Newton County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Newton
Newton County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Newton County is home to Newton. Next door, Orange County has 1,306 MW of planned generation. Its power plants have 1,515 MW of capacity, 95% of it natural gas. Employers here counted 1,211 jobs in 2025, down 4.2% from 2019. Unemployment was 6.8% in August 2026, against 6.2% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Newton County
Newton County is home to Newton.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Deweyville, South Toledo Bend.
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 Newton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 12,163 | 11,954 | ▼ 1.7% | 154th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,264 | 1,211 | ▼ 4.2% | 194th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,910 | $47,347 | ▲ 24.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.2% | 6.8% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Entergy Texas Inc. is the largest utility serving Newton County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.66¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.81¢ median for Texas utilities. 11,954 people live here, down 1.7% since 2020.
Who powers Newton County
Utilities with service territory in Newton County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entergy Texas Inc. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 457,369 | 13.66¢ | 24% |
| Deep East Texas Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 40,404 | 13.10¢ | 25% |
| Jasper-Newton Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,180 | 12.96¢ | 10% |
| City of Newton - (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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,434 MW | 95% |
| Hydro | 81 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cottonwood Energy Company LP | Cottonwood Energy Company LP | Natural gas | 1,434 MW | 2003 |
| Toledo Bend | Entergy Texas Inc. | Hydro | 81 MW | 1969 |
The Newton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,211 | $47,347 | 1.00 |
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 Newton County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Newton County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Newton County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Newton County, Orange 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Newton County | 11,954 | ▼ 4.2% | 1,515 MW | — | — | — |
| Beauregard Parish LA | 36,673 | ▲ 7.5% | 62 MW | 300 MW | — | — |
| Calcasieu Parish LA | 208,466 | ▼ 12.2% | 4,016 MW | 819 MW | — | — |
| Jasper County | 33,075 | ▼ 5.1% | 118 MW | — | — | — |
| Orange County | 86,266 | ▲ 10.9% | 2,455 MW | 1,306 MW | — | — |
| Sabine County | 10,012 | ▼ 1.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Sabine Parish LA | 21,834 | ▼ 0.4% | — | 220 MW | — | — |
| Vernon Parish LA | 45,091 | ▼ 1.3% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
More of Texas
Newton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Newton County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Newton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Texas Inc., Deep East Texas Elec Coop Inc, Jasper-Newton Elec Coop, Inc, City of Newton - (TX). The largest, Entergy Texas Inc., charged residential customers 13.66¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Newton County?
2 operating plants with 1,515 MW of capacity. The largest is Cottonwood Energy Company LP (1,434 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Newton County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Newton County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Orange County.
Is Newton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,211 jobs in 2025 against 1,264 in 2019 (-4.2%, BLS QCEW).
Does Newton County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Newton County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.