Report: Defense industry impacts on North Texas Region
A recent report by economic analysts, The Perryman Group, noted $35.3 billion in annual gross product from private-sector defense firms located in north Texas. The report considered 13 counties comprising the DFW Metroplex, including Ellis, and was commissioned by the North Texas Commission.
Although numbers specific to Ellis County weren’t broken out, the 2026 North Texas Defense Industry Economic Impact Study did do so for Tarrant ($12.804 billion in gross product), Dallas ($9.379), Collin ($5.003), Hunt ($2.157), and Denton ($1.819) counties.
Ellis was included with the region’s seven other counties, which saw $4.173 billion in gross product tallied among them, including Hood, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, Somervell, and Wise.
“The North Texas area has been home to major private-sector defense entities for decades, with the industry comprising a significant portion of the area economy,” reads the report reads, which lists the major firms of Lockheed Martin, Bell Textron, RTX (parent to Raytheon and Collins Aerospace), L3 Harris, Elbit Systems, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, and BAE Systems while noting “numerous other smaller firms also located throughout the region” that support an estimated 100,000 direct jobs.
Direct and indirect jobs attributed to the private-sector defense entities comprise about 6.3% of private employment in the region, with direct job salaries coming in at about 41% above the area average, according to the report.
“In addition to the presence of large firms, the North Texas Region has developed a deep supply chain network of smaller companies providing key input goods and services,” the report reads.
The report was commissioned by the North Texas Commission, a public-private partnership based in Irving whose mission is to advocate for the region. Board directors with Ellis County ties at this time include John Knight, Red Oak assistant director of economic development, and Ellis County Judge John Wray (ex-officio position).
Download a copy of the report here. For more information on the North Texas Commission, visit its website, https://www.ntc-dfw.org/.
Written by Jo Ann Livingston/In The Know Ellis.
