Liberty County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Dayton, Cleveland and Liberty
New generation is lining up in Liberty County. Liberty County is home to Dayton, Cleveland, Liberty and Plum Grove. 150 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC (solar). 121,364 people live here, up 31.2% since 2020. Construction employs 2,371, up 12.5% since 2019, and construction is 2.2 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 20,335 jobs in 2025, up 9.7% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Liberty County
Liberty County is home to Dayton, Cleveland, Liberty and Plum Grove.
- Old River-Winfree also extends into Chambers County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Big Thicket Lake Estates, Hull.
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 Liberty County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 92,471 | 121,364 | ▲ 31.2% | 40th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 18,544 | 20,335 | ▲ 9.7% | 88th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,195 | $57,591 | ▲ 19.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,107 | 2,371 | ▲ 12.5% | 90th of 155 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 436 | 288 | ▼ 33.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.0% | 6.0% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 110 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 150 MW | 136% of today's fleet | 131st of 149 by size |
110 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 6.0% in August 2026, against 5.0% in 2019. Its power plants have 110 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. CenterPoint Energy is the largest utility serving Liberty County, one of 4 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers. Electrical contractors employ 288, down 33.9% since 2019 against up 24.0% statewide, at an average $104,170 a year.
Who powers Liberty County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +110 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Liberty County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CenterPoint Energy | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 2,485,470 | — | — |
| Entergy Texas Inc. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 457,369 | 13.66¢ | 24% |
| Sam Houston Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 86,118 | 12.62¢ | 9% |
| City of Liberty - (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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 110 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty County Solar Project | Liberty County Solar Project, LLC | Solar | 110 MW | 2024 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trinity River Solar 1 | Solar Photovoltaic | 150 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC |
The Liberty County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 20,335 | $57,591 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,371 | $83,811 | 2.20 |
| Electrical contractors | 288 | $104,170 | 1.96 |
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 Liberty County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Liberty County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Liberty County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Liberty County, Harris 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberty County | 121,364 | ▲ 9.7% | 110 MW | 150 MW | — | — |
| Chambers County | 57,594 | ▲ 35.0% | 3,035 MW | 1,080 MW | — | — |
| Hardin County | 58,723 | ▼ 5.7% | 173 MW | 341 MW | — | — |
| Harris County | 5,045,026 | ▲ 4.6% | 11,060 MW | 967 MW | 36 | — |
| Jefferson County | 254,321 | ▲ 1.4% | 1,355 MW | 754 MW | 1 | — |
| Montgomery County | 781,194 | ▲ 22.4% | 1,548 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Polk County | 53,434 | ▲ 13.9% | 177 MW | 170 MW | — | — |
| San Jacinto County | 29,488 | ▲ 15.3% | 170 MW | 467 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Liberty County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Liberty County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Liberty County in the EIA-861 2024 report: CenterPoint Energy, Entergy Texas Inc., Sam Houston Electric Coop Inc, City of Liberty - (TX).
What county is Dayton, TX in?
Dayton is in Liberty County, Texas. About 10,226 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Liberty County?
1 operating plant with 110 MW of capacity. The largest is Liberty County Solar Project (110 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Liberty County?
150 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC.
Are there data centers in Liberty County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Liberty County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Harris County.
Is Liberty County adding jobs?
Employers counted 20,335 jobs in 2025 against 18,544 in 2019 (+9.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,107 to 2,371.
Does Liberty County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Liberty County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.