Atoka County, Oklahoma: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Atoka
Atoka County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Atoka County is home to Atoka. Next door, Bryan County has 1 data center. Employers here counted 3,487 jobs in 2025, up 7.1% from 2019. Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co is the largest utility serving Atoka County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.78¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.53¢ median for Oklahoma utilities. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 3.9% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Atoka County
Atoka County is home to Atoka.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bentley, Lane, Wardville.
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 Atoka County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 14,164 | 14,609 | ▲ 3.1% | 46th of 77 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,256 | 3,487 | ▲ 7.1% | 22nd of 77 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,064 | $41,835 | ▲ 26.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 78 | 75 | ▼ 3.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.9% | 4.3% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
14,609 people live here, up 3.1% since 2020.
Who powers Atoka County
Utilities with service territory in Atoka County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 710,123 | 11.78¢ | 44% |
| Public Service Co of Oklahoma | Investor Owned | Bundled | 501,093 | 12.73¢ | 36% |
| Choctaw Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,483 | 13.21¢ | 21% |
| Kiamichi Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,685 | 12.90¢ | 19% |
| Southeastern Electric Coop Inc - (OK) | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,583 | 9.09¢ | 9% |
| People's Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 14,728 | 12.53¢ | 28% |
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 Atoka County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Atoka County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,487 | $41,835 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 75 | $52,908 | 0.41 |
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 Atoka County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Atoka County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures on record statewide.
Atoka County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Atoka County, Pittsburg 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atoka County | 14,609 | ▲ 7.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Bryan County | 51,367 | ▲ 14.9% | 10 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Choctaw County | 14,059 | ▲ 30.3% | 531 MW | — | — | — |
| Coal County | 5,436 | ▼ 8.0% | 62 MW | — | — | — |
| Johnston County | 10,448 | ▲ 5.1% | 304 MW | — | — | — |
| Pittsburg County | 43,320 | ▼ 9.7% | 1,375 MW | — | — | — |
| Pushmataha County | 10,807 | ▲ 0.2% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
More of Oklahoma
Atoka County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Atoka County, Oklahoma?
6 utilities have service territory in Atoka County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, Public Service Co of Oklahoma, Choctaw Electric Coop Inc, Kiamichi Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, charged residential customers 11.78¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Atoka County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Atoka County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Bryan County.
Is Atoka County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,487 jobs in 2025 against 3,256 in 2019 (+7.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 78 to 75.
Does Atoka County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Atoka County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.