Texans' real median household income rose 1.3 percent in 2008, making the state one of only five with increases in the first calendar year of the U.S. recession. During better times, 33 states posted income gains in 2007 and only Michigan suffered a decline.

This article analyzes San Antonio's competitiveness compared with a group of peer MSAs defined by similar attributes of location, industry composition, demographics, tourism and population size. Our analysis finds that San Antonio remains very economically competitive and likely will continue to...

Benchmarks of economic well-being show that Texas experienced a pattern of highs and lows similar to that of the nation during the recession. However, Texas continues to rank below other states in many of the measures, including median household income, poverty rate, and health insurance coverage.