Western District of Texas Division

The Western District of Texas— McCulloch San Saba Lampasas Austin Division encompasses

nearly 15,000 square miles and Mason Llano Burnet Williamson is home to over 2 million people. The Austin Kimble Burleson Travis Gillespie Austin Lee Division draws residents from 17 counties for Blanco Washington Bastrop jury service: Bastrop, Blanco, Burleson, Burnet, Hays

Caldwell, Gillespie, Hays, Kimble, Lampasas, Caldwell Lee, Llano, Mason, McCulloch, San Saba, Travis, Washington, and Williamson.

Seventy-six percent of the venue’s residents live in Travis and Williamson counties. With 1,148,176 residents, Travis County has more than half of the venue’s total population. The capital city of Austin is located in Travis County, and its 947,890 residents make it the largest city in the venue and the 11th largest city in the United States.

Williamson County has 490,619 residents, or approximately 23 percent of the Austin Division. Of the remaining 16 counties, only Hays County has a population above 100,000 (185,686). Five counties (Blanco, Kimble, Mason, McCulloch, and San Saba) have populations of 10,000 or less residents. Mason is the smallest county with a population of 4,064. Overall, the venue’s population is increasing, and includes 2 of the top 25 fastest growing counties in the U.S. (Williamson and Hays Counties). However, between 2010 and 2015, three counties in the Austin Division—Kimble, McCulloch, San Saba—reported modest population declines.

The region was first settled by Spanish missionaries in the early 1700s. In the decades that followed, Texas gained its independence and was predominately home to Anglo-American settlers. Austin, named for its founder, Stephen F. Austin, was made capital of Texas in 1838 and after some turmoil, Texas officially became part of the United States in 1845. Texas voted overwhelmingly to secede from the Union, although Travis County was one of the only counties to vote against it initially. During this time many state-run asylums for deaf, blind, and mentally ill were established – the locations of which remain in Austin. Following the Civil War, the reconstruction www.thefocalpoint.com | © The Focal Point LLC 2018 boom of the 1870s brought many changes to Austin, including its first railroad connection and advanced infrastructure developments. Several universities that still remain as part of Austin’s identity today were established in the 1880s including, The University of Texas at Austin, St. Edward’s University, and Huston- Tillotson University. The Austin Idependent School District was also founded during this time.

While Austin continued to grow at a rapid pace during the late 19th and early 20th century, it was outpaced by the other cities with larger industrial and oil and gas developments. By 1930 East Austin had been designated as a “Negro district” and by mid-century Austin was mostly segregated with a large majority of the increasing Hispanic population also settling in East Austin. Race relations were transformed in the following decades with The University of Texas at Austin being the first major university in the south to admit African-Americans as undergraduates.

Austin’s vibrant music scene continued to grow through the 1940s. In the 1960s and 1970s new growth occurred as several music venues were opened on the “revitalized Sixth Street.” Economic growth continued in the 1960s as several major corporations moved their headquarters to Austin, including IBM, , and .The rapid growth that occurred in the 1970s and 1980s caused friction with residential and environmental groups who fought to preserve their neighborhoods. This struggle continues into present day where Austin is again experiencing an unprecedented population boom and influx of large corporations in lieu of the small, homegrown businesses that the city’s longtime residents have grown to love.

While more diverse than the nation as a whole, the Austin Division is significantly less diverse than the state of Texas. Just over 55 percent of its residents are White, compared to the state percentage of 43. Hispanics represent the largest minority population in the division (30.7%). African-Americans (6.9%) and Asians (4.8%) are also significant minority populations. Travis and Caldwell Counties are the most diverse—Travis County has nearly 48 percent and Caldwell County has 57 percent minority population—by contrast 88 percent of Llano County and 62 percent of Williamson County residents are white.

Population Austin Division Travis County

Total Population 2,155,185 1,148,176 White 55.2% 49.7% Hispanic 30.7% 33.7% Black 6.9% 7.9% Asian 4.8% 6.1%

Jurors in this venue are generally well educated. Access to several colleges and universities including the University of Texas at Austin (the state’s flagship university), Concordia University, Southwestern University, Texas State University, and several theological seminaries contribute to the high percentage of college graduates. In fact, 40 percent of venue residents have a college or post-graduate degree, compared with 28.1 percent of all Texas residents.Although the overall education level of the venue is high, there is considerable variation between the education levels of www.thefocalpoint.com | © The Focal Point LLC 2018 residents in the urban/suburban and rural counties in the Austin Division. Specifically, 44 percent of jurors from Travis, Williamson, and Hays Counties have a college degree or a post-graduate degree. In comparison, less than 20 percent of residents in the smallest counties such as, Lee, Lampasas, McCulloch, and San Saba Counties, have a college or post-graduate degree.

Education Austin Division Travis County

High School or Less 32.0% 28.9% Some College or Associate’s Degree 28.0% 24.7% Bachelor’s Degree 26.1% 29.6% Graduate or Professional Degree 13.9% 16.8%

While the Austin Division is more liberal than the state of Texas overall, it is still a conservative area. Travis County is the only county in the venue in which Hillary Clinton received a majority of the votes. The results of the 2016 presidential election are consistent with the view of Austin as a liberal city center surrounded by a suburban and rural population that is much more conservative. All counties in this venue, with the exception of Travis County, favored Mitt Romney in the 2012 election and Donald Trump in the 2016 election. Travis County (representing 53.4% of the venue’s population) favored Hillary Clinton (66.3%) over Donald Trump (27.4%). In fact, in 2005, Travis County was the only county in the state of Texas to reject an amendment banning gay marriage, doing so by a 60 to 40 percent margin. Voters in Hays County supported Trump by a slim margin (47.2%) compared to Clinton (46.3%). However, Donald Trump won decisively in most counties in the venue.

2016 Presidential Clinton Trump Election Bastrop 37.4% 57.7% Blanco 21.9% 74.3% Burleson 21.5% 76.5% Burnet 19.9% 76.6% Caldwell 39.8% 55.6% Gillespie 17.4% 79.6% Hays 46.3% 47.2% Kimble 10.6% 87.2% Lampasas 18.1% 78.2% Lee 21.0% 76.6% Llano 17.3% 80.9% Mason 17.2% 80.7% McCulloch 15.6% 82.5% San Saba 12.4% 86.0% Travis 66.3% 27.4% Washington 22.9% 74.2% Williamson 42.0% 51.9% www.thefocalpoint.com | © The Focal Point LLC 2018 Incomes levels in the Austin Division are also high. The median household income in the venue is $64,693, compared with $56,120 for the State of Texas. Consistent with the variation in education levels, there is considerable variation in the income levels across the Austin Division. Williamson County is the most affluent county in the venue with a median income of $75,935. Mason County has the lowest median income at $38,496. Several of the counties in the Austin Division have median incomes at or below $50,000 including Caldwell, Kimble, Lampasas, Llano, McCulloch, and San Saba.

The Texas unemployment rate remains below the national rate (4.1%), with a statewide unemployment rate of 3.5 percent in October 2017. All counties in this division have an unemployment rate at or below the state’s unemployment rate. The counties around the Austin tech corridor report low unemployment rates—2.5 percent in Travis County and 2.7 percent in Williamson County. Gillespie and Blanco Counties have the lowest unemployment rates at 2.1 and 2.3 percent respectively.

Household Data Austin Division Travis County

Median Value of Home $218,608 $253,600 Median Household Income $64,693 $64,422 Home Ownership 59.9% 52.0%

As the state capital, Austin is the hub of government and commercial activity in the region. The Austin metropolitan area encompasses Austin, its suburbs, and Round Rock, which is located 15 minutes north of Austin in Williamson County. This area is widely regarded as one of the premier technology centers in the country and many University of Texas engineering and computer science graduates remain in the area and work for its numerous technology companies. Computers is headquartered in nearby Round Rock, and continues to be the largest tech sector employer in the region with over 15,000 employees. The University of Texas at Austin enrolls over 50,000 students and employs over 24,000 people, making it the largest employer in Austin.

After the dot-com bust in the late 1990s and continuing through 2002, the economy in Austin and Round Rock suffered. However, several technology companies in the area once again became profitable in 2007 and 2008, driving economic growth in the region. Today, approximately 86,000 people are estimated to be working in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) jobs in Austin. The expanding economy and the high concentration of “knowledge workers” have made this area attractive for employers and workers alike.

Many of the companies that led the recovery were in the , including Freescale Semiconductors, which is headquartered in Austin and is one of the world’s largest semiconductor companies. During that time, several companies in the Austin-Round Rock area expanded including Dell, , Advance Micro Devices (AMD), and Samsung. Other tech companies making waves in

www.thefocalpoint.com | © The Focal Point LLC 2018 Austin include Oracle, HomeAway, Rackspace, VM Ware, and IBM. Interestingly, 50 percent of the top companies in Austin that are headquartered outside of Texas are located in California, highlighting the national appeal that Austin offers to startups and large corporations alike. While Austin is home to quite a few large corporations, there is also a strong independent and small business community. Locally-owned businesses are an important part of Austin’s culture and their success is considered essential in preventing the area from being overrun by global corporations. This commitment by Austin’s citizens to preserve their area’s unique cultural identity has given rise to the phrase “.” This refers partly to the eclectic and liberal lifestyle of many Austin residents but is also the slogan for a campaign to preserve small local businesses and resist excessive corporatization. Moreover, in December 2016, ridesharing companies, such as Uber and Lyft, halted business in Austin due to the city council imposing “cab-like” transportation regulations on ridesharing companies.

In Hays County, the city of San Marcos is the largest city and is home to two outlet malls located adjacent to one another. These malls employ over 3,500 workers and attract more than six million shoppers a year, making the retail sector one of the largest employers in the county.

Major Employers in Austin Division

Government and Education Corporate and Retail Technology • Austin School District • Accenture • 3M • City of Austin • H-E-B Distribution • • State of Texas • HomeAway • Apple • Texas State University • Keller Williams Realty • • University of Texas at Austin • San Marcos Premium Outlets • Applied Materials • Sears Teleserv • Dell Healthcare • Tanger Outlets • Freescale Semiconductor • Austin Regional Clinic • • IBM • Baylor Scott & White • • Hospira • Samsung Austin

• Seton Healthcare Family Semiconductor

• St. David’s Healthcare Partnership

www.thefocalpoint.com | © The Focal Point LLC 2018 The following resources were used in the construction of this document: Austin American Statesman Austin Independent Business Alliance Austin Real Estate CNN Money Survey Forbes Magazine Chamber of Commerce Greater San Marcos Chamber of Commerce Politico Round Rock Economic Development Partnership Texas A&M Real Estate Center U.S.Census Bureau U.S. Community Survey

www.thefocalpoint.com | © The Focal Point LLC 2018