Hays County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to San Marcos, Kyle and Buda
Hays County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Employers here counted 98,495 jobs in 2025, up 34.2% from 2019. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Hays County. Hays County is home to San Marcos, Kyle, Buda and Dripping Springs. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “Hays County data center moratorium (failed)”. 3 projects are on the Delay Watchlist, including CloudBurst Data Centers / Highlander SC One LLC Hays County (1,200 MW).
Cities and towns in Hays County
Hays County is home to San Marcos, Kyle, Buda and Dripping Springs.
- Uhland also extends into Caldwell County.
- Niederwald also extends into Caldwell County.
- Austin also extends into Travis County, Williamson County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Belterra, Driftwood.
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 Hays County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 243,984 | 304,390 | ▲ 24.8% | 19th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 73,371 | 98,495 | ▲ 34.2% | 12th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,158 | $56,692 | ▲ 34.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,915 | 7,585 | ▲ 28.2% | 61st of 155 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 439 | 587 | ▲ 33.7% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 338 | 598 | ▲ 76.9% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 21 | 74 | ▲ 252.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 3.9% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 10 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Construction employs 7,585, up 28.2% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Electrical contractors employ 587, up 33.7% since 2019 against up 24.0% statewide, at an average $64,279 a year. 304,390 people live here, up 24.8% since 2020. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. Its power plants have 999 MW of capacity, 99% of it natural gas. 10 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Pedernales Electric Coop, Inc is the largest utility serving Hays County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.22¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.81¢ median for Texas utilities.
Who powers Hays County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +10 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Hays County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pedernales Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 405,587 | 12.22¢ | 22% |
| Bluebonnet Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 113,890 | 11.42¢ | 42% |
| City of San Marcos - (TX) | Municipal | Bundled | 22,261 | 12.03¢ | 62% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 989 MW | 99% |
| Battery storage | 10 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hays Energy Project | Hays Energy, LLC | Natural gas | 989 MW | 2002 |
| Buda BESS | Buda Infra LLC | Battery storage | 10 MW | 2026 |
The Hays County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 98,495 | $56,692 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 7,585 | $76,407 | 1.45 |
| Electrical contractors | 587 | $64,279 | 0.83 |
| Power and communication line construction | 598 | $87,690 | 3.76 |
| Data processing and hosting | 74 | $84,801 | 0.24 |
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 Hays County
1 data center in Hays County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hays County data center moratorium (failed) | Failed / vetoed | 2026-02 |
Delay Watchlist 3
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CloudBurst Data Centers / Highlander SC One LLC Hays County | denied | 1,200 MW | ||
| Hays County / San Marcos DC | cancelled | — | ||
| Highlander SM One LLC Data Center (San Marcos) | cancelled | — |
Hays County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Hays County, Travis 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hays County | 304,390 | ▲ 34.2% | 999 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Blanco County | 13,581 | ▲ 20.3% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Caldwell County | 55,150 | ▲ 25.3% | 368 MW | 200 MW | 1 | — |
| Comal County | 209,166 | ▲ 30.0% | 217 MW | — | — | — |
| Guadalupe County | 201,111 | ▲ 20.0% | 2,651 MW | — | — | — |
| Travis County | 1,389,670 | ▲ 19.9% | 1,624 MW | 2 MW | 25 | — |
More of Texas
Hays County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hays County, Texas?
3 utilities have service territory in Hays County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pedernales Electric Coop, Inc, Bluebonnet Electric Coop, Inc, City of San Marcos - (TX). The largest, Pedernales Electric Coop, Inc, charged residential customers 12.22¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is San Marcos, TX in?
San Marcos is in Hays County, Texas. About 77,830 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Kyle, TX in?
Kyle is in Hays County, Texas. About 69,917 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Buda, TX in?
Buda is in Hays County, Texas. About 16,166 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Hays County?
2 operating plants with 999 MW of capacity. The largest is Hays Energy Project (989 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Hays County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Hays County.
Is Hays County adding jobs?
Employers counted 98,495 jobs in 2025 against 73,371 in 2019 (+34.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 5,915 to 7,585.
Does Hays County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Hays County, 0 in force.