Garfield County, Oklahoma: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Enid and Waukomis
Garfield County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Garfield County is home to Enid, Waukomis, North Enid and Garber. 1,065 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Construction employs 1,139, up 13.1% since 2019. Its power plants have 1,721 MW of capacity, 66% of it wind, the 6th largest fleet in Oklahoma. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Garfield County
Garfield County is home to Enid, Waukomis, North Enid and Garber.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bison.
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 Garfield County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 62,699 | 61,779 | ▼ 1.5% | 12th of 77 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 24,415 | 23,334 | ▼ 4.4% | 52nd of 77 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,537 | $51,905 | ▲ 22.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,007 | 1,139 | ▲ 13.1% | 26th of 48 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 3.8% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1,065 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 23,334 jobs in 2025, down 4.4% from 2019. Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co is the largest utility serving Garfield County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.78¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.53¢ median for Oklahoma utilities. 61,779 people live here, down 1.5% since 2020.
Who powers Garfield County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1,065 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Garfield 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% |
| Central Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,650 | 11.56¢ | 40% |
| Cimarron Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,258 | 11.87¢ | 52% |
| Kay Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 4,371 | 14.13¢ | 30% |
| Alfalfa Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 2,630 | 10.20¢ | 10% |
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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 1,144 MW | 66% |
| Battery storage | 317 MW | 18% |
| Solar | 260 MW | 15% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skeleton Creek Energy Center Hybrid | Skeleton Creek Energy Center | Battery storage | 752 MW | 2020 |
| Chisholm View Wind Project | Chisholm View Wind Project | Wind | 300 MW | 2012 |
| King Plains Wind Project | Engie North America | Wind | 248 MW | 2020 |
| Armadillo Flats Wind Project, LLC | Armadillo Flats Wind Project, LLC | Wind | 247 MW | 2018 |
| Breckinridge Wind Project LLC | NextEra Energy Resources Breckinridge | Wind | 99 MW | 2015 |
| Breckinridge Energy Storage | Breckinridge Energy Storage LLC | Battery storage | 65 MW | 2025 |
The Garfield County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 23,334 | $51,905 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,139 | $64,170 | 0.92 |
| Power and communication line construction | 24 | $71,361 | 0.64 |
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 Garfield County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Garfield County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures on record statewide.
Garfield County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Garfield County, Noble 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garfield County | 61,779 | ▼ 4.4% | 1,721 MW | — | — | — |
| Alfalfa County | 5,649 | ▼ 22.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Grant County | 4,067 | ▼ 4.8% | 299 MW | — | — | — |
| Kay County | 43,490 | ▼ 0.6% | 1,358 MW | — | — | — |
| Kingfisher County | 15,795 | ▼ 3.1% | 606 MW | — | — | — |
| Logan County | 55,473 | ▲ 21.3% | 1,146 MW | — | — | — |
| Major County | 7,536 | ▼ 17.5% | 288 MW | — | — | — |
| Noble County | 10,899 | ▼ 1.7% | 1,656 MW | — | — | — |
More of Oklahoma
Garfield County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Garfield County, Oklahoma?
5 utilities have service territory in Garfield County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, Central Rural Electric Cooperative, Inc, Cimarron Electric Coop, Kay Electric Coop. The largest, Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, charged residential customers 11.78¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Enid, OK in?
Enid is in Garfield County, Oklahoma. About 50,297 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Garfield County?
7 operating plants with 1,721 MW of capacity. The largest is Skeleton Creek Energy Center Hybrid (752 MW, battery storage).
Are there data centers in Garfield County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Garfield County.
Is Garfield County adding jobs?
Employers counted 23,334 jobs in 2025 against 24,415 in 2019 (-4.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,007 to 1,139.
Does Garfield County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Garfield County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.