Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Shawnee, Tecumseh and McLoud
No data center or power plant project is on record in Pottawatomie County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Pottawatomie County is home to Shawnee, Tecumseh, McLoud and Bethel Acres. Construction employs 641, up 23.5% since 2019. Next door, Oklahoma County has 12 data centers and 896 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. Employers here counted 22,842 jobs in 2025, up 1.7% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Pottawatomie County
Pottawatomie County is home to Shawnee, Tecumseh, McLoud and Bethel Acres.
- Maud also extends into Seminole County.
- Oklahoma City also extends into Oklahoma County, Canadian County, Cleveland County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Dale.
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 Pottawatomie County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 72,540 | 75,102 | ▲ 3.5% | 9th of 77 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 22,462 | 22,842 | ▲ 1.7% | 34th of 77 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,663 | $47,975 | ▲ 30.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 519 | 641 | ▲ 23.5% | 20th of 48 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 4.8% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co is the largest utility serving Pottawatomie 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. 75,102 people live here, up 3.5% since 2020, 9th of 77 Oklahoma counties by population.
Who powers Pottawatomie County
Utilities with service territory in Pottawatomie 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% |
| Oklahoma Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 58,544 | 12.25¢ | 20% |
| Canadian Valley Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 24,605 | 11.90¢ | 26% |
| Tecumseh Utility Authority | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Pottawatomie County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Pottawatomie County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 22,842 | $47,975 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 641 | $55,822 | 0.53 |
| Power and communication line construction | 84 | $66,197 | 2.28 |
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 Pottawatomie County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Pottawatomie County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures on record statewide.
Pottawatomie County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pottawatomie County | 75,102 | ▲ 1.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Cleveland County | 303,973 | ▲ 9.1% | 21 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 35,278 | ▲ 9.5% | — | — | — | — |
| McClain County | 49,647 | ▲ 31.2% | 551 MW | — | — | — |
| Okfuskee County | 11,451 | ▲ 2.7% | 110 MW | — | — | — |
| Oklahoma County | 822,125 | ▲ 7.0% | 2,307 MW | 896 MW | 12 | — |
| Pontotoc County | 38,528 | ▲ 7.8% | 152 MW | — | — | — |
| Seminole County | 23,441 | ▼ 5.3% | 1,701 MW | — | — | — |
More of Oklahoma
Pottawatomie County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma?
4 utilities have service territory in Pottawatomie County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, Oklahoma Electric Coop Inc, Canadian Valley Elec Coop, Inc, Tecumseh Utility Authority. The largest, Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, charged residential customers 11.78¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Shawnee, OK in?
Shawnee is in Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma. About 32,474 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
Are there data centers in Pottawatomie County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Pottawatomie County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Oklahoma County.
Is Pottawatomie County adding jobs?
Employers counted 22,842 jobs in 2025 against 22,462 in 2019 (+1.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 519 to 641.
Does Pottawatomie County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Pottawatomie County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.