Houston County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Crockett and Grapeland
Houston 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. Houston County is home to Crockett, Grapeland and Lovelady. 125 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by RIC Development, LLC (battery storage). Next door, Leon County has 815 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 7,667 jobs in 2025, up 9.6% from 2019. Construction employs 312, down 6.9% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Houston County
Houston County is home to Crockett, Grapeland and Lovelady.
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 Houston County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 22,073 | 22,316 | ▲ 1.1% | 111th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,995 | 7,667 | ▲ 9.6% | 89th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,396 | $67,857 | ▲ 29.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 335 | 312 | ▼ 6.9% | 134th of 155 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 105 | 55 | ▼ 47.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 4.6% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 125 MW | no fleet today | 134th of 149 by size |
Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Houston County, one of 3 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers. 22,316 people live here, up 1.1% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 55, down 47.6% since 2019 against up 24.0% statewide, at an average $61,706 a year.
Who powers Houston County
Utilities with service territory in Houston 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 | — | — |
| Entergy Texas Inc. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 457,369 | 13.66¢ | 24% |
| Houston County Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,426 | 16.60¢ | 14% |
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 Houston County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston County BESS | Batteries | 125 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | RIC Development, LLC |
The Houston County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,667 | $67,857 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 312 | $60,365 | 0.77 |
| Electrical contractors | 55 | $61,706 | 0.99 |
| Data processing and hosting | 8 | $155,687 | 0.34 |
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 Houston County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Houston County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Houston County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Houston County, Leon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston County | 22,316 | ▲ 9.6% | — | 125 MW | — | — |
| Anderson County | 59,805 | ▲ 0.6% | — | 176 MW | — | — |
| Angelina County | 88,154 | ▲ 1.1% | 200 MW | 200 MW | 2 | — |
| Cherokee County | 53,337 | ▲ 1.0% | 713 MW | — | — | — |
| Leon County | 16,894 | ▲ 22.8% | 209 MW | 815 MW | — | — |
| Madison County | 14,226 | ▲ 0.1% | — | 660 MW | — | — |
| Trinity County | 14,384 | ▲ 8.6% | — | 100 MW | — | — |
| Walker County | 83,842 | ▲ 4.4% | — | 150 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Houston County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Houston County, Texas?
3 utilities have service territory in Houston County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, Entergy Texas Inc., Houston County Elec Coop Inc.
How much new power is planned in Houston County?
125 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is RIC Development, LLC.
Are there data centers in Houston County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Houston County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Leon County.
Is Houston County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,667 jobs in 2025 against 6,995 in 2019 (+9.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 335 to 312.
Does Houston County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Houston County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.