Woods County, Oklahoma: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Alva
Woods 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. Woods County is home to Alva and Waynoka. Next door, Barber County, Kansas, has 1 data center. 199 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 2.2% in 2019. Employers here counted 3,257 jobs in 2025, down 5.3% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Woods County
Woods County is home to Alva and Waynoka.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Avard, Hopeton.
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 Woods County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Oklahoma |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 8,598 | 8,443 | ▼ 1.8% | 61st of 77 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,441 | 3,257 | ▼ 5.3% | 58th of 77 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,173 | $50,327 | ▲ 4.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.2% | 3.2% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 199 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 203 MW of capacity, 98% of it wind. Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co is the largest utility serving Woods 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. 8,443 people live here, down 1.8% since 2020.
Who powers Woods County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +199 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Woods 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% |
| Northwestern Electric Coop Inc - (OK) | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,620 | 15.28¢ | 32% |
| Alfalfa Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 2,630 | 10.20¢ | 10% |
| City of Waynoka - (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.
Operating power plants 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 199 MW | 98% |
| Natural gas | 4 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sundance Wind Project, LLC | Public Service Co of Oklahoma | Wind | 199 MW | 2021 |
| Waynoka Gas Processing Plant | Targa Pipeline Mid-Continent West OK LLC | Natural gas | 4 MW | 2006 |
The Woods County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,257 | $50,327 | 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 Woods County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Woods County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures on record statewide.
Woods County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Woods County, Woodward 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Woods County | 8,443 | ▼ 5.3% | 203 MW | — | — | — |
| Alfalfa County | 5,649 | ▼ 22.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Barber County KS | 4,083 | ▼ 3.6% | 283 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Comanche County KS | 1,673 | ▲ 3.8% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Harper County | 3,172 | ▲ 1.9% | 237 MW | — | — | — |
| Major County | 7,536 | ▼ 17.5% | 288 MW | — | — | — |
| Woodward County | 19,827 | ▼ 7.5% | 1,047 MW | — | — | — |
More of Oklahoma
Woods County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Woods County, Oklahoma?
4 utilities have service territory in Woods County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, Northwestern Electric Coop Inc - (OK), Alfalfa Electric Coop, Inc, City of Waynoka - (OK). The largest, Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co, charged residential customers 11.78¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Woods County?
2 operating plants with 203 MW of capacity. The largest is Sundance Wind Project, LLC (199 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Woods County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Woods County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Barber County.
Is Woods County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,257 jobs in 2025 against 3,441 in 2019 (-5.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Woods County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Woods County. Oklahoma has 15 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.