Jefferson County, Oklahoma: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Waurika
Jefferson 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. Jefferson County is home to Waurika, Ringling and Ryan. Employers here counted 871 jobs in 2025, down 21.5% from 2019. Next door, Stephens County has 458 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 4.9% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co is the largest utility serving Jefferson 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.
Cities and towns in Jefferson County
Jefferson County is home to Waurika, Ringling and Ryan.
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 Jefferson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,315 | 5,431 | ▲ 2.2% | 68th of 77 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,109 | 871 | ▼ 21.5% | 76th of 77 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,603 | $39,544 | ▲ 21.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 4.9% | ▲ 1.6pts | — |
5,431 people live here, up 2.2% since 2020.
Who powers Jefferson County
Utilities with service territory in Jefferson 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% |
| Cotton Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,696 | 11.86¢ | 24% |
| Red River Valley Rrl Elec Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,852 | 11.38¢ | 20% |
| Town of Ryan - (OK) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Jefferson County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Jefferson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 871 | $39,544 | 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 Jefferson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Jefferson County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures on record statewide.
Jefferson County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Jefferson County, Stephens 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jefferson County | 5,431 | ▼ 21.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Carter County | 48,910 | ▲ 0.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Clay County TX | 10,764 | ▲ 13.2% | 204 MW | 450 MW | — | — |
| Cotton County | 5,432 | ▲ 17.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Love County | 10,780 | ▼ 13.1% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Montague County TX | 21,966 | ▼ 1.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Stephens County | 44,310 | ▲ 0.7% | 250 MW | 458 MW | — | — |
More of Oklahoma
Jefferson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Jefferson County, Oklahoma?
5 utilities have service territory in Jefferson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, Public Service Co of Oklahoma, Cotton Electric Coop, Inc, Red River Valley Rrl Elec Assn. The largest, Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, charged residential customers 11.78¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Jefferson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Jefferson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Stephens County.
Is Jefferson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 871 jobs in 2025 against 1,109 in 2019 (-21.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Jefferson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Jefferson County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.