the way up to north dakota local economies firing on all cylinders but the prices plummeting there is now concern that fortunes could change. brian sullivan went to midland texas, willis north dakota and houston and canada calgary, to see the impact of oil's plunge. >> reporter: with oil prices continuing to fall the oil industry here in texas is starting to feel some strain. and there's perhaps no place in the state that feels it as much as the city of midland. for the past few years, midland has been one of the fastest growing cities in the state and also has one of the highest average incomes of anyplace in america. increased improvements in drilling technology and controversial practice of fracking set off a wave of investment in the west texas town for the past few years. in every direction here there are new companies, new construction. building after building after oil rig, operators, drillers service companies and everything else that is attached to the permian base in oil surge. the permian boom sustains more than 400,000 jobs and more than 100 billion in total economic output. we asked long time oil man and resident paul ken worthy if it is all at risk. >> c

. >> real willis ton, north dakota is a boomtown built on oil and testosterone. the growth has had its headaches headaches{^l"^^}. rents rocketed from $120 in 2010 to $2,000 a month. once eager retailers are now beginning to reconsider. >> with oil prices down people will start to think maybe this is not such the real deal and it will go away like it has in the past which i don't think that's going to happen. i think it will rebound. i think we're going to be around an industry that will support us for at least 40 years. but i see some that have slow down there. >> just four years ago williston was an agriculture town of 4,000. since then it has tripled in time. the city expanded it's limits to accommodate the growth. now the oil slump. up in headlines now speak of job cuts. so far the slow down has fallen short of an oil bust. the college has increased six-fold. the students remain confident. >> i'm going to apply for other jobs. i'll be needed and i know i'm going to get it. >> but they're holding off hiring another driving instructor. >> i think they'll work o