STEPHENVILLE, TEXAS—With August just around the corner, thousands of students will return to Tarleton State University’s campus to begin the fall semester.
Traffic in Stephenville will increase. Stores will be crowded. Apartments and rent houses will fill up. The annual rise in population often leaves many wondering, “How much of an economic impact does Tarleton have on the community and state?”
Tarleton was established in 1899 and has since grown into an integral part of the community. The largest employer in Erath County had a 2008 fall student enrollment of more than 9,600, with the majority taking courses at the Stephenville campus.
According to a study published in December 2004 by the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Institutional Research, Tarleton contributed $170 million to Erath County’s economy and $311 million to the state’s economy.
“Tarleton’s impact on the local and state economy is quite impressive,” said Tarleton President F. Dominic Dottavio. “As the largest employer in the county and because of the thousands of students and visitors to campus each year, Tarleton accounts for significant sums of money being spent in Erath County. Tarleton also creates thousands of jobs throughout the state. This is particularly important given the country’s current economic climate.”
Gary Smith, store manager of Stephenville’s Wal-Mart Super Center, notices a substantial increase in store traffic when Tarleton students return for the fall semester.
“I can lay out our sales numbers week by week and tell you when Tarleton went on summer vacation or spring break,” Smith said. “By looking at the numbers you can compare if the summer vacation was on a different week than the year before. The difference in sales is huge.”
Dr. Hussain Jafrian, an economics professor at Tarleton, co-authored the report, “Economic Impact of Tarleton State University–Stephenville,” in 2004 along with students Santhosh Durgam, who was then a graduate assistant at the Center for Agribusiness Excellence, D’Anna Jackson, then a senior interdisciplinary business major and Zeb Pomerenke, then a graduate research assistant in the accounting department.
According to the study, “Armed with considerable purchasing power, Tarleton students have a tremendous impact on local sales…(with an) estimated $49.88 million direct impact and $32.58 million indirect impact.”
Since then, Tarleton has grown and the economy has changed considerably. But while the exact numbers may have changed, the trends mentioned in the report are still relevant.
“Tarleton’s role in the local economy is even more relevant today given the lay-offs in the private sector and the uncertainty which prevails in the business world,” Jafri said.
After adjusting for inflation and using data from the U.S. Department of Commerce, Jafri estimates that the economic impact now is more than $190 million at the local level and more than $350 million at the state level.
“Once we take into account the growing enrollment at the Fort Worth and Waco campuses, Tarleton’s influence extends beyond Stephenville and Erath County,” Jafri said.
Along with the students and employees, visitors to campus play a role in Tarleton’s impact on the economy. The university is the site of various cultural, educational and entertaining activities throughout the year that are open to the public. These include concerts, plays, art exhibits and other events.
The university also routinely hosts University Interscholastic League regional competitions, Lone Star Conference sporting events and the final rodeo of the season for the Southwest Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association.
Other activities such as commencement exercises bring visitors to the community and the annual homecoming weekend has area hotels and motels booked months in advance. Overall, Tarleton attracts more than 80,000 visitors to campus, which translates into more than $7 million in additional sales and output.
