Lafayette Parish, Louisiana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lafayette, Youngsville and Broussard
No data center or power plant project is on record in Lafayette Parish, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Lafayette Parish is home to Lafayette, Youngsville, Broussard and Carencro. Construction employs 7,303, up 40.7% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 932, up 12.3% since 2019 against down 2.9% statewide, at an average $70,307 a year. Employers here counted 139,145 jobs in 2025, up 5.8% from 2019. Its power plants have 202 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Lafayette Parish
Lafayette Parish is home to Lafayette, Youngsville, Broussard and Carencro.
- Broussard also extends into St. Martin Parish.
- Duson also extends into Acadia Parish.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Milton, Ossun.
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 Lafayette Parish
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Louisiana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 242,176 | 257,949 | ▲ 6.5% | 5th of 64 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 131,571 | 139,145 | ▲ 5.8% | 15th of 64 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,448 | $59,616 | ▲ 23.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,189 | 7,303 | ▲ 40.7% | 10th of 43 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 830 | 932 | ▲ 12.3% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 194 | 258 | ▲ 33.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 3.2% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019. Entergy Louisiana LLC is the largest utility serving Lafayette Parish, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.05¢/kWh in 2024, below the 11.88¢ median for Louisiana utilities. 257,949 people live here, up 6.5% since 2020, 5th of 64 Louisiana counties by population.
Who powers Lafayette Parish
Utilities with service territory in Lafayette Parish
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entergy Louisiana LLC | Investor Owned | Bundled | 957,522 | 11.05¢ | 20% |
| Southwest Louisiana E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 108,368 | 11.55¢ | 19% |
| City of Lafayette - (LA) | Municipal | Bundled | 59,961 | 10.12¢ | 57% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 202 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hargis-Hebert Electric Generating | Lafayette Utilities System | Natural gas | 101 MW | 2006 |
| T J Labbe Electric Generating | Lafayette Utilities System | Natural gas | 101 MW | 2005 |
The Lafayette Parish labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 139,145 | $59,616 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 7,303 | $76,003 | 0.99 |
| Electrical contractors | 932 | $70,307 | 0.93 |
| Power and communication line construction | 258 | $80,397 | 1.15 |
| Data processing and hosting | 199 | $73,119 | 0.46 |
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 Lafayette Parish
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lafayette Parish. Louisiana has 3 local measures on record statewide.
Lafayette Parish and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Lafayette Parish, Acadia Parish 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette Parish | 257,949 | ▲ 5.8% | 202 MW | — | — | — |
| Acadia Parish | 57,032 | ▲ 3.5% | 1,818 MW | 150 MW | — | — |
| Iberia Parish | 66,846 | ▼ 7.1% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| St. Landry Parish | 80,765 | ▲ 0.6% | 135 MW | 4 MW | — | — |
| St. Martin Parish | 51,106 | ▲ 3.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Vermilion Parish | 57,671 | ▲ 2.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Louisiana
Lafayette Parish, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana?
3 utilities have service territory in Lafayette Parish in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Louisiana LLC, Southwest Louisiana E M C, City of Lafayette - (LA). The largest, Entergy Louisiana LLC, charged residential customers 11.05¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Lafayette, LA in?
Lafayette is in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. About 123,311 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Youngsville, LA in?
Youngsville is in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. About 19,980 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Broussard, LA in?
Broussard is in Lafayette Parish, Louisiana. About 15,593 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Lafayette Parish?
2 operating plants with 202 MW of capacity. The largest is Hargis-Hebert Electric Generating (101 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Lafayette Parish?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lafayette Parish.
Is Lafayette Parish adding jobs?
Employers counted 139,145 jobs in 2025 against 131,571 in 2019 (+5.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 5,189 to 7,303.
Does Lafayette Parish have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lafayette Parish. Louisiana has 3 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.