Menard County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Menard
No data center or power plant project is on record in Menard County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Menard County is home to Menard. Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. Next door, Concho County has 686 MW of planned generation. 8 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 432 jobs in 2025, down 3.4% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Menard County
Menard County is home to Menard.
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 Menard County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,959 | 1,956 | ▼ 0.2% | 232nd of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 447 | 432 | ▼ 3.4% | 188th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $28,428 | $36,095 | ▲ 27.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 5.0% | ▲ 2.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 8 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Menard County, one of 5 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers. 1,956 people live here, down 0.2% since 2020.
Who powers Menard County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +8 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Menard 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 | — | — |
| Pedernales Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 405,587 | 12.22¢ | 22% |
| AEP Texas North Company | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 157,455 | — | — |
| Central Texas Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 39,569 | 11.03¢ | 9% |
| Southwest Texas Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,886 | 13.55¢ | 10% |
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 | 8 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lampwick | Sol Systems | Solar | 8 MW | 2019 |
The Menard County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 432 | $36,095 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 14 | $64,969 | 0.61 |
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 Menard County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Menard County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Tom Green County.
Menard County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Menard County, Concho 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Menard County | 1,956 | ▼ 3.4% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Concho County | 3,607 | ▲ 31.6% | 1,000 MW | 686 MW | — | — |
| Kimble County | 4,438 | ▼ 7.8% | 20 MW | — | — | — |
| Mason County | 3,990 | ▲ 4.0% | 110 MW | — | — | — |
| McCulloch County | 7,472 | ▼ 16.1% | 340 MW | 90 MW | — | — |
| Schleicher County | 2,245 | ▼ 8.1% | 200 MW | — | — | — |
| Sutton County | 3,203 | ▼ 35.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Tom Green County | 120,602 | ▲ 4.2% | 818 MW | 316 MW | — | 1 |
More of Texas
Menard County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Menard County, Texas?
5 utilities have service territory in Menard County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, Pedernales Electric Coop, Inc, AEP Texas North Company, Central Texas Elec Coop, Inc.
What power plants are in Menard County?
1 operating plant with 8 MW of capacity. The largest is Lampwick (8 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Menard County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Menard County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Concho County.
Is Menard County adding jobs?
Employers counted 432 jobs in 2025 against 447 in 2019 (-3.4%, BLS QCEW).
Does Menard County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Menard County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.