Socioeconomic differentials among selected colonia and non-colonia populations on the Texas-Mexico border

Abstract

Colonias on the Texas side of the Texas-Mexico border have been characterized as isolated pockets of poverty in unincorporated areas lacking basic physical infrastructure such as water and sewer. Much of the attention focused on colonias to date has been in terms of providing the physical infrastructure. Little research has been -conducted relative to the socioeconomic conditions of colonia residents in comparison to other Border residents and the rest of the State. The primary reason little research has been done is because a database had not been assembled to tie the vast majority of colonia settlements to census geography, allowing access to the rich source of socioeconomic data contained in the 1990 Census. Toward that end, the research presented herein continues work begun by the Office of the Attorney General of Texas in assembling such a database by identifying colonias in the five most populous Border counties with whole census tracts or parts of census tracts. Analysis of census data indicates that household income in colonia settlements is actually higher than household income in Border cities, while both levels of household income are considerably lower than the State. The income 'deficit' between household income levels in the Border Region and the remainder of the State as well as household income in colonias and the remainder of the State is quantified for the first time. The analysis indicates that the income 'deficit" in colonias versus the rest of the State is such that if both groups were equal with respect to household income levels and distribution, an additional $528 million would be earned in colonias. The additional income and resulting economic activity in colonias would produce almost 18,000 additional jobs. If household incomes along the entire Border Region were increased to levels (and at the same distributions) seen in the State taken as a whole, an additional $1.08 billion in income would be earned Borderwide. This income would likely result in the creation of 150,000 additional jobs.