The government agency responsible for the United States military is the Department of Defense, or DoD for short. Since its inception in 1949, it has been tasked with managing our nation’s security. It is made up of multiple well-known branches, including the Army the Navy, and the Air Force, all of which protect American interests.
The number of individuals employed by the DoD varies heavily state to state. Distribution of employees in each state is based on several factors, such as where military installations are located and specific civilian operations. It goes without saying that states with massive military bases require a greater number of personnel. These states include California, Virginia, and Texas.
In recent days, the news is full of information regarding Trump and Musk’s job cuts under the newly designated Department of Government Efficiency. Claiming a goal of removing waste, Trump and his team have fired many federal workers, recently targeting those working for the Energy Department and Department of Health and Human Services. Now, the administration turns to military cuts. The White House has asked for data on defense probationary employees, says the Washington Post. Because Texas is home to 15 military bases that are responsible for a total of 200,000 workers, these cuts matter significantly to Texas defense employees.
When factoring in both active duty and civilian employees, Texas has one of the largest DoD workforces. As of 2023, it moved to the number one spot in regard to budget, with an increase of $8.9 billion when compared to 2022. This is thanks to military locations such as Dyess Air Force Base and Joint Base San Antonio. Additionally, Fort Hood, one of the biggest military bases on the planet, makes its home in the great state of Texas. Other employees are linked to the Department of Defense via defense contractors, an industry that is strong in Texas.
Because Texas is such a large state, it is made up of multiple counties. While some counties are home to thousands of DoD employees, such as Bell County, which employs over 18% of the state’s defense workers, other counties have a comparably low number of workers.
24/7 Wall Street found the nine Texas counties with the most military and civilian Defense Department personnel. All data in this story was compiled by the DoD and is current as of fiscal year 2023. Counties for which personnel data was not disclosed were excluded from analysis.
(This article was updated on March 11, 2025 to reflect recent political news, such as remarks from President Trump and The White House)
Why it Matters
At the start of a new Trump administration, fears of job loss run rampant. These fears are not unfounded, after hundreds of federal workers unexpectedly lost their jobs in February of 2025; nor are they specific to a small pool of workers in any one field. Defense employees now face the axe. Because the newly formed DOGE is tasked with eliminating wasteful spending, it stands to reason the U.S. Department of Defense, with its astronomical budget, could be a realistic area for cuts. In 2024, the DoD budget was $841.4 billion, with over $500 billion marked for military compensation.
9. Taylor County
- Total Defense Department personnel: 5,276 (2.5% of DOD personnel statewide)
- Active-duty personnel: 4,277 (3.9% of active-duty personnel statewide)
- National Guard personnel: 181 (0.8% of National Guard personnel statewide)
- Reservist personnel: 324 (1.0% of reservist personnel statewide)
- Civilian DOD personnel: 494 (1.0% of civilian personnel statewide)
- Total Defense Department payroll: $315,008,026 (2.5% of DOD payroll statewide)
8. Nueces County
- Total Defense Department personnel: 5,408 (2.6% of DOD personnel statewide)
- Active-duty personnel: 1,283 (1.2% of active-duty personnel statewide)
- National Guard personnel: 0 (0% of National Guard personnel statewide)
- Reservist personnel: 656 (2.0% of reservist personnel statewide)
- Civilian DOD personnel: 3,469 (7.2% of civilian personnel statewide)
- Total Defense Department payroll: $387,747,910 (3.1% of DOD payroll statewide)
7. Wichita County
- Total Defense Department personnel: 5,909 (2.8% of DOD personnel statewide)
- Active-duty personnel: 4,639 (4.3% of active-duty personnel statewide)
- National Guard personnel: 125 (0.6% of National Guard personnel statewide)
- Reservist personnel: 100 (0.3% of reservist personnel statewide)
- Civilian DOD personnel: 1,045 (2.2% of civilian personnel statewide)
- Total Defense Department payroll: $266,380,202 (2.1% of DOD payroll statewide)
6. Dallas County
- Total Defense Department personnel: 7,428 (3.5% of DOD personnel statewide)
- Active-duty personnel: 593 (0.5% of active-duty personnel statewide)
- National Guard personnel: 2,294 (10.4% of National Guard personnel statewide)
- Reservist personnel: 3,691 (11.3% of reservist personnel statewide)
- Civilian DOD personnel: 850 (1.8% of civilian personnel statewide)
- Total Defense Department payroll: $269,421,377 (2.2% of DOD payroll statewide)
5. Harris County
- Total Defense Department personnel: 9,423 (4.5% of DOD personnel statewide)
- Active-duty personnel: 674 (0.6% of active-duty personnel statewide)
- National Guard personnel: 3,253 (14.7% of National Guard personnel statewide)
- Reservist personnel: 4,746 (14.5% of reservist personnel statewide)
- Civilian DOD personnel: 750 (1.6% of civilian personnel statewide)
- Total Defense Department payroll: $329,039,088 (2.6% of DOD payroll statewide)
4. Tarrant County
- Total Defense Department personnel: 11,387 (5.4% of DOD personnel statewide)
- Active-duty personnel: 1,106 (1.0% of active-duty personnel statewide)
- National Guard personnel: 1,677 (7.6% of National Guard personnel statewide)
- Reservist personnel: 6,047 (18.5% of reservist personnel statewide)
- Civilian DOD personnel: 2,557 (5.3% of civilian personnel statewide)
- Total Defense Department payroll: $530,551,829 (4.3% of DOD payroll statewide)
3. El Paso County
- Total Defense Department personnel: 30,344 (14.3% of DOD personnel statewide)
- Active-duty personnel: 23,474 (21.6% of active-duty personnel statewide)
- National Guard personnel: 1,152 (5.2% of National Guard personnel statewide)
- Reservist personnel: 1,872 (5.7% of reservist personnel statewide)
- Civilian DOD personnel: 3,846 (8.0% of civilian personnel statewide)
- Total Defense Department payroll: $1,919,938,082 (15.4% of DOD payroll statewide)
2. Bell County
- Total Defense Department personnel: 40,076 (18.9% of DOD personnel statewide)
- Active-duty personnel: 33,200 (30.6% of active-duty personnel statewide)
- National Guard personnel: 1,008 (4.6% of National Guard personnel statewide)
- Reservist personnel: 877 (2.7% of reservist personnel statewide)
- Civilian DOD personnel: 4,991 (10.4% of civilian personnel statewide)
- Total Defense Department payroll: $2,580,011,952 (20.7% of DOD payroll statewide)
1. Bexar County
- Total Defense Department personnel: 67,694 (32.0% of DOD personnel statewide)
- Active-duty personnel: 32,746 (30.1% of active-duty personnel statewide)
- National Guard personnel: 2,812 (12.7% of National Guard personnel statewide)
- Reservist personnel: 9,168 (28.1% of reservist personnel statewide)
- Civilian DOD personnel: 22,968 (47.8% of civilian personnel statewide)
- Total Defense Department payroll: $4,536,772,158 (36.4% of DOD payroll statewide)
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