Cooke County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Gainesville, Muenster and Lindsay
No data center or power plant project is on record in Cooke County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Cooke County is home to Gainesville, Muenster, Lindsay and Valley View. Next door, Denton County has 9 data centers and 200 MW of planned generation. 394 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 16,662 jobs in 2025, up 9.7% from 2019. Construction employs 1,005, up 0.7% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Cooke County
Cooke County is home to Gainesville, Muenster, Lindsay and Valley View.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lake Kiowa, Myra.
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 Cooke County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 41,751 | 44,461 | ▲ 6.5% | 77th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15,187 | 16,662 | ▲ 9.7% | 87th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,263 | $64,739 | ▲ 34.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 998 | 1,005 | ▲ 0.7% | 119th of 155 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 3.6% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 394 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 638 MW of capacity, 65% of it wind. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. Electrical contractors employ 107, at an average $47,718 a year. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Cooke County, one of 6 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers. 44,461 people live here, up 6.5% since 2020.
Who powers Cooke County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +394 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Cooke County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 3,477,215 | — | — |
| Denton County Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 298,734 | 13.77¢ | 10% |
| Texas-New Mexico Power Co | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 233,056 | — | — |
| Grayson-Collin Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 90,464 | 16.40¢ | 20% |
| Wise Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,137 | 15.56¢ | 53% |
| Cooke County Elec Coop Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,886 | 14.01¢ | 32% |
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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 413 MW | 65% |
| Solar | 214 MW | 34% |
| Battery storage | 10 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wildcat Creek Wind Farm LLC | Wildcat Creek Wind Farm LLC | Wind | 175 MW | 2021 |
| Compadre Solar | Compadre Solar, LLC | Solar | 150 MW | 2026 |
| Tyler Bluff Wind Project, LLC | Southern Power Co | Wind | 126 MW | 2016 |
| Wolf Ridge Wind | NextEra Wolf Ridge LLC | Wind | 112 MW | 2008 |
| BT Cooke Solar, LLC | Adapture Renewables, Inc. | Solar | 59 MW | 2020 |
| Regis Muenster | Regis Muenster LLC | Battery storage | 10 MW | 2024 |
The Cooke County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 16,662 | $64,739 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,005 | $63,885 | 1.14 |
| Electrical contractors | 107 | $47,718 | 0.89 |
| Electric utilities | 112 | $110,042 | 2.48 |
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 Cooke County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Cooke County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Cooke County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Cooke County, Denton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooke County | 44,461 | ▲ 9.7% | 638 MW | — | — | — |
| Denton County | 1,069,346 | ▲ 22.8% | 1,110 MW | 200 MW | 9 | — |
| Grayson County | 153,613 | ▲ 11.4% | 929 MW | — | — | — |
| Love County OK | 10,780 | ▼ 13.1% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Montague County | 21,966 | ▼ 1.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Wise County | 83,778 | ▲ 5.5% | 2,237 MW | 403 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Cooke County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Cooke County, Texas?
6 utilities have service territory in Cooke County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, Denton County Elec Coop, Inc, Texas-New Mexico Power Co, Grayson-Collin Elec Coop, Inc.
What county is Gainesville, TX in?
Gainesville is in Cooke County, Texas. About 18,528 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Cooke County?
7 operating plants with 638 MW of capacity. The largest is Wildcat Creek Wind Farm LLC (175 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Cooke County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Cooke County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Denton County.
Is Cooke County adding jobs?
Employers counted 16,662 jobs in 2025 against 15,187 in 2019 (+9.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 998 to 1,005.
Does Cooke County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Cooke County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.