Editor’s Note: Rio Grande Valley Business Journal news reporter Kristen Mosbrucker-Garza interviewed Lloyd B. Potter, who has served as the Texas State Demographer for the past 15 years. Potter is also the Director of the Institute for Demographic and Socioeconomic Research and is a professor emeritus at the University of Texas at San Antonio. The following interview transcript has been edited for clarity. 

The changing socioeconomic demographics of a region like the Rio Grande Valley matter as a key driver for business executives considering investment opportunities — or not. 

Over the decades, key economic indicators about the Rio Grande Valley have changed, while others continue to lag behind. 

RGV baby boom drove growth, starts to slow

Kristen Mosbrucker-Garza | Rio Grande Valley Business Journal: Over the past decade, [between 2014 and 2024], how has the Rio Grande Valley’s population changed in terms of natural births? (This refers to women having children, adding to the total number of residents.)