NextChapter

Counties with the highest share of white-collar workers in the Southwest

Collin County has the highest share of white-collar workers in the Southwest: 56% of its workers are in management, business, financial or professional occupations, against 36% in the typical large county.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from public Bureau of Labor Statistics and Census data.

Question 1

Where are you right now?

Why we ask: a laid-off week and a thinking-about-a-move week look nothing alike. No résumé, no account.

Get new professional jobs by email

We’ll email you when new matches are posted. No account needed.

Key facts

  • #1 Collin County, TX: 56%
  • #2 Travis County, TX: 56%
  • #3 Fort Bend County, TX: 52%
  • 100 counties ranked in the Southwest
  • Data as of November 2026

For comparison: 36% across the typical large county.

  1. 1Collin County TX56%
  2. 2Travis County TX56%
  3. 3Fort Bend County TX52%
  4. 4Williamson County TX52%
  5. 5Denton County TX51%
  6. 6Rockwall County TX50%
  7. 7Kendall County TX49%
  8. 8Comal County TX47%
  9. 9Santa Fe County NM47%
  10. 10Bernalillo County NM46%

What stands out

  • The top ten is tightly packed: Collin County leads on 56%, and #10 Bernalillo County is at 46%.
  • Kendall County reaches #7 on a sample of 24,780 people in the labor force, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
  • Travis County is the largest market in the top ten, with 879,546 people in the labor force behind its figure.
  • Counties with fewer than 20,000 people in the labor force are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.

Why this ranking matters

What it shows

The share of working people in management, business, financial and professional occupations shows where the economy is built around professional work.

How to use it

If your work is professional, counties near the top have more peers, more employers who hire for it, and more local networks.

The top 25

  1. 1

    Collin County TX

    56%

    Median household income
    $117,588
    People in the labor force
    711,634
    Unemployment
    4.1%

    Based on 711,634 people in the labor force.

    Collin County job market

  2. 2

    Travis County TX

    56%

    Median household income
    $97,169
    People in the labor force
    879,546
    Unemployment
    3.6%

    Based on 879,546 people in the labor force.

    Travis County job market

  3. 3

    Fort Bend County TX

    52%

    Median household income
    $113,409
    People in the labor force
    486,124
    Unemployment
    4.5%

    Based on 486,124 people in the labor force.

    Fort Bend County job market

  4. 4

    Williamson County TX

    52%

    Median household income
    $108,309
    People in the labor force
    436,738
    Unemployment
    3.7%

    Based on 436,738 people in the labor force.

    Williamson County job market

  5. 5

    Denton County TX

    51%

    Median household income
    $108,185
    People in the labor force
    614,643
    Unemployment
    3.9%

    Based on 614,643 people in the labor force.

    Denton County job market

  6. 6

    Rockwall County TX

    50%

    Median household income
    $124,917
    People in the labor force
    75,844
    Unemployment
    3.8%

    Based on 75,844 people in the labor force.

    Rockwall County job market

  7. 7

    Kendall County TX

    49%

    Median household income
    $110,498
    People in the labor force
    24,780
    Unemployment
    3.7%

    Based on 24,780 people in the labor force.

    Kendall County job market

  8. 8

    Comal County TX

    47%

    Median household income
    $99,015
    People in the labor force
    100,428
    Unemployment
    4.0%

    Based on 100,428 people in the labor force.

    Comal County job market

  9. 9

    Santa Fe County NM

    47%

    Median household income
    $74,689
    People in the labor force
    71,445
    Unemployment
    4.3%

    Based on 71,445 people in the labor force.

    Santa Fe County job market

  10. 10

    Bernalillo County NM

    46%

    Median household income
    $66,514
    People in the labor force
    335,017
    Unemployment
    4.6%

    Based on 335,017 people in the labor force.

    Bernalillo County job market

  11. 11

    Galveston County TX

    44%

    Median household income
    $85,348
    People in the labor force
    183,590
    Unemployment
    4.6%

    Based on 183,590 people in the labor force.

    Galveston County job market

  12. 12

    Brazoria County TX

    44%

    Median household income
    $95,155
    People in the labor force
    203,060
    Unemployment
    4.8%

    Based on 203,060 people in the labor force.

    Brazoria County job market

  13. 13

    Brazos County TX

    44%

    Median household income
    $58,388
    People in the labor force
    138,227
    Unemployment
    3.5%

    Based on 138,227 people in the labor force.

    Brazos County job market

  14. 14

    Payne County OK

    44%

    Median household income
    $48,937
    People in the labor force
    40,765
    Unemployment
    3.6%

    Based on 40,765 people in the labor force.

    Payne County job market

  15. 15

    Sandoval County NM

    43%

    Median household income
    $84,053
    People in the labor force
    73,799
    Unemployment
    4.8%

    Based on 73,799 people in the labor force.

    Sandoval County job market

  16. 16

    Cleveland County OK

    43%

    Median household income
    $74,446
    People in the labor force
    163,688
    Unemployment
    3.5%

    Based on 163,688 people in the labor force.

    Cleveland County job market

  17. 17

    Montgomery County TX

    43%

    Median household income
    $97,266
    People in the labor force
    373,133
    Unemployment
    4.3%

    Based on 373,133 people in the labor force.

    Montgomery County job market

  18. 18

    Hays County TX

    43%

    Median household income
    $85,827
    People in the labor force
    170,553
    Unemployment
    3.7%

    Based on 170,553 people in the labor force.

    Hays County job market

  19. 19

    Maricopa County AZ

    42%

    Median household income
    $85,518
    People in the labor force
    2,438,322
    Unemployment
    4.1%

    Based on 2,438,322 people in the labor force.

    Maricopa County job market

  20. 20

    Canadian County OK

    42%

    Median household income
    $85,427
    People in the labor force
    98,859
    Unemployment
    3.4%

    Based on 98,859 people in the labor force.

    Canadian County job market

  21. 21

    Coconino County AZ

    42%

    Median household income
    $69,748
    People in the labor force
    72,555
    Unemployment
    5.0%

    Based on 72,555 people in the labor force.

    Coconino County job market

  22. 22

    Pima County AZ

    42%

    Median household income
    $67,929
    People in the labor force
    485,033
    Unemployment
    4.8%

    Based on 485,033 people in the labor force.

    Pima County job market

  23. 23

    Parker County TX

    42%

    Median household income
    $102,099
    People in the labor force
    93,884
    Unemployment
    3.6%

    Based on 93,884 people in the labor force.

    Parker County job market

  24. 24

    Oklahoma County OK

    41%

    Median household income
    $65,374
    People in the labor force
    423,769
    Unemployment
    3.8%

    Based on 423,769 people in the labor force.

    Oklahoma County job market

  25. 25

    Lubbock County TX

    41%

    Median household income
    $63,367
    People in the labor force
    170,197
    Unemployment
    3.7%

    Based on 170,197 people in the labor force.

    Lubbock County job market

Full ranking

All 100 counties that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCountyScoreSample
1Collin County TX56%711,634
2Travis County TX56%879,546
3Fort Bend County TX52%486,124
4Williamson County TX52%436,738
5Denton County TX51%614,643
6Rockwall County TX50%75,844
7Kendall County TX49%24,780
8Comal County TX47%100,428
9Santa Fe County NM47%71,445
10Bernalillo County NM46%335,017
11Galveston County TX44%183,590
12Brazoria County TX44%203,060
13Brazos County TX44%138,227
14Payne County OK44%40,765
15Sandoval County NM43%73,799
16Cleveland County OK43%163,688
17Montgomery County TX43%373,133
18Hays County TX43%170,553
19Maricopa County AZ42%2,438,322
20Canadian County OK42%98,859
21Coconino County AZ42%72,555
22Pima County AZ42%485,033
23Parker County TX42%93,884
24Oklahoma County OK41%423,769
25Lubbock County TX41%170,197
26Chambers County TX40%27,606
27Tulsa County OK40%357,457
28Ellis County TX40%127,119
29Midland County TX40%105,461
30Tarrant County TX40%1,221,984
31McClain County OK40%25,105
32Wagoner County OK39%46,398
33Hood County TX39%29,888
34Harris County TX39%2,549,337
35Dallas County TX39%1,453,109
36Washington County OK39%23,719
37Bexar County TX39%1,050,577
38Cherokee County OK39%23,751
39Kaufman County TX38%104,473
40Guadalupe County TX38%97,656
41Comanche County OK38%49,024
42Doña Ana County NM38%104,828
43Randall County TX38%83,085
44Douglas County NV38%24,177
45Cochise County AZ38%45,700
46Washoe County NV37%269,799
47Logan County OK37%26,550
48Taylor County TX37%75,614
49Kerr County TX37%25,352
50Wilson County TX37%26,612
51Hardin County TX36%27,613
52Bell County TX36%168,919
53Coryell County TX36%27,391
54McLennan County TX36%132,717
55Eddy County NM36%32,691
56Burnet County TX36%26,228
57Rogers County OK36%52,090
58Yavapai County AZ36%104,422
59Medina County TX36%24,342
60Smith County TX35%122,541
61Navajo County AZ35%37,124
62Cherokee County TX35%22,071
63Erath County TX35%24,055
64Tom Green County TX35%61,975
65Osage County OK35%20,988
66Wichita County TX35%57,131
67Pinal County AZ35%223,936
68Bastrop County TX34%58,703
69Orange County TX34%42,682
70Lamar County TX34%23,482
71Grady County OK34%29,041
72Pottawatomie County OK34%33,478
73Wise County TX34%42,219
74Waller County TX34%31,379
75Valencia County NM34%32,732
76Nueces County TX34%171,423
77Bowie County TX33%39,812
78Bryan County OK33%24,460
79Angelina County TX33%35,866
80El Paso County TX33%422,861
81Hunt County TX33%58,112
82Henderson County TX33%37,898
83Clark County NV33%1,226,229
84Gregg County TX33%57,777
85Mayes County OK33%20,352
86Otero County NM33%24,008
87Creek County OK33%34,499
88Grayson County TX33%74,152
89Victoria County TX33%42,039
90Harrison County TX33%32,325
91Carson City NV33%28,941
92Johnson County TX32%108,404
93Cooke County TX32%22,800
94Muskogee County OK32%25,352
95Hopkins County TX32%20,493
96Nacogdoches County TX32%28,301
97Carter County OK32%22,077
98Rusk County TX32%21,763
99McKinley County NM31%22,732
100Elko County NV31%27,526

How this ranking works

A county's score is the share of its employed residents in management, business, financial and professional occupations, from the Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates.

Only counties with at least 20,000 people in the labor force are ranked. The figure describes where residents work by occupation, not where their employers are.

Sample bar: counties with fewer than 20,000 people in the labor force are not ranked.

Sources: Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (occupation by county). Data as of November 2026.

Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.

Questions

Which county ranks first: counties with the highest share of white-collar workers in the southwest?
Collin County has the highest share of white-collar workers in the Southwest: 56% of its workers are in management, business, financial or professional occupations, against 36% in the typical large county.
How many counties are ranked?
100 counties have at least 20,000 people in the labor force, so the list has 100 entries.
How is the ranking calculated?
A county's score is the share of its employed residents in management, business, financial and professional occupations, from the Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Only counties with at least 20,000 people in the labor force are ranked. The figure describes where residents work by occupation, not where their employers are.
How often is it updated?
Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.

More rankings

Cite this ranking

NextChapter, “Counties with the highest share of white-collar workers in the Southwest,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/counties-with-the-most-white-collar-workers-in-the-southwest

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/counties-with-the-most-white-collar-workers-in-the-southwest">Counties with the highest share of white-collar workers in the Southwest (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.

The job market, once a week

One email every Tuesday with the week's most useful read on the job market and the search, plus occasional news from NextChapter. No account needed. Unsubscribe any time.

Run a workforce board, job center or economic development office, or hire in the places and industries on this list?

Leave your work email. We'll send how organizations use NextChapter to reach job seekers.

See how organizations use it