Key Takeaways
- • The Austin Healthcare Council released its inaugural report, "The State of Healthcare: An Industry and Innovation Profile of Central Texas," in partnership with the Austin Chamber of Commerce, covering five counties: Travis, Williamson, Bastrop, Caldwell, and Hays.
- • Healthcare employment in Central Texas grew 32 percent from 2021 to 2026, and quarterly wages rose almost 64 percent, according to the report.
- • Austin healthcare private equity and venture capital deal value totaled approximately $9.3 billion across 693 deals from 2021 through 2025, with digital health generating the most deals of the four principal sectors.
- • Williamson County recorded the fastest employment percentage growth, while Travis County added the most jobs in total.
- • Priority constraints identified include workforce capacity, behavioral health access, and growth-stage capital for healthcare technology companies seeking to commercialize and scale locally.
Summary
The Austin Healthcare Council, a membership organization founded in 2016 to serve as the central hub for collaboration across the Central Texas healthcare ecosystem, has published its inaugural report on the sector's economic footprint. The report, produced in partnership with the Austin Chamber of Commerce, covers Travis, Williamson, Bastrop, Caldwell, and Hays counties and characterizes healthcare as one of the region's most important economic engines, citing well-paying jobs, major capital investment, and a clinical foundation for digital health and life sciences growth.
According to the report, healthcare employment in Central Texas grew 32 percent from 2021 to 2026, while quarterly wages rose almost 64 percent. Healthcare capacity is expanding in many of the same communities absorbing the region's population and employer growth. Williamson County posted the fastest percentage employment growth, while Travis County added the largest number of jobs.
On the investment side, the report puts Austin's healthcare private equity and venture capital deal value at approximately $9.3 billion across 693 deals from 2021 through 2025. Digital health generated the most deals among the four principal healthcare sectors, which also include healthcare services, life sciences and biotechnology, and medical devices and diagnostics.
Austin Council President and CEO Sarah Churchill Llamas said the report provides the first complete picture of the region's healthcare economy. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson cited the sector's growing role in the local economy and noted that residents can now access specialized care locally that previously required travel to another city. Jeremy Martin, President and CEO of the Austin Chamber of Commerce, highlighted young people's interest in healthcare careers and called for expanded clinical training to build the future workforce.
The report identifies expanding workforce capacity, improving behavioral health access, and strengthening growth-stage capital availability as key challenges. The full report is available at austinhealthcarecouncil.org/stateofhealthcare2026.
According to the report, healthcare employment in Central Texas grew 32 percent from 2021 to 2026, while quarterly wages rose almost 64 percent. Healthcare capacity is expanding in many of the same communities absorbing the region's population and employer growth. Williamson County posted the fastest percentage employment growth, while Travis County added the largest number of jobs.
On the investment side, the report puts Austin's healthcare private equity and venture capital deal value at approximately $9.3 billion across 693 deals from 2021 through 2025. Digital health generated the most deals among the four principal healthcare sectors, which also include healthcare services, life sciences and biotechnology, and medical devices and diagnostics.
Austin Council President and CEO Sarah Churchill Llamas said the report provides the first complete picture of the region's healthcare economy. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson cited the sector's growing role in the local economy and noted that residents can now access specialized care locally that previously required travel to another city. Jeremy Martin, President and CEO of the Austin Chamber of Commerce, highlighted young people's interest in healthcare careers and called for expanded clinical training to build the future workforce.
The report identifies expanding workforce capacity, improving behavioral health access, and strengthening growth-stage capital availability as key challenges. The full report is available at austinhealthcarecouncil.org/stateofhealthcare2026.
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