Texas is a state in the South Central region of the United States. The region's second-quarter 2018 gross state product was 8.6% of the GDP of the country at $1.755 trillion, with significant growth in mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction. [1] The state ranked third on Forbes list of Best States For Business in 2018, noting strong growth, employment and income and a primary target for corporate relocations over the last six years. [2]
This list shows firms in the Fortune 500, which ranks firms by total revenues reported before January 31, 2018. [3] Only the top five firms (if available) are included as a sample.
| Rank | Image | Name | Revenues (USD $M) | Employees | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |  | ExxonMobil | 244,363 | 71,200 | Multinational oil and gas company and largest of the Big Oil entities. The firm is headquartered in Spring, Texas north of Houston. Subsidiaries include Exxon, Mobil, and Esso. |
| 9 |  | AT&T | 160,546 | 254,000 | Multinational telecommunications holding company which includes many components of the former Bell System. Headquartered in Dallas, the company includes Cricket Wireless and DirecTV. |
| 28 |  | Phillips 66 | 91,568 | 14,600 | Global oil and gas entity formed when it spun off from ConocoPhillips in 2012. The firm is headquartered in the Westchase district of Houston. |
| 31 |  | Valero Energy | 88,407 | 10,015 | International oil and gas refiner, marketer and distribution company. The company is headquartered in San Antonio and divested itself of retail operations in 2013 through the formation of CST Brands. |
| 35 |  | Dell Technologies | 78,660 | 145,000 | Multinational technology firm based in Round Rock, near Austin in central Texas. The company's historical focus was personal computers, but now offers a range of technology products and services. |
This list includes notable companies with primary headquarters located in the state. The industry and sector follow the Industry Classification Benchmark taxonomy. Organizations which have ceased operations are included and noted as defunct.
| Name | Industry | Sector | Headquarters | Founded | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota Motor North America | Automotive | Automotive | Plano | 2017 | Automotive |
| 7-Eleven | Consumer services | Broadline retailers | Dallas | 1927 | Convenience store chain |
| Acme Brick | Industrials | Building materials & fixtures | Fort Worth | 1891 | Brick and masonry |
| Affiliated Foods | Consumer services | Food retailers & wholesalers | Amarillo | 1968 | Grocery wholesaler |
| Airbus Helicopters, Inc. | Industrials | Aerospace | Grand Prairie | 1969 | Part of Airbus (Netherlands) |
| American Airlines Group | Consumer services | Airlines | Fort Worth | 2013 | Airline holding company |
| American Airlines | Consumer services | Airlines | Fort Worth | 1936 | Airline, part of American Airlines Group |
| American National Insurance Company | Financials | Full line insurance | Galveston | 1905 | National insurance firm |
| APA Corporation | Oil & gas | Exploration & production | Houston | 1954 | Hydrocarbon exploration |
| Aspyr | Technology | Software | Austin | 1996 | Video games |
| AT&T | Conglomerate | - | Dallas | 1983 | Telecommunications, technology, entertainment |
| Atmos Energy | Oil & gas | Pipelines | Dallas | 1906 | Natural gas distribution, Energy |
| Baker Hughes | Oil & gas | Oil equipment & services | Houston | 1907 | Oil field services |
| Beal Bank | Financials | Banks | Plano | 1988 | Banking |
| Bell Helicopter | Industrials | Aerospace | Fort Worth | 1935 | Military and commercial helicopters, Aviation |
| Bennigan's | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Dallas | 1976 | Restaurant chain |
| Berry Aviation | Consumer services | Airlines | San Marcos | 1983 | Charter airline |
| Black-eyed Pea | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Houston | 1975 | Restaurant chain |
| Blue Bell Creameries | Consumer goods | Food products | Brenham | 1907 | Ice cream, Food Products |
| BNSF Railway | Industrials | Railroads | Fort Worth | 1996 | Freight rail |
| Bombay Company | Consumer services | Specialty retailers | Fort Worth | 1978 | Furniture |
| Borden Dairy | Consumer goods | Food products | Dallas | 2009 | Dairy |
| Brantly International | Industrials | Aerospace | Coppell | 1945 | Helicopters, Aviation |
| Brinker International | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Dallas | 1991 | Holding company of Chili's and Maggiano's Little Italy |
| Broadway Bank | Financials | Banks | San Antonio | 1941 | Community bank |
| Brookshire Brothers | Consumer services | Food Retailers & wholesalers | Lufkin | 1921 | Grocery |
| Brookshire Grocery Company | Consumer services | Food Retailers & wholesalers | Tyler | 1928 | Grocery |
| Burger Street | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Dallas [4] | 1985 | Fast food chain |
| Cameron International | Oil & gas | Oil equipment & services | Houston | 1920 | Oil well services |
| Carino's Italian | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Austin | 1968 | Italian chain |
| Carter Aviation Technologies | Industrials | Aerospace | Wichita Falls | 1994 | Aerospace technology |
| CBI Laboratories | Health care | Pharmaceuticals | Fort Worth | 1982 | Dermatological products |
| Celanese | Basic materials | Specialty chemicals | Irving | 1918 | Chemicals |
| CenterPoint Energy | Utilities | Gas distribution | Houston | 1882 | Natural gas utility |
| Central Market | Consumer services | Food Retailers & wholesalers | Dallas | 1994 | Specialized grocer; part of H-E-B |
| Chicken Express | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Burleson | 1988 | Fast food chain |
| Chili's | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Dallas | 1975 | Restaurant chain |
| Chuck E. Cheese's | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Irving | 1977 | Restaurant and entertainment chain |
| Cicis | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Plano | 1985 | Pizza chain |
| Cinemark Theatres | Consumer services | Recreational services | Plano | 1984 | Theater chain |
| Citgo | Oil & gas | Integrated oil & gas | Houston | 1910 | Owned by PDVSA (Venezuela) |
| Commercial Metals Company | Basic materials | Iron & steel | Irving | 1915 | Steel and metals |
| ConocoPhillips | Oil & gas | Exploration & production | Houston | 1875 | Oil exploration and production |
| Cooper Industries | Industrials | Electrical components & equipment | Houston | 1833 | Now part of Eaton Corporation (Ireland) |
| Coterra | Oil & gas | Exploration & production | Houston | 1989 | Hydrocarbon exploration |
| Curves International | Consumer services | Specialized consumer services | Waco | 1992 | Fitness chain |
| DallasNews Corporation | Consumer services | Publishing | Dallas | 2008 | Newspapers |
| D. R. Horton | Consumer goods | Home construction | Arlington | 1978 | Homebuilder |
| DataTreasury | Technology | Software | Plano | 1998 | Financial software |
| Dave & Buster's | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Dallas | 1982 | Restaurant and entertainment chain |
| Dean Foods | Consumer goods | Food products | Dallas | 1925 | Food and beverage |
| Dell | Technology | Computer hardware | Round Rock | 1984 | Computers and hardware |
| Dell EMC | Technology | Computer storage | Round Rock | 1979/2016 | Subsidiary of Dell |
| Dell Technologies | Technology | Computer services | Round Rock | 2016 | Parent of Dell and Dell EMC |
| Diamondback Energy | Oil & gas | Exploration & production | Midland | 2007 | Hydrocarbon exploration |
| Dick Clark Architecture | Industrials | Business support services | Austin | 1979 | Architects |
| Dickies | Consumer goods | Clothing & accessories | Fort Worth | 1922 | Apparel, part of VF Corporation |
| Dr Pepper Snapple Group | Consumer goods | Soft drinks | Plano | 2008 | Part of Keurig Dr Pepper |
| Energy Transfer Partners | Oil & gas | Pipelines | Dallas | 1995 | Pipeline transport |
| Enterprise Products | Oil & gas | Pipelines | Houston | 1968 | Pipeline transport |
| Envoy Air | Consumer services | Airlines | Irving | 1984 | Formerly American Eagle, part of American Airlines Group |
| EOG Resources | Oil & gas | Exploration & production | Houston | 1999 | Hydrocarbon exploration |
| ExxonMobil | Oil & gas | Integrated oil & gas | Irving | 1999 | Energy and petrochemicals |
| FedEx Office | Consumer services | Specialized consumer services | Plano | 1970 | Formerly Kinko's, now part of FedEx |
| Fiesta Mart | Consumer services | Food retailers & wholesalers | Houston | 1972 | Supermarket chain |
| Flowserve | Industrials | Industrial machinery | Irving | 1997 | Industrial and environmental machinery |
| Fluor Corporation | Industrials | Heavy construction | Irving | 1912 | Engineering and construction |
| Fossil Group | Consumer goods | Clothing & accessories | Richardson | 1984 | Fashion designer |
| Fred Loya Insurance | Financials | Property & casualty insurance | El Paso | 1990 | Auto insurance |
| Frito-Lay | Consumer goods | Food products | Plano | 1961 | Packaged foods |
| Frost Bank | Financials | Banks | San Antonio | 1868 | Bank and financial services |
| Fuddruckers | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Houston | 1979 | Restaurant chain |
| Funimation | Consumer services | Broadcasting & entertainment | Flower Mound | 1994 | Part of Sony Pictures Television |
| GAINSCO | Financials | Full line insurance | Dallas | 1978 | Insurance and financial services |
| GameStop | Consumer services | Specialty retailers | Grapevine | 1984 | Games and electronics retailer |
| Gerland Corporation | Consumer services | Food retailers & wholesalers | Houston | 1967 | Grocery |
| GM Financial | Financials | Consumer finance | Fort Worth | 1992 | Part of General Motors |
| Gold's Gym | Consumer services | Specialized consumer services | Dallas | 1965 | Fitness chain |
| Goodman Global | Industrials | Electronic equipment | Houston | 1975 | HVAC |
| Greyhound Lines | Consumer services | Travel & tourism | Dallas | 1914 | Bus |
| Group 1 Automotive | Consumer services | Specialty retailers | Houston | 1997 | Auto retailer |
| Guaranty Bank & Trust | Financials | Banks | Mount Pleasant | 1913 | Commercial bank |
| Gutterth | Consumer services | Recreational services | Denton | 2006 | Event management |
| Half Price Books | Consumer services | Specialty retailers | Dallas | 1972 | Book retailer |
| Halliburton | Oil & gas | Integrated oil & gas | Houston | 1919 | Oil field services |
| Hamilton Shirts | Consumer goods | Clothing & accessories | Houston | 1883 | Clothier |
| HealthMarkets | Financials | Full line insurance | North Richland Hills | 1983 | Health insurance |
| H-E-B | Consumer services | Food retailers & wholesalers | San Antonio | 1905 | Supermarket chain |
| Helpinstill | Consumer goods | Consumer electronics | Houston | 1972 [5] | Piano pickups |
| Hitachi Consulting | Technology | Computer services | Dallas | 2000 | IT consulting |
| HKN, Inc. | Oil & gas | Exploration & production | Southlake | 1973 | Gas exploration |
| iHeartMedia | Consumer services | Media agencies | San Antonio | 1972 | Formerly Clear Channel Communications |
| Imperial Sugar | Consumer goods | Food products | Sugar Land | 1843 | Sugar, part of Louis Dreyfus Company (Netherlands) |
| Intercontinental Manufacturing Company | Industrials | Aerospace | Dallas | 1948 | Tractors, later aircraft |
| International Bank of Commerce | Financials | Banks | Laredo | 1966 | Bank |
| Interstate Batteries | Consumer goods | Auto parts | Dallas | 1952 | Automotive batteries |
| J. C. Penney | Consumer services | Broadline retailers | Plano | 1902 | Department stores |
| James Avery Artisan Jewelry | Consumer goods | Clothing & accessories | Kerrville | 1954 | Jewelry |
| Jason's Deli | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Beaumont | 1976 | Restaurant chain |
| Jiffy Lube | Consumer services | Specialized consumer services | Houston | 1971 | Automotive services |
| Jim's Restaurants | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | San Antonio | 1947 | Restaurant chain |
| KBR | Industrials | Heavy construction | Houston | 1901 | Construction and procurement |
| Keurig Dr Pepper | Consumer goods | Soft drinks | Plano | 1981 | Part of JAB Holding Company |
| Kimberly-Clark | Consumer goods | Personal products | Irving | 1872 | Personal care products |
| Kinder Morgan | Oil & gas | Pipelines | Houston | 1997 | Gas pipelines and terminals |
| La Quinta Inns & Suites | Consumer services | Hotels | Irving | 1968 | Hotel chain |
| Landry's | Consumer services | Recreational services | Houston | 1980 | Restaurants and entertainment holding |
| Lennox International | Industrials | Industrial machinery | Richardson | 1895 | HVAC |
| LGI Homes | Consumer goods | Home construction | The Woodlands | 2002 | Homes |
| Luby's | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Houston | 1947 | Restaurant chain |
| LyondellBasell | Basic materials | Commodity chemicals | Houston | 2007 | Chemical company |
| Maggiano's Little Italy | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Dallas | 1991 | Restaurant chain |
| Marathon Oil | Oil & gas | Exploration & production | Houston | 1887 | Petroleum exploration |
| Market Basket | Consumer services | Food retailers & wholesalers | Nederland | 1962 | Supermarket chain |
| Marshall Pottery | Consumer goods | Durable household products | Marshall | 1895 | Pottery |
| Mary Kay | Consumer goods | Personal products | Addison | 1963 | Multi-level marketing; cosmetics |
| McDermott International | Industrials | Business support services | Houston | 1923 | Engineering and procurement |
| Merit Energy Company | Oil & gas | Exploration and production | Dallas | 1989 | Oil and gas production |
| Moody National Bank | Financials | Banks | Galveston | 1907 | Bank |
| Mooney International Corporation | Industrials | Aerospace | Kerrville | 1929 | Light aircraft |
| Mr. Gatti's | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Fort Worth | 1964 | Pizza chain |
| Music Audience Exchange | Consumer services | Broadcasting & entertainment | Frisco | 2014 | Music agency |
| National Instruments | Industrials | Electronic equipment | Austin | 1976 | Test equipment |
| National Oilwell Varco | Oil & gas | Oil equipment & services | Houston | 1841 | Oilfield equipment |
| NatureSweet | Consumer goods | Food products | San Antonio | 1990 | Produce packer |
| Neiman Marcus | Consumer services | Broadline retailers | Dallas | 1907 | Department stores |
| Noble Energy | Oil & gas | Exploration & production | Houston | 1932 | Hydrocarbon exploration |
| NRG Energy | Utilities | Electricity generation | Houston | 1989 | Energy |
| Occidental Petroleum | Oil & gas | Exploration & production | Houston | 1920 | Hydrocarbon exploration |
| Ojos Locos | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Plano [6] | 2010 [6] | Restaurant chain |
| Oracle Corporation | Technology | Computer services | Austin | 1977 | Formerly headquartered in Redwood Shores |
| Panda Energy International | Utilities | Alternative electricity | Dallas | 1982 | Environmental-friendly power plants |
| Permian Basin Royalty Trust | Financials | Asset managers | Fort Worth | 1980 | Royalty trust |
| Peterbilt | Industrials | Commercial vehicles & trucks | Denton | 1939 | Trucks |
| Pier 1 Imports | Consumer services | Specialty retailers | Fort Worth | 1962 | Home furnishings |
| Pioneer Natural Resources | Oil & gas | Exploration & production | Irving | 1997 | Hydrocarbon exploration |
| Pizza Hut | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Plano | 1958 | Pizza chain |
| Pizza Inn | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Dallas | 1958 | Pizza chain |
| Plains All American Pipeline | Oil & gas | Pipelines | Houston | 1998 | Oil and gas pipelines |
| PlainsCapital Bank | Financials | Banks | Lubbock | 1998 | Bank |
| Ponderosa and Bonanza Steakhouses | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Plano | 1965 | Steakhouse chain |
| Quanta Services | Oil & gas | Oil equipment & services | Houston | 1997 | Energy infrastructure |
| Rackspace Technology | Technology | Internet | San Antonio | 1998 | Cloud computing |
| RadioShack | Consumer services | Specialty retailers | Fort Worth | 1921 | Consumer electronics retailer |
| Randalls | Consumer services | Food retailers & wholesalers | Houston | 1966 | Grocery |
| Rave Cinemas | Consumer services | Recreational services | Dallas | 1999 | Theaters |
| Reddy Ice | Consumer goods | Food products | Dallas | 1988 | Ice |
| Redneck Heaven | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Lewisville | 2008 | Sports bars |
| Reliant Energy | Utilities | Conventional electricity | Houston | 2000 | Energy |
| Rent-A-Center | Consumer services | Specialty retailers | Plano | 1973 | Rentals |
| Sabre Corporation | Technology | Software | Southlake | 1960 | Travel software |
| Schlumberger | Oil & gas | Oil equipment & services | Houston | 1926 | Oilfield services |
| Service Corporation International | Consumer services | Specialized consumer services | Houston | 1962 | Funeral services |
| Setcom Corporation | Technology | Telecommunications equipment | Austin | 1970 | Communications equipment |
| Shell Oil Company | Oil & gas | Integrated oil & gas | Houston | 1912 | Part of Royal Dutch Shell (Netherlands) |
| Six Flags | Consumer services | Recreational services | Grand Prairie | 1961 | Theme parks |
| Souper Salad | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Dallas | 1978 | Restaurant chain |
| Southwest Airlines | Consumer services | Airlines | Dallas | 1967 | Low-cost airline |
| Southwestern National Bank | Financials | Banks | Houston | 1997 | Bank |
| Spaghetti Warehouse | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Dallas | 1972 | Restaurant chain |
| Spira | Consumer goods | Footwear | El Paso | 2002 | Footwear |
| Spoetzl Brewery | Consumer goods | Brewers | Shiner | 1909 | Brewery |
| Stage Stores | Consumer services | Specialty retailers | Houston | 1988 | Apparel and cosmetics |
| Steak and Ale | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Dallas | 1966 | Restaurants |
| Strayer Voigt Inc | Industrials | Defense | Grand Prairie | 1994 | Firearms |
| Synergyst Research | Clinical research | Medicine and biotech | San Antonio | 2006 | Providing medicine |
| Sysco | Consumer goods | Food products | Houston | 1969 | Food distribution |
| T.G.I. Friday's | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Dallas | 1965 | Restaurant chain |
| Taco Bueno | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Irving | 1967 | Restaurant chain |
| Taco Cabana | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | San Antonio | 1978 | Restaurant chain |
| Taco Palenque | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Laredo | 1987 | Restaurant chain |
| Tailored Brands | Consumer services | Apparel retailers | Houston | 1973 | Men's apparel |
| Tandy Corporation | Technology | Computer Hardware | Fort Worth | 1919 | Computer hardware |
| Tenet Healthcare | Health care | Health care providers | Dallas | 1967 | Health care services |
| Tesla, Inc. | Automotive | Automotive and Renewable energy | Austin | 2003 | Automotive |
| Texas Instruments | Technology | Semiconductors | Dallas | 1930 | Semiconductors |
| Texas Precious Metals | Consumer services | Specialty retailers | Shiner | 2011 | Gold retailers |
| The Container Store | Consumer services | Specialty retailers | Coppell | 1978 | Storage retauler |
| The Michaels Companies | Consumer services | Specialty retailers | Irving | 2013 | Arts and crafts retailer |
| TicketCity | Consumer services | Live Events | Austin | 1990 | Ticket Sales |
| Tokio Marine HCC | Financials | Property & casualty insurance | Houston | 1974 | Insurance |
| Tom Thumb | Consumer services | Food retailers & wholesalers | Roanoke | 1948 | Grocery, part of Albertsons |
| Torchmark | Financials | Life insurance | McKinney | 1900 | Life insurance |
| TPG Inc. | Financials | Real estate holding & development | Fort Worth | 1992 | Investment company |
| Trinity Industries | Industrials | Diversified industrials | Dallas | 1933 | Construction, energy, transportation |
| Twin Peaks | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | Addison | 2008 | Restaurant chain |
| TXU Energy | Utilities | Conventional electricity | Irving | 2002 | Electrical utility |
| United Supermarkets | Consumer services | Food retailers & wholesalers | Lubbock | 1916 | Supermarket chain |
| USAA | Financials | Property & casualty insurance | San Antonio | 1922 | Financial services |
| Valero Energy | Oil & gas | Integrated oil & gas | San Antonio | 1980 | Oil and gas |
| VALIC | Financials | Life insurance | Houston | 1955 | Part of American International Group |
| Varsity Brands | Consumer goods | Clothing & accessories | Farmers Branch | 2014 | Owned by Bain Capital |
| Visionworks | Health care | Medical supplies | San Antonio | 1988 | Vision care |
| Waste Management | Industrials | Waste & disposal services | Houston | 1968 | Waste services |
| Whataburger | Consumer services | Restaurants & bars | San Antonio | 1950 | Restaurant chain |
| Whole Foods Market | Consumer services | Food retailers & wholesalers | Austin | 1980 | Supermarket chain |
| Woodforest National Bank | Financials | Banks | The Woodlands | 1980 | Bank |
| XTO Energy | Oil & gas | Exploration & production | Fort Worth | 1986 | Oil production |
| Zale Corporation | Consumer services | Specialty retailers | Irving | 1924 | Jeweler |
Greater Houston, designated by the United States Office of Management and Budget as Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land, is the fifth-most populous metropolitan statistical area in the United States, encompassing nine counties along the Gulf Coast in Southeast Texas. With a population of 7,122,240 in 2020, Greater Houston is the second-most populous in Texas after the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.
The Sun Belt is a region of the United States generally considered stretching across the Southeast and Southwest. Another rough definition of the region is the area south of the 36th parallel. Several climates can be found in the region — desert/semi-desert, Mediterranean (California), humid subtropical and tropical.
The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. is an American bank holding company and financial services corporation based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Its banking subsidiary, PNC Bank, operates in 27 states and the District of Columbia, with 2,629 branches and 9,523 ATMs. PNC Bank is on the list of largest banks in the United States by assets and is one of the largest banks by number of branches, deposits, and number of ATMs.
The economy of the European Union is the joint economy of the member states of the European Union (EU). It is the second largest economy in the world in nominal terms, after the United States, and the third largest at purchasing power parity (PPP), after China and the US. The European Union's GDP is estimated to be $19.35 trillion (nominal) in 2024 or $26.64 trillion (PPP), representing around one-sixth of the global economy. Germany has the biggest national GDP of all EU countries, followed by France and Italy.
The economy of the State of Texas is the second largest by GDP in the United States after that of California. It has a gross state product of $2.355 trillion as of 2022. In 2022, Texas led the nation with the most companies in the Fortune 500 with 53 in total. As of 2021, Texas grossed more than $300 billion a year in exports—more than the exports of California and New York combined.
The economy ofHouston is based primarily on the energy industry, particularly oil. However, health care, biomedical research, and aerospace also constitute large sectors. In 2021, the gross domestic product (GDP) of the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan statistical area (MSA) was 537 U.S. dollars billion, the fourth-largest of any metro area in the United States. The Houston metropolitan area comprises the largest concentration of petrochemical manufacturing in the world, including for synthetic rubber, insecticides, and fertilizers. It is the world's leading center for oilfield equipment construction, with the city of Houston home to more than 3,000 energy-related businesses, including many of the top oil and gas exploration and production firms and petroleum pipeline operators. As of 2011, 23 companies on the Fortune 500 list have their headquarters in, or around, Houston.
The economy of Stamford, Connecticut is robust and is considered an anomaly for having a large number of corporate headquarters in a city of its size. In the 1980s and 90s, Stamford had the third highest concentration of Fortune 500 companies in the country, with 18 companies headquartered in the city. The only two cities that had higher concentrations in the nation were New York City and Chicago.
The economy of the Commonwealth of Virginia is well balanced with diverse sources of income. From the Hampton Roads area to Richmond and down to Lee County in the southwest includes military installations, cattle, tobacco and peanut farming in Southside Virginia. Tomatoes recently surpassed soy as the most profitable crop in Virginia. Tobacco, peanuts and hay are also important agricultural products from the commonwealth. Wineries and vineyards in the Northern Neck and along the Blue Ridge Mountains also have become increasingly popular. Northern Virginia hosts software, communications, consulting, defense contracting, diplomats, and considerable components of the professional government sector. As of the 2000 census, Virginia had the highest number of counties and independent cities (15) in the top 100 wealthiest jurisdictions in the United States based upon median income, in addition, Virginia tied with Colorado as having the most counties (10) in the top 100 based on per capita income. Loudoun and Fairfax counties in Northern Virginia have the highest and second highest median household income, respectively, of all counties in the United States as of 2017.
Located on the Mississippi River, the metropolitan area of Memphis is one of the largest in the Southeastern United States, ranking 42nd in the United States according to the 2010 census. The city has historically been one of the largest shipping hubs in the Mid-South, dating back to the Civil War, when the port was one of the largest on the Mississippi River and served as a shipping hub for the Confederacy.