Vice President of Data and Research
Dr. Tracy Ayrhart serves as Vice President of Data and Research at Texas 2036, where she leads the organization's strategy to deliver trusted, actionable data and insights that help Texas leaders plan for the state's long-term future.
This is a preview of our Texas 2036 newsletter discussing Texans’ confidence in the state’s economic future and a data analysis of workforce trends in the state. To receive this weekly look at our work, sign up here. Texas Is Adding Jobs, But Not Everywhere Texas has an established reputation as a job dynamo. But…
Housing affordability conversations usually center on home prices, mortgage rates and property taxes. None are the fastest-growing fixed cost of owning a Texas home. In our statewide poll last fall, nearly four in five Texas voters said their property insurance costs had gone up over the past five years. After adjusting for inflation, homeowners insurance…
Dr. Tracy Ayrhart is parent of two public elementary school students and vice president of Data and Research at Texas 2036. Spring STAAR End-of-Course results became available to families through the online Family Portal on June 10, 2026, with grades 3–8 following on June 16, 2026. When yours arrive, this is the walkthrough I use…
Dr. Tracy Ayrhart is a parent of two public elementary school students and vice president of Data and Research at Texas 2036. Like a lot of Texas parents, I’ll be logging into the Family Portal in mid-June to look at my kids’ STAAR results. One just finished third grade, the other just finished fifth. It’s…
Texas reached 31.7 million residents in July 2025, adding more than 391,000 people in a single year. We rank in the top four states for percent growth and lead the nation in numeric change. By headline measures, Texas is still very much a growth story. Yet, the shape of that growth is changing. The U.S….