Mills County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Goldthwaite
Mills County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Mills County is home to Goldthwaite. Next door, Brown County has 479 MW of planned generation. 499 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Its power plants have 849 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind. Employers here counted 1,364 jobs in 2025, up 6.6% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Mills County
Mills County is home to Goldthwaite.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Priddy.
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 Mills County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 4,447 | 4,580 | ▲ 3.0% | 203rd of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,280 | 1,364 | ▲ 6.6% | 110th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,735 | $44,478 | ▲ 28.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 59 | 84 | ▲ 42.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 3.8% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 499 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Mills County, one of 4 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers. 4,580 people live here, up 3.0% since 2020.
Who powers Mills County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +499 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Mills 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 | — | — |
| Hamilton County Elec Coop Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,594 | 13.69¢ | 12% |
| Comanche County Elec Coop Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 7,359 | 15.52¢ | 75% |
| City of Goldthwaite - (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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 849 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Priddy Wind Project | Engie North America | Wind | 302 MW | 2022 |
| Flat Top Wind I | BHE Renewables, LLC | Wind | 200 MW | 2018 |
| Castle Gap Wind | Castle Gap Wind Power, LLC | Wind | 197 MW | 2023 |
| Goldthwaite Wind Energy Facility | Invenergy Services LLC | Wind | 150 MW | 2013 |
The Mills County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,364 | $44,478 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 84 | $41,931 | 1.16 |
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 Mills County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Mills County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Mills County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Mills County, Brown 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mills County | 4,580 | ▲ 6.6% | 849 MW | — | — | — |
| Brown County | 38,711 | ▲ 0.6% | 480 MW | 479 MW | — | — |
| Comanche County | 14,432 | ▲ 15.7% | 200 MW | 151 MW | — | — |
| Hamilton County | 8,680 | ▲ 7.6% | 100 MW | 10 MW | — | — |
| Lampasas County | 23,657 | ▲ 25.1% | — | — | — | — |
| San Saba County | 5,787 | ▼ 16.0% | — | — | — | — |
More of Texas
Mills County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Mills County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Mills County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, Hamilton County Elec Coop Assn, Comanche County Elec Coop Assn, City of Goldthwaite - (TX).
What power plants are in Mills County?
4 operating plants with 849 MW of capacity. The largest is Priddy Wind Project (302 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Mills County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Mills County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Brown County.
Is Mills County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,364 jobs in 2025 against 1,280 in 2019 (+6.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 59 to 84.
Does Mills County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Mills County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.