Brazos County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to College Station and Bryan
Brazos County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Brazos County. Brazos County is home to College Station and Bryan. 5 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Texas A&M, Utilities & Energy Services (natural gas). Employers here counted 126,296 jobs in 2025, up 17.3% from 2019. 5 MW has retired here since 2019, including Central Utility Plant - Texas A&M (natural gas, 5 MW, 2021).
Cities and towns in Brazos County
Brazos County is home to College Station and Bryan.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lake Bryan.
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 Brazos County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 234,527 | 249,088 | ▲ 6.2% | 24th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 107,676 | 126,296 | ▲ 17.3% | 46th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,552 | $56,836 | ▲ 33.6% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 714 | 672 | ▼ 5.9% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 72 | 165 | ▲ 129.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 3.9% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 10 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 5 MW | 2% of today's fleet | 148th of 149 by size |
Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. 10 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Its power plants have 290 MW of capacity, 97% of it natural gas. Entergy Texas Inc. is the largest utility serving Brazos County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.66¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.81¢ median for Texas utilities. Electrical contractors employ 672, down 5.9% since 2019 against up 24.0% statewide, at an average $65,743 a year. 249,088 people live here, up 6.2% since 2020.
Who powers Brazos County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +5 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Brazos County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entergy Texas Inc. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 457,369 | 13.66¢ | 24% |
| City of Bryan - (TX) | Municipal | Bundled | 58,284 | 11.38¢ | 41% |
| City of College Station - (TX) | Municipal | Bundled | 42,995 | 14.57¢ | 49% |
| Mid-South Electric Coop Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 36,267 | 14.08¢ | 16% |
| Navasota Valley Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,672 | 15.75¢ | 21% |
| Texas A&M, Utilities & Energy Services | State | Bundled | 2 | 8.69¢ | 64% |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 280 MW | 97% |
| Battery storage | 10 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dansby | City of Bryan - (TX) | Natural gas | 203 MW | 1978 |
| Central Utility Plant - Texas A&M | Texas A&M, Utilities & Energy Services | Natural gas | 45 MW | 2011 |
| Bryan (TX) | City of Bryan - (TX) | Natural gas | 22 MW | 1975 |
| Highway 6 BESS | Hwy 6 Infra LLC | Battery storage | 10 MW | 2026 |
| OTHERTexasA&M | Texas Microgrid, LLC | Natural gas | 10 MW | 2018 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Utility Plant - Texas A&M | Natural Gas Fired Combined Cycle | 5 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2027 | Texas A&M, Utilities & Energy Services |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central Utility Plant - Texas A&M | Natural gas | 5 MW | 2021 |
The Brazos County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 126,296 | $56,836 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 672 | $65,743 | 0.74 |
| Data processing and hosting | 165 | $99,247 | 0.42 |
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 Brazos County
3 data centers in Brazos County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Brazos County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Brazos County, Robertson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brazos County | 249,088 | ▲ 17.3% | 290 MW | 5 MW | 3 | — |
| Burleson County | 20,549 | ▲ 13.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Grimes County | 34,252 | ▲ 13.9% | 1,301 MW | 210 MW | — | — |
| Leon County | 16,894 | ▲ 22.8% | 209 MW | 815 MW | — | — |
| Madison County | 14,226 | ▲ 0.1% | — | 660 MW | — | — |
| Robertson County | 17,839 | ▲ 29.3% | 2,395 MW | 600 MW | — | — |
| Washington County | 38,288 | ▲ 10.2% | — | 60 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Brazos County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Brazos County, Texas?
6 utilities have service territory in Brazos County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Texas Inc., City of Bryan - (TX), City of College Station - (TX), Mid-South Electric Coop Assn. The largest, Entergy Texas Inc., charged residential customers 13.66¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is College Station, TX in?
College Station is in Brazos County, Texas. About 127,472 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Bryan, TX in?
Bryan is in Brazos County, Texas. About 91,996 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Brazos County?
5 operating plants with 290 MW of capacity. The largest is Dansby (203 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Brazos County?
5 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Texas A&M, Utilities & Energy Services.
Are there data centers in Brazos County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Brazos County.
Is Brazos County adding jobs?
Employers counted 126,296 jobs in 2025 against 107,676 in 2019 (+17.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Brazos County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Brazos County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.