Montgomery County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Conroe and Magnolia, and the communities of The Woodlands
The data center boom is not abstract in Montgomery County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Montgomery County. Construction employs 20,690, up 39.3% since 2019, and construction is 1.7 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Montgomery County is home to Conroe, Magnolia, Willis and part of Houston (6,301 of its 2,397,315 residents), plus the unincorporated community of The Woodlands. Employers here counted 235,441 jobs in 2025, up 22.4% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 1,971, up 39.3% since 2019 against up 24.0% statewide, at an average $78,193 a year.
Cities and towns in Montgomery County
Montgomery County is home to Conroe, Magnolia, Willis and part of Houston (6,301 of its 2,397,315 residents), plus the unincorporated community of The Woodlands.
- Houston also extends into Harris County, Fort Bend County.
- Cleveland also extends into Liberty County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): The Woodlands, Deerwood, Grangerland, Pinehurst, Porter Heights.
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 Montgomery County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 625,369 | 781,194 | ▲ 24.9% | 11th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 192,400 | 235,441 | ▲ 22.4% | 32nd of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $58,352 | $72,956 | ▲ 25.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14,850 | 20,690 | ▲ 39.3% | 46th of 155 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,415 | 1,971 | ▲ 39.3% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 423 | 3,200 | ▲ 656.5% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 245 | 552 | ▲ 125.3% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 108 | 315 | ▲ 191.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 4.6% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1,005 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 5 MW | — |
1,005 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. 781,194 people live here, up 24.9% since 2020. Owners plan to retire 543 MW more by 2035, led by Lewis Creek in 2034. Its power plants have 1,548 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. 5 MW has retired here since 2019, including Security (other technologies, 5 MW, 2024). CenterPoint Energy is the largest utility serving Montgomery County, one of 5 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers.
Who powers Montgomery County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1,000 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Montgomery 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% |
| Mid-South Electric Coop Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 36,267 | 14.08¢ | 16% |
| San Bernard Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 31,774 | 14.16¢ | 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.
Operating power plants 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,548 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County | Entergy Texas Inc. | Natural gas | 1,000 MW | 2021 |
| Lewis Creek | Entergy Texas Inc. | Natural gas | 543 MW | 1970 |
| HEB00594 | Entergy Texas Inc. | Natural gas | 1 MW | 2019 |
| HEB00767 | Generate ER-NG, LLC | Natural gas | 1 MW | 2022 |
| WAL3390 | Walmart Stores Texas, LLC | Natural gas | 1 MW | 2020 |
| WAL602 | Walmart Stores Texas, LLC | Natural gas | 1 MW | 2020 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Security | Other technologies | 5 MW | 2024 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lewis Creek | Natural gas | 543 MW | 2034 |
The Montgomery County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 235,441 | $72,956 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 20,690 | $88,327 | 1.66 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,971 | $78,193 | 1.16 |
| Power and communication line construction | 3,200 | $100,433 | 8.41 |
| Electric utilities | 552 | $159,658 | 0.87 |
| Data processing and hosting | 315 | $112,547 | 0.43 |
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 Montgomery County
3 data centers in Montgomery County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Montgomery County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Montgomery 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Montgomery County | 781,194 | ▲ 22.4% | 1,548 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Grimes County | 34,252 | ▲ 13.9% | 1,301 MW | 210 MW | — | — |
| Harris County | 5,045,026 | ▲ 4.6% | 11,060 MW | 967 MW | 36 | — |
| Liberty County | 121,364 | ▲ 9.7% | 110 MW | 150 MW | — | — |
| San Jacinto County | 29,488 | ▲ 15.3% | 170 MW | 467 MW | — | — |
| Walker County | 83,842 | ▲ 4.4% | — | 150 MW | — | — |
| Waller County | 69,858 | ▲ 40.7% | 480 MW | — | — | — |
More of Texas
Montgomery County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Montgomery County, Texas?
5 utilities have service territory in Montgomery County in the EIA-861 2024 report: CenterPoint Energy, Entergy Texas Inc., Sam Houston Electric Coop Inc, Mid-South Electric Coop Assn.
What county is Conroe, TX in?
Conroe is in Montgomery County, Texas. About 119,564 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Montgomery County?
6 operating plants with 1,548 MW of capacity. The largest is Montgomery County (1,000 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Montgomery County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Montgomery County.
Is Montgomery County adding jobs?
Employers counted 235,441 jobs in 2025 against 192,400 in 2019 (+22.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 14,850 to 20,690.
Does Montgomery County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Montgomery County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.