Economic Indicators of the College Station-Bryan MSA, April 2019

Abstract

The Business Cycle Index measured one point lower than the revised January 2019 value, a -4.7% annualized rate of decline. Nonfarm employment for January was revised downward by 0.1% from the value released last month, and the February value was 0.5% lower than the revised January number. The unemployment rate in February 2019 remained at 3.1%, the same rate as in January. Real taxable sales increased by 1.5% in February 2019, and are up 9.4% relative to February of 2018. The focus this month is on property and sales taxes. Average property taxes per person in College Station-Bryan are similar to the state average. Local property taxes and around the state have been growing faster, and state sales taxes slower, than the sum of inflation plus population growth.