Comal County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to New Braunfels, Bulverde and Garden Ridge
The build-out shows up in Comal County as work for the electrical trades. Employers here counted 77,346 jobs in 2025, up 30.0% from 2019. Comal County is home to most of New Braunfels (95,016 of its 122,492 residents), Bulverde, Garden Ridge and part of Schertz (1,925 of its 45,978 residents). Construction employs 7,594, up 21.4% since 2019, and construction is 1.9 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Electrical contractors employ 505, up 38.0% since 2019 against up 24.0% statewide, at an average $65,015 a year. 209,166 people live here, up 27.8% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Comal County
Comal County is home to most of New Braunfels (95,016 of its 122,492 residents), Bulverde, Garden Ridge and part of Schertz (1,925 of its 45,978 residents).
- New Braunfels also extends into Guadalupe County.
- Schertz also extends into Guadalupe County, Bexar County.
- Fair Oaks Ranch also extends into Bexar County, Kendall County.
- Selma also extends into Bexar County, Guadalupe County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Canyon Lake.
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 Comal County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 163,608 | 209,166 | ▲ 27.8% | 28th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 59,502 | 77,346 | ▲ 30.0% | 21st of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,313 | $59,836 | ▲ 32.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,257 | 7,594 | ▲ 21.4% | 73rd of 155 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 366 | 505 | ▲ 38.0% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 734 | 231 | ▼ 68.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 4.3% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 208 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Next door, Bexar County has 51 data centers and 750 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019. 208 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Its power plants have 217 MW of capacity, 96% of it battery storage. City of San Antonio - (TX) is the largest utility serving Comal County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.43¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.81¢ median for Texas utilities.
Who powers Comal County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +208 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Comal County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of San Antonio - (TX) | Municipal | Bundled | 865,914 | 12.43¢ | 54% |
| Pedernales Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 405,587 | 12.22¢ | 22% |
| Guadalupe Valley Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 92,189 | 12.49¢ | 13% |
| City of New Braunfels - (TX) | Municipal | Bundled | 53,975 | 13.18¢ | 28% |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Battery storage | 208 MW | 96% |
| Hydro | 6 MW | 3% |
| Other technologies | 3 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ebony Energy Storage | Ebony Energy Storage, LLC | Battery storage | 208 MW | 2024 |
| Canyon | Guadalupe Blanco River Authority | Hydro | 6 MW | 1989 |
| Mesquite Creek LFGTE Project | WM Renewable Energy LLC | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2010 |
The Comal County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 77,346 | $59,836 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 7,594 | $74,833 | 1.85 |
| Electrical contractors | 505 | $65,015 | 0.91 |
| Power and communication line construction | 231 | $84,968 | 1.85 |
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 Comal County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Comal County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Hays County.
Comal County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Comal County, Bexar 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Comal County | 209,166 | ▲ 30.0% | 217 MW | — | — | — |
| Bexar County | 2,160,088 | ▲ 6.7% | 4,969 MW | 750 MW | 51 | — |
| Blanco County | 13,581 | ▲ 20.3% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Guadalupe County | 201,111 | ▲ 20.0% | 2,651 MW | — | — | — |
| Hays County | 304,390 | ▲ 34.2% | 999 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Kendall County | 53,289 | ▲ 17.7% | — | — | — | — |
More of Texas
Comal County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Comal County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Comal County in the EIA-861 2024 report: City of San Antonio - (TX), Pedernales Electric Coop, Inc, Guadalupe Valley Elec Coop Inc, City of New Braunfels - (TX). The largest, City of San Antonio - (TX), charged residential customers 12.43¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is New Braunfels, TX in?
Most of New Braunfels is in Comal County: 95,016 of its 122,492 residents, or 78%. The rest of the city lies in Guadalupe County.
What power plants are in Comal County?
3 operating plants with 217 MW of capacity. The largest is Ebony Energy Storage (208 MW, battery storage).
Are there data centers in Comal County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Comal County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Bexar County.
Is Comal County adding jobs?
Employers counted 77,346 jobs in 2025 against 59,502 in 2019 (+30.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 6,257 to 7,594.
Does Comal County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Comal County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.