Choctaw County, Oklahoma: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hugo
Choctaw 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. Employers here counted 5,372 jobs in 2025, up 30.3% from 2019 (the 3rd fastest growth of 77 Oklahoma counties). Choctaw County is home to Hugo and Boswell. Construction employs 194, up 36.6% since 2019. Next door, Lamar County, Texas, has 1,616 MW of planned generation. 85 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Choctaw County
Choctaw County is home to Hugo and Boswell.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Grant, Swink.
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 Choctaw County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 14,205 | 14,059 | ▼ 1.0% | 48th of 77 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,124 | 5,372 | ▲ 30.3% | 3rd of 77 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,298 | $45,548 | ▲ 36.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 142 | 194 | ▲ 36.6% | 13th of 48 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 132 | 129 | ▼ 2.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.4% | 3.9% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 85 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 531 MW of capacity, 84% of it coal. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 4.4% in 2019. Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co is the largest utility serving Choctaw County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.78¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.53¢ median for Oklahoma utilities. 14,059 people live here, down 1.0% since 2020.
Who powers Choctaw County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +85 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Choctaw 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% |
| Southeastern Electric Coop Inc - (OK) | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,583 | 9.09¢ | 9% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 446 MW | 84% |
| Solar | 85 MW | 16% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hugo | Western Farmers Elec Coop, Inc | Coal | 446 MW | 1982 |
| Choctaw Fields Solar Project | Choctaw Fields Solar Project, LLC | Solar | 85 MW | 2026 |
The Choctaw County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,372 | $45,548 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 194 | $74,385 | 0.68 |
| Electric utilities | 129 | $114,947 | 8.87 |
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 Choctaw County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Choctaw County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures on record statewide.
Choctaw County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Choctaw County, Lamar 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Choctaw County | 14,059 | ▲ 30.3% | 531 MW | — | — | — |
| Atoka County | 14,609 | ▲ 7.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Bryan County | 51,367 | ▲ 14.9% | 10 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Lamar County TX | 51,503 | ▲ 1.5% | 2,838 MW | 1,616 MW | — | — |
| McCurtain County | 30,744 | ▲ 11.5% | 168 MW | — | — | — |
| Pushmataha County | 10,807 | ▲ 0.2% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| Red River County TX | 11,816 | ▲ 1.8% | 610 MW | — | — | — |
More of Oklahoma
Choctaw County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Choctaw County, Oklahoma?
4 utilities have service territory in Choctaw County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, Public Service Co of Oklahoma, Choctaw Electric Coop Inc, Southeastern Electric Coop Inc - (OK). The largest, Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, charged residential customers 11.78¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Choctaw County?
2 operating plants with 531 MW of capacity. The largest is Hugo (446 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Choctaw County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Choctaw County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Lamar County.
Is Choctaw County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,372 jobs in 2025 against 4,124 in 2019 (+30.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 142 to 194.
Does Choctaw County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Choctaw County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.