Everything is bigger in Texas—but not everything is evenly spread out. Despite Texas being the second-largest state in both population and land area, the vast majority of its 30 million residents live in the eastern part of the state. In fact, over 80% of Texans—about 24 million people—live on less than 30% of Texas’s total land area.
Meanwhile, West Texas remains largely empty, with just 6 million people spread across vast, open landscapes. This raises a compelling question:
Why do so few people live in West Texas, despite all that space?
The answer isn’t just about geography or climate—it’s a story of history, economics, infrastructure, and urban development. To truly understand why Texas is so unevenly populated, we must go back in time, exploring how the state was settled, how its economy developed, and why its cities grew where they did.
The Origins of Texas: From Indigenous Lands to a Republic
Like all U.S. states, Texas was originally home to indigenous peoples, including the Comanche and Apache, who thrived in the region long before European arrival.
The first Europeans to explore Texas were Spanish explorers in the early 1500s, but Spain largely ignored the area for over 150 years. Ironically, it was the French who first attempted colonization, establishing a short-lived settlement near modern-day Corpus Christi in 1684. Once Spain realized that France had set foot on its claimed land, it began actively colonizing Texas, building missions and forts throughout the region.
By the early 1800s, Texas became part of Mexico after it gained independence from Spain. However, Mexico struggled to maintain control over the region due to its distance from Mexico City. To strengthen its northern frontier, Mexico invited American settlers, offering them land in exchange for loyalty and conversion to Catholicism.
This empresario system quickly led to tensions between Mexican authorities and American settlers, culminating in the Texas Revolution of 1836. After key battles like the Alamo and San Jacinto, Texas declared itself an independent Republic of Texas. However, struggling with financial instability and ongoing border threats, Texas joined the United States in 1845.
This annexation triggered the Mexican-American War, ending with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo in 1848, which solidified Texas’s borders. Initially, Texas was even larger than it is today, extending into parts of New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, and Oklahoma. However, in 1850, Texas sold off these western lands to the federal government in exchange for debt relief, shaping the modern borders we recognize today.
The Physical Geography of Texas: A State of Extremes
One major reason West Texas remains sparsely populated is its geography and climate. Texas is incredibly diverse, encompassing:
- Gulf Coast – Low-lying plains, sandy beaches, and marshlands along the Gulf of Mexico (Gulf of America), home to Houston and major ports.
- Piney Woods – Dense forests and fertile soils, creating an ideal environment for agriculture.
- High Plains – A semi-arid, windswept expanse, part of the Great Plains with deep canyons and vast farmland.
- Chihuahuan Desert – Arid landscapes, rugged mountains, and minimal rainfall in West Texas.
East Texas vs. West Texas: A Climate Divide
A key factor in settlement patterns is rainfall:
- East Texas is lush and green, receiving 40-70 inches of rain per year. Some areas get more rain than Seattle!
- West Texas is dry and arid, with El Paso getting only 8 inches of rain per year—similar to Phoenix or Las Vegas.
Historically, early settlements required water to survive, and West Texas’s lack of consistent water sources made it difficult for large communities to form.
However, today many large cities exist in deserts, such as Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Albuquerque—so climate alone can’t be the only explanation.
The Economic Forces That Shaped Texas
The Rise of East Texas: Oil, Industry, and Infrastructure
In the early 1900s, Texas struck oil—and East Texas became an economic powerhouse.
The discovery of oil near Beaumont in 1901 triggered a massive boom, attracting workers and industries. Cities like Houston, Dallas, and Austin rapidly expanded because they were strategically located near:
- Major oil reserves
- Railroads and highways
- Ports along the Gulf of Mexico
Houston, in particular, became the epicenter of Texas’s energy industry, while Dallas and Austin grew into major financial and tech hubs.
West Texas: The Land of Ranching and Isolation
Meanwhile, West Texas remained largely agricultural, dominated by ranching rather than industry.
- Ranching required vast land but few people, limiting urban growth.
- When oil was discovered in West Texas (Permian Basin), cities like Midland and Odessa grew—but never at the scale of Houston or Dallas.
- By the time West Texas’s oil boom happened, Houston had already established itself as the energy capital.
The Role of Infrastructure: Why East Texas Boomed
Another key factor in Texas’s uneven population distribution is infrastructure.
East Texas has always been more connected:
- Highways, railroads, and airports link Houston, Dallas, and Austin to national and global markets.
- The Port of Houston is the largest U.S. port by volume, handling 275+ million tons of cargo annually.
- West Texas, by contrast, is isolated, with fewer roads, airports, and trade connections.
This lack of connectivity made West Texas far less attractive for large businesses and industries.
Modern Texas: A Tale of Two Regions
Today, Texas is home to 30 million people, but 80% live in the eastern part of the state.
Major Cities in East Texas:
- Dallas-Fort Worth – 8.1 million people
- Houston – 7.5 million people
- San Antonio – 2.7 million people
- Austin – 2.5 million people
- McAllen – 900,000 people
- Corpus Christi – 450,000 people
- Brownsville – 426,000 people
West Texas remains largely rural beyond the population center of El Paso, with Odessa and Midland being the only notable urban centers—and even they have fewer than 400,000 residents.
West Texas: Beautiful, But Not Booming
Despite its sparse population, West Texas is home to some of the state’s most breathtaking landscapes, including:
- Big Bend National Park
- Guadalupe Mountains National Park
- Davis Mountains
However, while these areas attract tourists, they have not led to significant permanent population growth.
Conclusion: Why Texans Live Where They Do
The East vs. West divide in Texas comes down to a combination of:
- Climate – East Texas has more rainfall and natural water sources.
- Economics – Oil, industry, and finance concentrated in the east.
- Infrastructure – Highways, railroads, and ports made East Texas the economic hub.
- Urbanization – Cities like Houston and Dallas created more jobs and opportunities, attracting more people.
While West Texas remains a beautiful and culturally unique region, it lacks the economic pull and infrastructure that have driven East Texas’s explosive growth.
So, while everything is bigger in Texas, the population is far from evenly spread.
Would you ever consider living in West Texas? Let us know your thoughts! 🚀
