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UTB-CBIRD Report: “At The Crossroads” Economic Development 93
Income Migration Analysis 1
Population migration for Cameron County reflects the total incoming minus the
total outgoing of tax-paying individuals over 1992 – 2001, Figure 5.4. Income
migration reflects the net gain or loss of annual household income, using 2000
values, Figure 5.5. For example, the net loss of population in Figure 5.4
indicates that more tax paying people moved from Cameron County to other
Texas MSA than moved to Cameron County and this net loss of income indicates
the total household income of the out-migrants was greater than that of the inmigrants
(Figure 5.5).
Figure 5. 4. Cameron County Population Migration 1992 – 2000
Cameron Co. Population Migration, 1992-2000
-12,000 -10,000 -8,000 -6,000 -4,000 -2,000 0 2,000
Select Areas of State
-10,547
-10,146
-4,783
Areas with Net Flows in Excess of 100
Source: Internal Revenue Service
-2,638
-2,616
-1,719
-1,678
-1,455
-1,415
-410
-110
401
All Texas MSAs
Texas
South Texas MSAs
San Antonio MSA
Austin-San Marcos MSA
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission MSA
Border MSAs
Dallas-Fort W orth CMSA
Houston-Galveston-Brazoria CMSA
Corpus Christi MSA
Victoria MSA
NonMetro Texas
During 1992 – 2000 Cameron County lost 10,547 tax paying citizens to all Texas
MSAs including 2,638 to San Antonio, 2,616 to Austin-San Marcos, and 1,719 to
McAllen-Edinburg-Mission. In terms of total annual income generated by these
migrants Cameron County lost about $36 million dollars to Austin-San Marcos,
$32 million to San Antonio, and $27 million to McAllen-Edinburg-Mission.
Out-migration from Cameron County to the rest of Texas accounted for the loss of
over 10,146 residents from 1992-2000. However, this out-migration was more
1 Each year as Internal Revenue Service returns are processed, computers record the migration
patterns of every filing American. Data recorded includes the total annual income of the filer, the
number of dependent or exempt individuals in the household, and the county of residence at the
time of filing. Often overlooked, this rich source of data provides a reliable indicator of the movement
of people and income within the United States on an annual basis. Census data provides a more
accurate accounting of the movement of individuals, but it is updated only every ten years and
provides only estimates of the income associated with those migrants.
For this analysis of Cameron County income migration, Civic Economics did not directly collect and
manipulate IRS data. Rather the analysis is built on the work of Professor Emeritus Robert Cushing
of the University of Texas at Austin and Dr. Michael Oden, Research and Policy Advisor to the firm.
Data available reflects the migration of people and income into and from Cameron County to the rest
of Texas. For readability, counties have been grouped into the state’s Metropolitan Statistical Areas
(generally urbanized areas with a population of 50,000 or more) and into non-metropolitan area
(generally all rural counties). The Cushing analysis uses IRS returns from 1992-2001.
One Region – One Future
Cameron County attracts
low-wage, often low-skill
labor that the region
trains and then exports
north while the region
often imports high-wage,
high-skill labor.