McCurtain County, Oklahoma: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Idabel and Broken Bow
No data center or power plant project is on record in McCurtain County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Construction employs 678, up 67.0% since 2019. McCurtain County is home to Idabel, Broken Bow, Valliant and Wright City. Next door, Le Flore County has 400 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 12,445 jobs in 2025, up 11.5% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 5.7% in 2019.
Cities and towns in McCurtain County
McCurtain County is home to Idabel, Broken Bow, Valliant and Wright City.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Eagletown, Golden, Hochatown.
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 McCurtain County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 30,844 | 30,744 | ▼ 0.3% | 31st of 77 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,161 | 12,445 | ▲ 11.5% | 14th of 77 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,748 | $48,608 | ▲ 32.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 406 | 678 | ▲ 67.0% | 6th of 48 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.7% | 4.6% | ▼ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 168 MW of capacity, 60% of it hydro. Public Service Co of Oklahoma is the largest utility serving McCurtain County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.73¢/kWh in 2024. 30,744 people live here, down 0.3% since 2020.
Who powers McCurtain County
Utilities with service territory in McCurtain 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% |
| Choctaw Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,483 | 13.21¢ | 21% |
| Southwest Arkansas E C C | Cooperative | Bundled | 220 | 12.24¢ | 18% |
| Rich Mountain Elec Coop, 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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 100 MW | 60% |
| Other technologies | 68 MW | 40% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Broken Bow Dam | USCE-Tulsa District | Hydro | 100 MW | 1970 |
| International Paper Valliant OK | International Paper - Valliant | Other technologies | 68 MW | 1971 |
The McCurtain County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 12,445 | $48,608 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 678 | $85,079 | 1.03 |
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 McCurtain County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in McCurtain County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures on record statewide.
McCurtain County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border McCurtain County, Le Flore 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| McCurtain County | 30,744 | ▲ 11.5% | 168 MW | — | — | — |
| Bowie County TX | 92,696 | ▲ 0.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Choctaw County | 14,059 | ▲ 30.3% | 531 MW | — | — | — |
| Le Flore County | 50,196 | ▼ 3.9% | 350 MW | 400 MW | — | — |
| Little River County AR | 11,763 | ▼ 11.7% | 156 MW | — | — | — |
| Polk County AR | 19,486 | ▼ 2.3% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Pushmataha County | 10,807 | ▲ 0.2% | 100 MW | — | — | — |
| Red River County TX | 11,816 | ▲ 1.8% | 610 MW | — | — | — |
| Sevier County AR | 15,758 | ▲ 3.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of Oklahoma
McCurtain County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in McCurtain County, Oklahoma?
4 utilities have service territory in McCurtain County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of Oklahoma, Choctaw Electric Coop Inc, Southwest Arkansas E C C, Rich Mountain Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Public Service Co of Oklahoma, charged residential customers 12.73¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in McCurtain County?
2 operating plants with 168 MW of capacity. The largest is Broken Bow Dam (100 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in McCurtain County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in McCurtain County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Le Flore County.
Is McCurtain County adding jobs?
Employers counted 12,445 jobs in 2025 against 11,161 in 2019 (+11.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 406 to 678.
Does McCurtain County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for McCurtain County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.