Top Industries and Employers in Grayson County, Texas

Judy K.

6/5/26

Discover the top industries and largest employers in Grayson County, TX — healthcare, manufacturing, education, and the county's economic drivers. Updated 2026.

Grayson County's economy has evolved considerably over the past decade.

While the county's agricultural roots remain visible — particularly in its rural and outer-county communities — the economic center of gravity has shifted toward healthcare, manufacturing, education, and the service industries that follow population growth.

Understanding the county's employment landscape matters for job seekers, business owners, real estate investors, and anyone trying to understand what drives the local economy.

Overview: The Grayson County Economy

Grayson County's economy operates as a semi-independent regional hub anchored by Sherman and Denison, with meaningful integration into the broader North Texas economy.

The county is within commuting distance of the Collin County technology and corporate corridor, which provides employment access that supplements local job opportunities.

The county seat of Sherman is the primary commercial and employment center, while Denison — anchored by Texoma Medical Center and manufacturing — provides a substantial secondary employment base.

Total employment (estimated 2026): Approximately 55,000 to 60,000 jobs within the county
Unemployment rate: Consistently below state average, reflecting the county's diversified employer base and access to DFW commuter employment
Wage profile: Median wages below DFW metro averages, reflecting smaller market size and industry mix — partially offset by the county's lower cost of living

Sector 1: Healthcare

Healthcare is Grayson County's single largest employment sector and its most stable economic anchor. The sector's growth has been driven by the county's aging population, in-migration of families and retirees, and expansion of Texoma Medical Center and affiliated provider networks.

Texoma Medical Center (Denison)

Texoma Medical Center is the county's largest single employer, with approximately 2,000 to 2,500 employees including physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, and administrative staff.

TMC serves as the regional healthcare hub for Grayson and surrounding counties, providing emergency care, surgical services, cardiac care, cancer services, and a growing range of specialty programs.

Impact: As a major employer and the county's healthcare anchor, TMC's operations ripple through the local economy through supplier relationships, employee spending, and its role as a patient destination that draws visitors from across the region.

UT Health Physicians and Affiliated Practices

The expansion of UT Health's outpatient presence in Grayson County has added clinical employment in primary care and specialty services, contributing to the sector's overall employment footprint and bringing academic medicine employment to the county.

Long-Term Care and Senior Living

The county's growing senior population has expanded employment in assisted living, skilled nursing, and home health services — a sector that employs hundreds of direct care workers, administrators, and support staff throughout Sherman and Denison.

Sector 2: Manufacturing and Industrial

Manufacturing has been a Grayson County economic pillar for generations and remains a significant employment sector in 2026.

The county's manufacturing base is diverse — food processing, electronics, plastics, metals fabrication — and has benefited from Texas's business climate and the county's access to US-75 transportation infrastructure.

Key Manufacturing Employers

Kimberly-Clark (formerly): The county has hosted major consumer products manufacturing for decades, with facilities that have employed hundreds of production workers.
Plastic and metals fabrication: Several mid-sized manufacturers in the Sherman industrial corridor employ skilled production workers in fabrication, assembly, and quality control roles.
Food processing: Agricultural-adjacent food processing operations in the county employ workers across production, logistics, and quality assurance functions.
Defense and electronics: The county's history with defense-related manufacturing (dating to its Cold War-era military presence) has left a manufacturing culture and skill base that continues to support industrial employment.

Sector 3: Education

Education is one of the county's most stable employment sectors, providing professional and support employment across multiple school districts, Grayson College, and private educational institutions.

Public School Districts

Grayson County's multiple school districts — Sherman ISD, Denison ISD, Van Alstyne ISD, Pottsboro ISD, and others — collectively employ thousands of teachers, administrators, counselors, support staff, and bus drivers.

Education employment is particularly significant in smaller outer-county communities where school districts are often the largest local employer.

Grayson College

Grayson College in Denison is a two-year community college that serves as both an educational institution and a meaningful local employer. The college employs faculty, administrators, facilities staff, and student support professionals.

Its workforce development and continuing education programs have a direct relationship with local employer needs in healthcare, manufacturing, and technology.

Sector 4: Retail and Service

Retail and service employment — restaurants, hospitality, personal services, retail stores, financial services — makes up a substantial share of total county employment and has grown alongside the county's population.

Sherman's commercial corridor along US-75 and Travis Street is the primary retail employment concentration, with secondary retail employment in Denison's commercial areas.

Major retail employers: Walmart, Kroger, Home Depot, Lowe's, Target, and national restaurant and service chains all have significant Sherman presence and are among the county's larger individual retail employers.
Hospitality and tourism: Lake Texoma and the county's recreation economy support hospitality employment in hotels, marinas, restaurants, and recreational services — particularly in Denison and Pottsboro.

Sector 5: Government and Public Safety

Government employment — city and county government, law enforcement, fire, courts, and public works — provides stable public sector employment throughout the county.

The county seat concentration of government services in Sherman makes that city the center of public sector employment.

Grayson County government: Sheriff's office, courts, tax assessor, road and bridge, and county administration collectively employ several hundred county workers.
City governments: Sherman and Denison each employ hundreds of public safety, utilities, parks, and administrative staff.

Economic Development and Growth Sectors

Several emerging and growth sectors are reshaping Grayson County's employment landscape looking forward.

Logistics and distribution: US-75 corridor access and proximity to DFW's major logistics hub has attracted distribution and warehousing operations to the county's industrial parks. This sector has grown as e-commerce demand has increased distribution network density.
Remote work spillover: The in-migration of remote workers whose income originates outside the county creates indirect economic activity — local spending, housing demand, and demand for local services — without a traditional employer presence.
Technology and corporate expansion: Several technology companies with Collin County operations have explored Grayson County as a lower-cost alternative for back-office and operations functions. This sector is early-stage but represents a meaningful future opportunity.
Sherman Economic Development Corporation: SEDCO actively recruits businesses to Sherman with incentive packages, shovel-ready industrial sites, and business climate marketing. New employer announcements regularly add jobs in the 50 to 200 employee range.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the largest employer in Grayson County?

Texoma Medical Center in Denison is generally considered the county's largest single private employer, with approximately 2,000 to 2,500 employees. Walmart and other major retailers are also significant employers.

Public sector employers — the county and city governments and school districts — collectively represent a large portion of total employment. The Grayson County Economic Development Corporation maintains current employer data.

What industries are growing in Grayson County?

Healthcare, logistics and distribution, and service industries tied to population growth are the primary growth sectors in 2026. Manufacturing has maintained relatively stable employment.

Education employment grows with population. The remote worker in-migration creates secondary economic activity that supports restaurant, retail, and service employment growth.

Is the Grayson County economy strong?

Grayson County's economy is stable and moderately growing — not a boom economy, but a resilient one. The diversified employer base across healthcare, manufacturing, education, and retail reduces vulnerability to any single sector downturn.

Population growth creates sustained demand for local goods and services. The county's proximity to the DFW metro provides employment depth that purely rural Texas counties lack.