Get to know Midland, TX

The Tall City, known for its downtown skyline, rests on the Southern Plains in western Texas.  The city was established in 1881 as a midway point between Fort Worth and El Paso on the Texas and Pacific Railway.  Initially the town was going to be called Midway because of its location, but since other Texas towns had claimed that name, the area was designated Midland in 1884.  The city became an important cattle shipping center in Texas by the end of the nineteenth century and was incorporated in 1906.  The discovery of oil in the Permian Basin in 1923 quickly transformed Midland into the administrative center of oil fields in West Texas.  Today the Permian Basin continues to help grow Midland and produces one fifth of American petroleum and natural gas outputs.  The city has also expanded into telecommunications.  Midland has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the United States.  The main employers in the city are Midland Independent School District, Dawson Geophysical, and midland Memorial Hospital and Medical Center.  Notable residents have included former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush, as well as former First Ladies Barbara Bush and Laura Bush, who grew up in Midland.

Quick Facts

Population: 119,409

Median Household Income: $67,144

Median Property Value: $162,600