Cass County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Atlanta, Linden and Hughes Springs
No data center or power plant project is on record in Cass County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Cass County is home to Atlanta, Linden, Hughes Springs and Queen City. Next door, Morris County has 900 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 243, down 4.3% since 2019. Unemployment was 5.5% in August 2026, against 4.7% in 2019. Its power plants have 65 MW of capacity, 100% of it other technologies.
Cities and towns in Cass County
Cass County is home to Atlanta, Linden, Hughes Springs and Queen City.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bivins, McLeod.
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 Cass County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 28,441 | 28,651 | ▲ 0.7% | 98th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,841 | 7,925 | ▲ 1.1% | 150th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,854 | $50,225 | ▲ 32.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 254 | 243 | ▼ 4.3% | 129th of 155 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.7% | 5.5% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Southwestern Electric Power Co is the largest utility serving Cass County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.03¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.81¢ median for Texas utilities. Employers here counted 7,925 jobs in 2025, up 1.1% from 2019. 28,651 people live here, up 0.7% since 2020.
Who powers Cass County
Utilities with service territory in Cass County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern Electric Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 156,271 | 12.03¢ | 30% |
| Upshur Rural Elec Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 44,415 | 12.40¢ | 18% |
| Bowie-Cass Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 34,526 | 12.56¢ | 18% |
| Southwest Arkansas E C C | Cooperative | Bundled | 1,087 | 12.38¢ | 6% |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 65 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| International Paper Texarkana Mill | Graphic Packaging International - Texarkana | Other technologies | 65 MW | 1972 |
The Cass County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,925 | $50,225 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 243 | $59,042 | 0.58 |
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 Cass County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Cass County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Caddo Parish.
Cass County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Cass County, Morris 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cass County | 28,651 | ▲ 1.1% | 65 MW | — | — | — |
| Bowie County | 92,696 | ▲ 0.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Caddo Parish LA | 224,226 | ▼ 0.8% | 1,050 MW | — | 3 | 1 |
| Marion County | 9,896 | ▲ 10.9% | 882 MW | — | — | — |
| Miller County AR | 42,357 | ▼ 8.5% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Morris County | 12,133 | ▼ 13.6% | — | 900 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Cass County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cass County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Cass County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwestern Electric Power Co, Upshur Rural Elec Coop Corp, Bowie-Cass Electric Coop, Inc, Southwest Arkansas E C C. The largest, Southwestern Electric Power Co, charged residential customers 12.03¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Cass County?
1 operating plant with 65 MW of capacity. The largest is International Paper Texarkana Mill (65 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Cass County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Cass County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Morris County.
Is Cass County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,925 jobs in 2025 against 7,841 in 2019 (+1.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 254 to 243.
Does Cass County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cass County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.