 percent for the same period.

Education

The total number of public independent school districts in Hockley for the school year 1999-2000 was 6 according to the Texas Education Agency. The overall average daily attendance for the same year was 4,698.

Enrollment: School enrollment data from the 2000 Census showed that there were 6,942 persons in the population who were 3 years of age and older and enrolled in school in the study area during the census collection period. Of this population, the following table shows a breakdown of what types of schools persons were enrolled compared to similar statewide information:

Type of School	Count	Area Percent	Statewide Percent
Nursery school or preschool	388	5.6	6.6
Kindergarten	349	5.0	5.9
Elementary School (grades 1-8)	3,087	44.5	45.5
High School (grades 9-12)	1,607	23.1	21.9
College or graduate school	1,511	21.8	20.2

Educational Attainment: The total number of persons 25 years of age or older who responded to the level of educational attainment during the 2000 Census was 13,466. Of those persons, the following presents a table on various levels of educational attainment for this region compared to statewide percentages:

Educational Attainment	Count	Area Percent	Statewide Percent
Less than 9th Grade	2,116	15.7	11.5
9^th to 12^th grade, no diploma	2,165	16.1	12.9
H.S. graduate (inc. equiv.)	3,532	26.2	24.8
Some college, no degree	2,845	21.1	22.4
Associate Degree	983	7.3	5.2
Bachelor's Degree	1,175	8.7	15.6
Graduate or Prof. Degree	650	4.8	7.6

Another useful grouping of these statistics shows that the percent of high school graduates or higher was 68.2 percent for the area compared to 75.7 percent for Texas. Also, the percent with bachelor's degree or higher was 13.6 percent as compared to 23.2 percent for Texas.

Dropout and Attrition Rates: Information from the Texas Education Agency on student dropouts from public schools for 2004-2005 shows that 13 students, grades 7-12, dropped out of school in this study area. This represents a dropout rate of 0.57 percent as compared to a Texas statewide percentage of 0.90 percent of all students who dropped out during this period. Attrition rates are often viewed as measures of the percentage of students that begin high school but do not graduate with a diploma. It is arguably a more reasonable way to view dropouts from an economic viewpoint. One way to view educational progress in a region is to estimate the number of persons who persist to high school graduation as opposed to standard dropout statistics. Attrition rates are calculated by the Intercultural Development Research Association (IDRA). IDRA conducts research and development activities; creates, implements and administers innovative education programs; and provides teacher, administrator, and parent training and technical assistance. The attrition rates for Hockley during the period 2004-2005 by race and ethnicity were 19 percent for all students, 0 percent for Blacks, 5 percent for Whites, and 34 percent for Hispanics. In order to review the latest Secondary Schools Enrollment and Dropouts information posted on the Texas Education Agency, link to: http://www.tea.state.tx.us/research/.

Health

Health Facilities - The number of acute and psychiatric care hospitals in Hockley as of September 2006 was 1, with an average total beds capacity of approximately 48.0 compared to a statewide ratio of 122.0 beds per hospital according to statistical reports from the Texas Department of State Health Services. Link to http://www.dshs.state.tx.us for more data reporting on health care facilities. The Texas State Board of Pharmacy data for September 2006 shows there are 8 licensed pharmacies in the study area. The total number of licensed pharmacies statewide is 5,813. For additional information on Texas Pharmacies, link to the Texas State Board of Pharmacy at http://www.tsbp.state.tx.us/index.htm.

Health Practitioners - According to the Texas Department of State Health Services September 2005 report, there were 26 direct patient care and primary care physicians who practiced in the region. The ratio of total persons to each physician in the area was 896.8 residents per each physician. This compares to a statewide ratio of 446.4 persons for each physician in Texas. Another way of reporting these figures is by showing the number of physicians as a ratio per 100,000 residents. In this study area, the ratio in direct patient care was 1,554.4 as compared to the statewide ratio of 642.3 in direct patient care physicians per 100,000 population as of 2005. The ratio of physicians in primary care was 2,119.6 compared to a statewide ratio of 1,463.5 physicians in primary care per 100,000 persons in the population statewide. Link to http://www.dshs.state.tx.us for more data.

The study area had a total of 95 registered nurses (RN) working in the study area, representing a ratio of 245.4 persons for each RN in the area. The statewide ratio was 159.1 persons for each RN in the state. For the same time period, the ratio of RNs per 100,000 population was 407.5 compared to 628.5 per 100,000 statewide. Link to http://www.dshs.state.tx.us for more data.

The number of licensed vocational nurses (LVN) who practiced in the area was 87 representing a ratio of 268.0 persons per each LVN in the area. This compared to 371.7 persons per each LVN statewide. The ratio of LVNs per 100,000 population was 373.1 compared to 269.0 per 100,000 population statewide. See http://www.dshs.state.tx.us for a wider variety of Health Professionals and related information.

The Texas Department of State Health Services information for September 2005 also reports that there were 4 dentists in the study area, with a ratio of 5,829.0 persons for each dentist in the area. The ratio of dentists per 100,000 residents was 17.2. By comparison, there was a statewide ratio of 35.7 dentists per 100,000 residents, with a total of 8,213 dentists statewide. See http://www.dshs.state.tx.us for a wider variety of Health Professionals and related information.

According to data from the Texas Department of State Health Services for September 2005, there were 56 licensed Emergency Medical Technicians, or EMTs, for the study area; a ratio of 240.2 licensed EMTs per 100,000 residents. The statewide ratio was 218.6 EMTs per 100,000 residents, with a total of 50,291 EMTs statewide. See http://www.dshs.state.tx.us for a wider variety of Health Professionals and related information.

Also, according to the September 2005 report from the Texas Department of State Health Services, there were 13 pharmacists in this area, which is a ratio of 1,793.5 persons for each pharmacist. Texas has 16,944 pharmacists statewide, or a ratio of 1,357.6 persons for each pharmacist in the area. The ratio of pharmacists per 100,000 residents was 55.8 compared to 73.7 per 100,000 residents statewide. See http://www.dshs.state.tx.us for a wider variety of Health Professionals and related information.

The Texas Department of State Health Services information for September 2005 shows that for the study area there were 2 occupational therapists; a ratio of 11,658.0 persons for each occupational therapist. The statewide ratio was 4,296.3 persons for each occupational therapist, with a total of 5,354 occupational therapists statewide. The ratio of occupational therapists per 100,000 residents was 8.6 compared to 23.3 statewide. See http://www.dshs.state.tx.us for a wider variety of Health Professionals and related information.

Medical & Health Services Employment^*

Area			Statewide
2004 1st Qtr	2005 1st Qtr	Pct Change	2004 1st Qtr	2005 1st Qtr	Pct Change
879	687	-21.84%	1,078,964	1,105,317	2.44%

^* Includes: Hospitals, Medical/Health Offices; Home Health, Nursing, Elderly Residential facilities;
Individual/Family, Emergency & Other Relief Svcs., Vocational Rehab. Svcs.
[NAICS: 6211,6212-19,6221-23,6231-32,6239,6242-43]
Due to confidentiality, employment for small areas may be suppressed and reported as zero.

Health Statistics - Some of the leading causes of mortality in Texas include malignant neoplasms or cancer, heart disease, and chronic lower respiratory disease. From information gathered by Texas Department of State Health Services for 2003, the study area had a total of 47 reported deaths from malignant neoplasm cancer. On a statewide level, Texas had 33,782 reported deaths from malignant neoplasm cancer. Texas Department of State Health Services reports that for 2002 there were 53 deaths from heart disease, and 21 deaths from lower respiratory disease in the selected study area. By contrast, Texas statewide had 41,654 deaths from heart disease and 7,548 deaths from chronic lower respiratory disease. See http://www.dshs.state.tx.us for a wider variety of Texas health, disease and related information.

Several state agencies collect statistics on health status indicators that can be used to assess the strengths or weaknesses of public health in a local area or community. For this study area, the Texas Department of State Health Services reported for August 2003 there were 2 infant deaths, as compared with a statewide rate of 2,369. See http://www.dshs.state.tx.us for a wider variety of Texas health, disease and related information.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reported that for August 2003 there were 28 total teen pregnancies in this area. There were different teen pregnancy rates in the study area depending on race, with 0 for Black teens, 25 for Hispanic teens and 3 for White teens. Statewide rates for teenage pregnancy were 19,730 for total teenage pregnancies, with 3,003 for Black teens, 12,693 for Hispanic teens and 4,034 for White teens. See http://www.dshs.state.tx.us for a wider variety of Texas health, disease and related information.

In the Health and Human Services 2003 Data Book, figures show that the number of children under 19 in this area whom were not covered by health insurance is 1,411, which is 4.9% of the reported population in that age group. The number of uninsured children statewide is 885,999, or 7.1% of the reported population for children under 19. For more information, or to view or download the entire data book, see http://www.hhsc.state.tx.us.

Information On The Web

The Bureau of Census has a variety of useful Quick Facts for each county in Texas. The Quick Fact report for Hockley county can be accessed at the following URL: http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/48219.html. Some counties maintain their own Internet sites for local information. If a county hosts its own Web site, it may be accessed through a URL with the following format http://www.co.County Name Goes Here.tx.us.

To research additional websites on Counties, consider any of the following:

Texas A-Z List of counties with web sites: http://www.state.tx.us/category.jsp?language=eng&categoryId=6.2.1
Texas Conference on Urban Counties: http://www.cuc.org
State of Texas Web Site - Texas Counties:http://www.state.tx.us
Texas Economic Development: http://www.governor.state.tx.us/divisions/ecodev
TWC's LMI unit, Tracer: http://www.tracer2.com/
Texas Association of Counties: http://www.county.org
V.G. Young Institute of County Government: http://vgyi.tamu.edu/
Real Estate Center, Texas A&M University: http://recenter.tamu.edu
Bureau of Business Research, University of Texas: http://www.utexas.edu/depts/bbr
National Association of Counties: http://www.naco.org
"Uniform Crime Statistics, County Reports" Geostat-Geospatial & Statistical Data Center, University of Virginia: http://fisher.lib.virginia.edu/crime
Compare County Data Nationwide: http://www.stats.indiana.edu/uspr/a/sbs_profile_frame.html

Other Facts of Interest

According to the Texas Secretary of State's Office, for the November 2004 presidential election, there were 14,212 registered voters in Hockley. The voter turnout was 7,577 representing 53.3 percent of eligible voters. The election results were 6,160 or 81.3 percent for Bush/Cheney, 1,385 or 18.3 percent for Kerry/Edwards, and 32 or 0.4 percent for all other presidential candidates. The statewide results were 61.1 percent for Bush/Cheney, 38.2 percent for Kerry/Edwards, and approximately 0.7 percent for all other candidates. See: http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/voter/index.shtml for other topics of interest.
Information on the three categories of child placement services from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services for 2006 showed that the area had 1 foster homes, 5 foster/adoptive homes and 0 adoptive homes. The total number of licensed day care facilities were 20 with a total capacity of 509. The total number of family homes licensed for 24-hour care was 5. Link to http://www.dfps.state.tx.us/About/Data_Books_and_Annual_Reports/2006/databook/default.asp for further information.
In Hockley, there were approximately 28 crimes reported for every 1,000 persons in 1998 and 25 crimes reported in 1999 for every 1,000 persons. This compares to a statewide total of approximately 52 crimes in 1998 and 51 crimes reported for every 1,000 person in Texas. See the U.S. Dept. of Justice site: http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/dtdata.htm for the most recent reported data.
The total jail capacity for public and private jails in the region was 64 as of October 1, 2006 according to the Texas Commission on Jail Standards. Jail population was at 103.1 percent capacity when compared to maximum capacity. At this same time, this compared to a statewide capacity of 90.4 percent. For more detailed information, see to: http://www.tcjs.state.tx.us/index.php?linkid=320.
The region had 8 commercial banks in 2004, as reported by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), with total deposits of $278,000,000 and assets of $97,049,000. The 2004 deposit to population ratio was $12,278 for the Hockley region compared to the Texas ratio of $13,921. A ratio less than the state average generally indicates either the presence of an adjacent city or county not within the described region serving as a regional financial center, or per capita income well below the state average. These numbers do not reflect assets and deposits which are held in branch offices of banks whose headquarters are in another city or state. The most recent FDIC data for this area is at http://www2.fdic.gov/sod/index.asp.
While all countries in Texas are served by banks, savings and loan institutions and credit unions, many counties may not show these offices directly reported in its geography by the FDIC or other governing agencies. For the period for reporting for 2004 in Hockley, the number of saving and loans was 0 which had a total of savings and loan assets of $0 and deposits of $0 These figures are in contrast to the statewide total of 42 savings and loans, with $63,818,696 in assets and $34,547,845 in deposits. For more information, please see: http://www2.fdic.gov/sdi/index.asp. There were 1 credit unions in the study area according to the National Credit Union Administration data. For 2003, the latest year of reported data, these credit unions had a total of $15,614,918 in assets and $13,088,876 in deposits, as compared to a total of 641 credit unions statewide, with $477,798,762,074 in assets and $40,749,124,993 in deposits. Credit union statistics and other information on credit unions can be found at http://www.ncua.gov/data/custmqry.html.