Texas is the second largest state in the United States by area (after Alaska) and population (after California). Located in the South Central region, Texas shares borders with the states of Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the west, and the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León, and Tamaulipas to the southwest, and has a coastline with the Gulf of Mexico to the southeast.
The $1.9 trillion Texas economy is the second biggest in the U.S., behind only California. Texas ranks fourth for current economic climate and first for its growth prospects, thanks to strong employment and income growth forecasts for the next five years. In addition, there are over 100 of the 1,000 largest public and private companies in the U.S. based in Texas, including giants like AT&T, ExxonMobil and Dell. Entrepreneurial activity ranks fourth in the nation, per the Kauffman Foundation. One of the only things holding Texas back is the education rate among its labor supply. Only 84% of adults have a high school degree, which is the second lowest among the states.