Gila County, Arizona: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Payson, Globe and Star Valley
No data center or power plant project is on record in Gila County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Gila County is home to Payson, Globe, Star Valley and Miami. Construction employs 731, up 19.1% since 2019. Next door, Maricopa County has 183 data centers and 3,792 MW of planned generation. 2 MW has retired here since 2019, including Punkin Center Battery Storage (battery storage, 2 MW, 2019). Employers here counted 15,339 jobs in 2025, up 3.3% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Gila County
Gila County is home to Payson, Globe, Star Valley and Miami.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bear Flat, Beaver Valley, Canyon Day, Carrizo, Cedar Creek, Central Heights-Midland City, Christopher Creek, Claypool, Copper Hill, Cutter, Deer Creek, Dripping Springs, East Globe, East Verde Estates, El Capitan, Flowing Springs, Freedom Acres, Geronimo Estates, Gisela, Haigler Creek, Hunter Creek, Icehouse Canyon, Jakes Corner, Kohls Ranch, Mead Ranch, Mesa del Caballo, Oxbow Estates, Peridot, Pinal, Pine, Rock House, Roosevelt, Roosevelt Estates, Round Valley, Rye, San Carlos, Six Shooter Canyon, Strawberry, Tonto Basin, Tonto Village and 5 more.
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 Gila County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Arizona |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 53,338 | 53,801 | ▲ 0.9% | 11th of 15 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14,848 | 15,339 | ▲ 3.3% | 12th of 15 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,327 | $59,621 | ▲ 37.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 614 | 731 | ▲ 19.1% | 8th of 11 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.6% | 5.0% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — |
Its power plants have 20 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Electrical contractors employ 28, at an average $47,671 a year. Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 5.6% in 2019. Arizona Public Service Co is the largest utility serving Gila County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.45¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.49¢ median for Arizona utilities. 53,801 people live here, up 0.9% since 2020.
Who powers Gila County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Gila 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% |
| Salt River Project | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 1,053,407 | 13.46¢ | 41% |
| Navopache Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 40,076 | 13.43¢ | 15% |
| USBIA-San Carlos Project | Federal | Bundled | 11,432 | 19.49¢ | 42% |
| 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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 20 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poseidon Solar, LLC | Axium Arizona Renewables, LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2011 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Punkin Center Battery Storage | Battery storage | 2 MW | 2019 |
The Gila County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 15,339 | $59,621 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 731 | $58,883 | 0.90 |
| Electrical contractors | 28 | $47,671 | 0.25 |
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 Gila County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Gila County. Arizona has 6 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Pinal County.
Gila County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Gila County, Maricopa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gila County | 53,801 | ▲ 3.3% | 20 MW | — | — | — |
| Coconino County | 144,368 | ▲ 6.3% | 2,028 MW | 2,700 MW | — | — |
| Graham County | 40,157 | ▲ 17.7% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Maricopa County | 4,689,558 | ▲ 11.0% | 23,852 MW | 3,792 MW | 183 | — |
| Navajo County | 109,946 | ▲ 4.1% | 711 MW | 1,900 MW | — | — |
| Pinal County | 539,380 | ▲ 26.7% | 4,944 MW | 2,272 MW | — | 1 |
| Yavapai County | 252,552 | ▲ 9.4% | 67 MW | — | — | — |
More of Arizona
Gila County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Gila County, Arizona?
5 utilities have service territory in Gila County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Arizona Public Service Co, Salt River Project, Navopache Electric Coop, Inc, USBIA-San Carlos Project. The largest, Arizona Public Service Co, charged residential customers 16.45¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Payson, AZ in?
Payson is in Gila County, Arizona. About 16,693 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Gila County?
1 operating plant with 20 MW of capacity. The largest is Poseidon Solar, LLC (20 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Gila County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Gila County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Maricopa County.
Is Gila County adding jobs?
Employers counted 15,339 jobs in 2025 against 14,848 in 2019 (+3.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 614 to 731.
Does Gila County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Gila County. Arizona has 6 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.