New research from  New American Economy shows that immigrants held 32 percent of all spending power in Katy. The report, New Americans in Katy, was prepared in partnership with the Katy Area Chamber.

In addition to their financial contributions, which included paying $2 billion in federal taxes and $805.6 million in state and local taxes, the report highlights how immigrants fill crucial workforce gaps. Although the foreign-born population made up 27.6 percent of the region’s overall population, they represented 34.6 percent of its working-age population. 

Immigrants in the region also helped strengthen the local job market by helping to preserve or create 12,700 local manufacturing jobs that would have otherwise vanished or moved elsewhere by 2019.

Key Findings: 

• Immigrants are driving population growth. Between 2014 and 2019, the population in the region increased by 16.5 percent, and the immigrant population increased by 24.6 percent. Growth in the foreign-born population accounted for 38.4 percent of the overall population growth during that period.
• Immigrants are filling critical workforce gaps. Although foreign-born residents made up 27.6 percent of the region’s overall population, they represented 42.8 percent of its STEM workers in 2019.
• Immigrants are helping the region meet its growing labor needs. Immigrants had an outsize impact on key industries vital to the economic stability of the Katy region. Despite making up 27.6 percent of the overall population, immigrants accounted for 44 percent of construction workers, 41.1 percent of mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction workers, and 40.5 percent of manufacturing workers.

The report is based on NAE’s analysis of microdata from 5-year samples of the American Community Survey from 2014 and 2019 and figures refer to the Katy region which includes communities in Harris County, Fort Bend County, and Waller County. Click here to read the full report, New Americans in Katy.

To read the press release, click here.