Grayson County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sherman, Denison and Van Alstyne
Grayson County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Grayson County is home to Sherman, Denison, Van Alstyne and Whitesboro. Construction employs 3,749, up 35.7% since 2019, and construction is 1.3 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Texas Statewide Data Center Interconnection Audit (ERCOT Batch Zero). Employers here counted 52,998 jobs in 2025, up 11.4% from 2019. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Grayson County
Grayson County is home to Sherman, Denison, Van Alstyne and Whitesboro.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Preston, Sherwood Shores.
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 Grayson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 136,157 | 153,613 | ▲ 12.8% | 33rd of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 47,589 | 52,998 | ▲ 11.4% | 73rd of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,719 | $60,725 | ▲ 35.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,763 | 3,749 | ▲ 35.7% | 52nd of 155 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 241 | 264 | ▲ 9.5% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 568 | 852 | ▲ 50.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 4.4% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 929 MW of capacity, 87% of it natural gas. Electrical contractors employ 264, up 9.5% since 2019 against up 24.0% statewide, at an average $58,191 a year. 1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. 153,613 people live here, up 12.8% since 2020. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Grayson County, one of 7 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers.
Who powers Grayson County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Grayson 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% |
| Cooke County Elec Coop Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,886 | 14.01¢ | 32% |
| Fannin County Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,712 | 15.65¢ | 26% |
| City of Whitesboro - (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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 804 MW | 87% |
| Hydro | 104 MW | 11% |
| Solar | 20 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rayburn Energy Station LLC | Rayburn Energy Station LLC | Natural gas | 803 MW | 2014 |
| Denison | USCE-Tulsa District | Hydro | 104 MW | 1945 |
| Highway 56 Solar | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2017 |
| West Moore Solar II | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2018 |
| Whitesboro Solar | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2017 |
| Whitesboro Solar II | Cypress Creek Renewables | Solar | 5 MW | 2017 |
The Grayson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 52,998 | $60,725 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,749 | $72,960 | 1.34 |
| Electrical contractors | 264 | $58,191 | 0.69 |
| Power and communication line construction | 852 | $82,651 | 9.95 |
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 Grayson County
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Statewide Data Center Interconnection Audit (ERCOT Batch Zero) | halted | — |
Grayson County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Grayson County, Collin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grayson County | 153,613 | ▲ 11.4% | 929 MW | — | — | — |
| Bryan County OK | 51,367 | ▲ 14.9% | 10 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Collin County | 1,297,179 | ▲ 30.5% | 590 MW | 400 MW | 30 | — |
| Cooke County | 44,461 | ▲ 9.7% | 638 MW | — | — | — |
| Denton County | 1,069,346 | ▲ 22.8% | 1,110 MW | 200 MW | 9 | — |
| Fannin County | 39,265 | ▲ 5.8% | 565 MW | 194 MW | — | — |
| Love County OK | 10,780 | ▼ 13.1% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Marshall County OK | 16,255 | ▲ 23.9% | — | — | — | — |
More of Texas
Grayson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Grayson County, Texas?
7 utilities have service territory in Grayson 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 Sherman, TX in?
Sherman is in Grayson County, Texas. About 52,417 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Denison, TX in?
Denison is in Grayson County, Texas. About 26,822 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Grayson County?
7 operating plants with 929 MW of capacity. The largest is Rayburn Energy Station LLC (803 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Grayson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Grayson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Collin County.
Is Grayson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 52,998 jobs in 2025 against 47,589 in 2019 (+11.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,763 to 3,749.
Does Grayson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Grayson County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.