Leveraging Data to Shape Our Future

At Texas 2036, data informs our policy work and is used to monitor the resulting progress. Here are the ways we’re using data to ensure Texans have a better future. 

Accurate data is critical to understanding and addressing the challenges facing Texans now and in the future. Texas 2036 is committed to building the strongest future for Texas through research grounded in clear, valuable, disaggregated data – bringing to view disparities that could otherwise be hidden by aggregation.

Data Team


Data as Big as Texas

Explore these interactive resources to gain data-driven insights about Texas across important policy areas including justice, health and employment.

Texas 2036 Data Lab

Data Lab »

Hundreds of data sets at your fingertips.

Texas Voter Poll

Texas Voter Poll »

Learn what’s top of mind for Texas voters.

Strategic Framework

Strategic Framework »

A thorough analysis of the top issues in Texas.

Do you love data as much as we do? Support our work for more findings on the Lone Star State.

Explore the Data

Understanding Texas

Understanding Texas: Population Growth

Based on current trends, Texas is expected to gain anywhere between 3-5 million people by 2036. By 2060, Texas will be home to anywhere between 36 and 44 million people. (Last updated Sept. 2023)

Texas Women

Understanding Texas Women: Inside Their Life Stage Experiences

Texas women are not monolithic and reflect the diversity of our state. We built this dashboard to show girls and women throughout critical phases of their life span to understand their hardships and achievements. (Last updated April 2023)

Education and Workforce

Aim Hire Texas Regional Workforce Data

Current and future education and workforce needs are displayed across Texas Workforce Development Areas. Employing education-to-workforce pipeline data, it’s a unique analysis not previously available. (Last updated Fall 2021)

Texas Advanced Coursetaking Dashboard

Texas Education Agency data are visualized to reveal disparities in advanced course offerings for select student groups across school, senate and house districts as well as Educational Service Center regions. (Last updated August 2023)

Community College Finance Simulator

The impact of changes to the state financial formula for community colleges is presented, showing the effects for both individual community college districts and the state budget.

Privately Issued Credentials Initiative

Data about credentials offered by Texas-based private entities and employers is displayed to improve public access and transparency, performed in collaboration with national nonprofit Credential Engine. Such valuable information supplements the state repository of credentials from public state institutions and education/training programs.

Future-Proofing Texas School Funding

Visual representations of funding mechanisms for Texas’ education system are presented. The volatility of global and local oil production on funding school finance is discussed and funding options are presented.

Postsecondary Outcomes Exploration Tool (POET)

This interactive data platform is designed to provide key insights to students, parents, teachers, counselors, researchers and policymakers about the factors that shape whether a student attends college and, if they choose not to attend college, whether they earn a living wage.

Workforce Composition, Trends and Alignment Report

Maintaining a robust Texas economy and mitigating the talent shortage forecast for the next decade requires addressing several long-term challenges to the Texas workforce. This report dives into the data from labor force trends to industries of opportunity.

The State of Readiness: Are Texas Students Prepared for Life After High School?

The George W. Bush Institute and Texas 2036’s report details how Texas students do not have the knowledge and skills to succeed as they move on to the next grade level, much less in the workforce.

Health

Who are the Uninsured in Texas?

In partnership with the Cicero Group, this study is perhaps the most in-depth, state-level look at people without health insurance designed to help identify barriers and personal decisions that impact access to affordable care. Texas has the nation’s highest uninsured rate — about five million people, or 18% of residents in 2021, compared to the national average of 8.6%. Most uninsured Texans qualify for a government health program or for federal subsidies that would help pay for coverage but have not signed up. (Last updated October 24, 2022)

Health Price Transparency Dashboard

This tool evaluates compliance across the state, including filters by region and senate district, of all 644 Texas hospitals subject to state and federal price transparency rules. Explore visualizations of actual prices for certain health care services and procedures by hospital, payer and region with periodic expansion of datasets. (Last updated Fall 2022)

Texas 2036 Health Coverage Policy Explorer

Health Coverage Policy Explorer

This tool allows all Texans – both policymakers and the public – to explore policy alternatives and combine policies to maximize both the number of covered Texans and federal funding streams, including options to expand Medicaid statewide or for certain populations, such as post-partem mothers, and make important changes to address access and affordability of coverage on the Affordable Care Act Exchange, such adopt fixed-rate review or create a state-based exchange. (Last updated Spring 2021)

Infrastructure

Investing in Texas: Broadband

The Center for Public Finance at Rice University’s Baker Institute of Public Policy examines the benefits – and challenges – that come with expanding broadband to connect the millions of Texans currently unable to access this critical resource. (May 2022)

Natural Resources

Changing World Oil Markets and the Texas Economy

Changing World Oil Markets and the Texas Economy

A partnership with the Center for Houston’s Future, this examines how losses in the oil and gas industry would affect the Texas economy, specifically K-12 education funding. Included are oil price scenarios, forecasts of oil and gas production over the next 15 years, and estimates on the Texas budget, economy, and school funding. (March 2021)

Investing in Texas: Energy Expansion

Using carbon capture, geothermal energy and hydrogen as examples, this details how Texas can continue its energy leadership in the 21st century, as growing demand for clean, zero-carbon energy fuels a worldwide energy expansion. (April 2022)

Investing in Texas: Drought

Texas’ potential negative economic impacts are presented, based on the State Water Plan’s projection of insufficient additional water supplies to meet increasing demand over the next 50 years. (June 2022)

Investing in Texas: State Parks

Research indicates that every $1 in public money spent on parks can generate between $4 and $12 in economic return. State park investment can generate meaningful and measurable economic benefits at the state level as well as for local and rural economies. (July 2022)

Justice and Safety

Texas Law Enforcement Data Landscape

Benchmark Analytics partnered on this report on the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) and their effectiveness at regulating law enforcement. Current processes of hiring and firing peace officers are also examined including analyses to estimate if officers with misconduct move between law enforcement agencies. (November 2022)

Modernizing Texas’ Child Welfare IT System 

Jointly published by Texas 2036 and the Texas Alliance of Child and Family Services, the report dives in on the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services’ outdated IMPACT data system that further impedes caseworkers’ ability to review important electronic case file information. (January 2023)

Government Performance

Extreme Weather

Everything is bigger in Texas, including the weather forecasts. Innovative research led by Texas State’s Climatologist John Nielsen-Gammon predicts our extreme weather events and natural disasters up to the year 2036. (October 2021)

Investing in Texas: Cybersecurity and IT Modernization

Given recent sizable state and federal appropriations for technology upgrades, the report delves into both challenges and opportunities for the state government. Included are optimal cybersecurity financing, identifying unique risks, allocating limited resources despite competing priorities and coordinating efforts with stakeholders. (June 2022)

Data Blogs

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