Gonzales County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Gonzales and Nixon
Gonzales 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. Gonzales County is home to Gonzales, Nixon, Waelder and Smiley. Next door, Wilson County has 1,600 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 240, down 16.1% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. Its power plants have 5 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Gonzales County
Gonzales County is home to Gonzales, Nixon, Waelder and Smiley.
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 Gonzales County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 19,670 | 20,159 | ▲ 2.5% | 123rd of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,367 | 7,340 | ▼ 0.4% | 164th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,715 | $56,422 | ▲ 29.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 286 | 240 | ▼ 16.1% | 146th of 155 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 4.2% | ▲ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 19, at an average $51,094 a year. AEP Texas Central Company is the largest utility serving Gonzales County, one of 7 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers. Employers here counted 7,340 jobs in 2025, down 0.4% from 2019. 20,159 people live here, up 2.5% since 2020.
Who powers Gonzales County
Utilities with service territory in Gonzales County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AEP Texas Central Company | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 784,148 | — | — |
| Bluebonnet Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 113,890 | 11.42¢ | 42% |
| Guadalupe Valley Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 92,189 | 12.49¢ | 13% |
| Fayette Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 14,150 | 12.54¢ | 18% |
| City of Flatonia - (TX) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Gonzales - (TX) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Waelder - (TX) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 5 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| H 4 | Guadalupe Blanco River Authority | Hydro | 2 MW | 1931 |
| H 5 | Guadalupe Blanco River Authority | Hydro | 2 MW | 1931 |
The Gonzales County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,340 | $56,422 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 240 | $59,447 | 0.62 |
| Electrical contractors | 19 | $51,094 | 0.36 |
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 Gonzales County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Gonzales County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Gonzales County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Gonzales County, Wilson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gonzales County | 20,159 | ▼ 0.4% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Bastrop County | 118,908 | ▲ 25.0% | 2,051 MW | 80 MW | 2 | — |
| Caldwell County | 55,150 | ▲ 25.3% | 368 MW | 200 MW | 1 | — |
| DeWitt County | 20,309 | ▼ 11.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Fayette County | 25,459 | ▲ 1.0% | 2,172 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Guadalupe County | 201,111 | ▲ 20.0% | 2,651 MW | — | — | — |
| Karnes County | 15,018 | ▼ 8.2% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| Lavaca County | 20,651 | ▲ 7.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Wilson County | 56,139 | ▲ 7.2% | 7 MW | 1,600 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Gonzales County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Gonzales County, Texas?
7 utilities have service territory in Gonzales County in the EIA-861 2024 report: AEP Texas Central Company, Bluebonnet Electric Coop, Inc, Guadalupe Valley Elec Coop Inc, Fayette Electric Coop, Inc.
What power plants are in Gonzales County?
2 operating plants with 5 MW of capacity. The largest is H 4 (2 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Gonzales County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Gonzales County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Wilson County.
Is Gonzales County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,340 jobs in 2025 against 7,367 in 2019 (-0.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 286 to 240.
Does Gonzales County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Gonzales County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.