The two images in this feature depict the distribution of government employment at all levels by county in Texas in 2003. The left image shows the distribution of total government employment by county which ranges from two government employees in the most sparsely populated of west Texas counties to almost a quarter of a million employees in Harris county (Houston). The largest concentrations of employees live and work in the state's urban centers. The right image shows the distribution of government employment as a percentage of each county's population. As this image shows, government employment is more important proportionally to western and rural counties across the state than to major urban centers.