Kiowa County, Oklahoma: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Hobart and Snyder
No data center or power plant project is on record in Kiowa County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Kiowa County is home to Hobart, Snyder and Mountain View. Next door, Comanche County has 1,373 MW of planned generation. 220 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 369 MW of capacity, 60% of it solar. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Kiowa County
Kiowa County is home to Hobart, Snyder and Mountain View.
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 Kiowa County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 8,496 | 8,181 | ▼ 3.7% | 62nd of 77 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,871 | 1,909 | ▲ 2.0% | 32nd of 77 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,583 | $46,514 | ▲ 34.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 4.2% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 220 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 1,909 jobs in 2025, up 2.0% from 2019. Public Service Co of Oklahoma is the largest utility serving Kiowa County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.73¢/kWh in 2024. 8,181 people live here, down 3.7% since 2020.
Who powers Kiowa County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +220 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Kiowa County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Service Co of Oklahoma | Investor Owned | Bundled | 501,093 | 12.73¢ | 36% |
| CKenergy Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 22,555 | 12.82¢ | 41% |
| Harmon Electric Assn Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Southwest Rural Elec Assn Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 220 MW | 60% |
| Wind | 149 MW | 40% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rocky Ridge Wind Project | Rocky Ridge Wind Project LLC | Wind | 149 MW | 2012 |
| North Fork Solar Project | North Fork Solar Project, LLC | Solar | 120 MW | 2024 |
| Kiowa County Solar Project | Kiowa County Solar Project, LLC | Solar | 100 MW | 2025 |
The Kiowa County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,909 | $46,514 | 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 Kiowa County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Kiowa County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures on record statewide.
Kiowa County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Kiowa County, Comanche 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kiowa County | 8,181 | ▲ 2.0% | 369 MW | — | — | — |
| Beckham County | 22,159 | ▲ 0.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Caddo County | 26,130 | ▼ 1.0% | 2,113 MW | — | — | — |
| Comanche County | 122,158 | ▼ 2.2% | 520 MW | 1,373 MW | — | — |
| Greer County | 5,373 | ▼ 8.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Jackson County | 24,764 | ▲ 0.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Tillman County | 6,780 | ▼ 14.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Washita County | 10,884 | ▼ 4.9% | 376 MW | — | — | — |
More of Oklahoma
Kiowa County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Kiowa County, Oklahoma?
4 utilities have service territory in Kiowa County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of Oklahoma, CKenergy Electric Cooperative, Harmon Electric Assn Inc, Southwest Rural Elec Assn Inc. The largest, Public Service Co of Oklahoma, charged residential customers 12.73¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Kiowa County?
3 operating plants with 369 MW of capacity. The largest is Rocky Ridge Wind Project (149 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Kiowa County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Kiowa County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Comanche County.
Is Kiowa County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,909 jobs in 2025 against 1,871 in 2019 (+2.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Kiowa County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Kiowa County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.