Hockley County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Levelland and Sundown
Hockley 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. Hockley County is home to Levelland, Sundown and Anton. Next door, Yoakum County has 507 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 8,939 jobs in 2025, down 9.4% from 2019. Construction employs 344, down 5.8% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Hockley County
Hockley County is home to Levelland, Sundown and Anton.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Whitharral.
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 Hockley County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 21,484 | 21,600 | ▲ 0.5% | 114th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,864 | 8,939 | ▼ 9.4% | 223rd of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $59,590 | $69,057 | ▲ 15.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 365 | 344 | ▼ 5.8% | 131st of 155 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 4.3% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
Southwestern Public Service Co is the largest utility serving Hockley County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.35¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.81¢ median for Texas utilities. 21,600 people live here, up 0.5% since 2020.
Who powers Hockley County
Utilities with service territory in Hockley County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern Public Service Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 222,146 | 13.35¢ | 25% |
| South Plains Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 56,173 | 10.35¢ | 23% |
| Lyntegar Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,021 | 8.99¢ | 42% |
| Lamb County Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 2,810 | 9.52¢ | 17% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in Hockley County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Hockley County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,939 | $69,057 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 344 | $71,036 | 0.73 |
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 Hockley County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Hockley County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Hockley County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Hockley County, Yoakum 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hockley County | 21,600 | ▼ 9.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Bailey County | 6,963 | ▼ 5.2% | 148 MW | — | — | — |
| Cochran County | 2,546 | ▼ 0.3% | 150 MW | 120 MW | — | — |
| Hale County | 31,819 | ▼ 7.6% | 1,445 MW | 200 MW | 1 | — |
| Lamb County | 12,579 | ▼ 0.1% | 1,476 MW | — | — | — |
| Lubbock County | 328,906 | ▲ 8.2% | 874 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Lynn County | 6,017 | ▼ 2.3% | 700 MW | 300 MW | — | — |
| Terry County | 11,720 | ▼ 15.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Yoakum County | 7,438 | ▼ 12.7% | 1,016 MW | 507 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Hockley County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hockley County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Hockley County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwestern Public Service Co, South Plains Electric Coop Inc, Lyntegar Electric Coop, Inc, Lamb County Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Southwestern Public Service Co, charged residential customers 13.35¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Levelland, TX in?
Levelland is in Hockley County, Texas. About 12,513 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
Are there data centers in Hockley County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hockley County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Yoakum County.
Is Hockley County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,939 jobs in 2025 against 9,864 in 2019 (-9.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 365 to 344.
Does Hockley County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Hockley County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.