Mora County, New Mexico: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Mora and Watrous
No data center or power plant project is on record in Mora County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Mora County is home to Wagon Mound. Next door, Santa Fe County has 1 data center. Unemployment was 6.3% in August 2026, against 7.6% in 2019. Springer Electric Coop, Inc is the largest utility serving Mora County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.01¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.46¢ median for New Mexico utilities. Employers here counted 679 jobs in 2025, down 1.5% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Mora County
Mora County is home to Wagon Mound.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Mora, Watrous.
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 Mora County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Mexico |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 4,191 | 4,051 | ▼ 3.3% | 28th of 33 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 689 | 679 | ▼ 1.5% | 24th of 33 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,747 | $49,934 | ▲ 52.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 7.6% | 6.3% | ▼ 1.3pts | — |
4,051 people live here, down 3.3% since 2020.
Who powers Mora County
Utilities with service territory in Mora County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springer Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 2,453 | 19.01¢ | 10% |
| Mora-San Miguel Elec Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in Mora County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Mora County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 679 | $49,934 | 1.00 |
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 Mora County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Mora County. New Mexico has 12 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Colfax County, Santa Fe County.
Mora County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Mora County, Rio Arriba 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mora County | 4,051 | ▼ 1.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Colfax County | 12,184 | ▼ 6.6% | 44 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Harding County | 617 | ▲ 7.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Rio Arriba County | 39,832 | ▼ 2.8% | 338 MW | — | — | — |
| San Miguel County | 26,260 | ▼ 2.4% | 32 MW | — | — | — |
| Santa Fe County | 156,907 | ▼ 1.1% | 14 MW | — | 1 | 2 |
| Taos County | 34,564 | ▲ 0.8% | 60 MW | — | — | — |
More of New Mexico
Mora County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Mora County, New Mexico?
2 utilities have service territory in Mora County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Springer Electric Coop, Inc, Mora-San Miguel Elec Coop. The largest, Springer Electric Coop, Inc, charged residential customers 19.01¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Mora County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Mora County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Santa Fe County.
Is Mora County adding jobs?
Employers counted 679 jobs in 2025 against 689 in 2019 (-1.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Mora County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Mora County. New Mexico has 12 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.