2017 West South Central Region Forecast

While the decline in the oil prices whacked this region’s energy industry, several multi-billion dollar oil & gas and chemical plants broke ground or hit the drawing boards in 2016 — the $3.15 Sabine Pass Liquefaction project in Cameron, La.; the $3 billion Axiall Ethane Cracker chemical plant in Lake Charles, La.; a $3 billion liquefied natural gas plant in Freeport, Texas; a proposal for a $1.5 billion Exxon plant renovation in Beaumont, Texas; and the $717 million Alpha Olefins factory in Geismar, La. The region has some impressive commercial projects in the pipeline, too, including plans for the $3.5 billion Dallas Midtown Redevelopment project; the $250 million first phase of the giant Texas Live! project near the Texas Rangers’ stadium in Arlington, Texas; and the $536 million renovation of the New Orleans airport.  The Texas homebuilding industry has a massive impact on the industry as a whole, and with 111,278 total permits, the state accounts for 14%  of all permits so far  this year in the United States.

Key Economic Indicators

Need a quick read on the economic health of the key metros in this region? Just click on the region's largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) outlined in red. Once the pop-up window you can use the vertical scroll bar to see statistics on local Construction & Manufacturing Employment; building permits; unemployment and population growth.