Texas Forest Industry Generates $27.4 B and 73,000 Jobs in 2024

The Texas forest sector delivered $27.4 billion in industry output in 2024 and directly employed more than 73,000 workers. Growth is driven by sustained demand for new housing and construction, as well as other manufacturing that uses renewable wood fibers.

The state’s timber-producing pine forests cover roughly 12 million acres across 43 East Texas counties, supporting about 85 sawmills that produce dimensional lumber, plywood and oriented strand board. Although Texas imports some forest products, it exported $2.1 billion of finished goods in 2024, with Mexico and Canada identified as its two largest trade partners. Secondary forest‑product manufacturing adds stability by offsetting fluctuations in the housing market.

Aaron Stottlemyer, Ph.D., head of the Texas A&M Forest Service Forest Analytics Department, emphasized that the industry ranks among Texas’ top ten agricultural commodities and remains a key economic engine for the rapidly expanding state.