Apache County, Arizona: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Eagar, St. Johns and Springerville
Apache County hosts some of the generating capacity Arizona runs on. Construction employs 683, up 98.0% since 2019. Owners plan to retire 1,671 MW more by 2035, led by Coronado in 2032. Apache County is home to Eagar, St. Johns and Springerville. Its power plants have 2,604 MW of capacity, 99% of it coal, the 4th largest fleet in Arizona. Next door, Navajo County has 1,900 MW of planned generation.
Cities and towns in Apache County
Apache County is home to Eagar, St. Johns and Springerville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Alpine, Burnside, Chinle, Concho, Cornfields, Cottonwood, Del Muerto, Dennehotso, Fort Defiance, Ganado, Greer, Houck, Klagetoh, Lukachukai, Lupton, Many Farms, McNary, Nazlini, Nutrioso, Oak Springs, Red Mesa, Red Rock, Rock Point, Rough Rock, Round Rock, Sanders, Sawmill, Sehili, St. Michaels, Steamboat, Teec Nos Pos, Toyei, Tsaile, Vernon, Wide Ruins, Window Rock.
Residents are 2025 Census estimates for the part of each city, town or township inside this county. Census publishes no annual estimate for unincorporated communities.
What changed in Apache County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arizona |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 65,913 | 64,445 | ▼ 2.2% | 10th of 15 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,742 | 16,853 | ▼ 5.0% | 15th of 15 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,774 | $57,830 | ▲ 26.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 345 | 683 | ▲ 98.0% | 2nd of 11 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 9.6% | 8.8% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 16,853 jobs in 2025, down 5.0% from 2019. Unemployment was 8.8% in August 2026, against 9.6% in 2019. Arizona Public Service Co is the largest utility serving Apache County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.45¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.49¢ median for Arizona utilities. 64,445 people live here, down 2.2% since 2020, 10th of 15 Arizona counties by population.
Who powers Apache County
Utilities with service territory in Apache County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Public Service Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,256,120 | 16.45¢ | 48% |
| Navopache Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 40,076 | 13.43¢ | 15% |
| Navajo Tribal Utility Authority | State | Bundled | 27,014 | 16.63¢ | 46% |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 27% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
Operating power plants 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 2,588 MW | 99% |
| Solar | 13 MW | 1% |
| Other technologies | 3 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springerville | Tucson Electric Power Co | Coal | 1,779 MW | 1985 |
| Coronado | Salt River Project | Coal | 822 MW | 1979 |
| Western Renewable Energy | Western Renewable Energy LLC | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2004 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coronado | Coal | 822 MW | 2032 |
| Springerville | Coal | 425 MW | 2027 |
| Springerville | Coal | 425 MW | 2032 |
The Apache County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 16,853 | $57,830 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 683 | $47,234 | 0.76 |
Concentration is the BLS location quotient: 1.0 means the industry holds the same share of local jobs as it does nationally. Industry rows count private employers; cells BLS suppresses are left out.
Data centers and local rules in Apache County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Apache County. Arizona has 6 local measures on record statewide.
Apache County and its neighbors
Of the 9 counties that border Apache County, San Juan County carries the most build-out activity: data centers, planned generation and operating plants combined.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apache County | 64,445 | ▼ 5.0% | 2,604 MW | — | — | — |
| Catron County NM | 3,827 | ▲ 9.0% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| Cibola County NM | 26,807 | ▼ 4.8% | 114 MW | — | — | — |
| Graham County | 40,157 | ▲ 17.7% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Greenlee County | 9,312 | ▲ 9.9% | — | — | — | — |
| McKinley County NM | 68,119 | ▼ 7.6% | 658 MW | 140 MW | — | — |
| Montezuma County CO | 26,678 | ▲ 1.1% | 22 MW | 140 MW | — | — |
| Navajo County | 109,946 | ▲ 4.1% | 711 MW | 1,900 MW | — | — |
| San Juan County NM | 120,340 | ▲ 2.4% | 2,052 MW | 1,729 MW | — | — |
| San Juan County UT | 14,542 | ▲ 9.8% | 134 MW | — | — | — |
More of Arizona
Apache County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Apache County, Arizona?
4 utilities have service territory in Apache County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Arizona Public Service Co, Navopache Electric Coop, Inc, Navajo Tribal Utility Authority, WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Arizona Public Service Co, charged residential customers 16.45¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Apache County?
3 operating plants with 2,604 MW of capacity. The largest is Springerville (1,779 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Apache County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Apache County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Navajo County.
Is Apache County adding jobs?
Employers counted 16,853 jobs in 2025 against 17,742 in 2019 (-5.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 345 to 683.
Does Apache County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Apache County. Arizona has 6 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.