Palo Pinto County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Mineral Wells
Palo Pinto County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Palo Pinto County is home to Mineral Wells, Graford, Strawn and Gordon. Construction employs 374, up 18.7% since 2019. Next door, Parker County has 773 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. 10 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage.
Cities and towns in Palo Pinto County
Palo Pinto County is home to Mineral Wells, Graford, Strawn and Gordon.
- Mineral Wells also extends into Parker County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Brazos, Palo Pinto, Santo.
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 Palo Pinto County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 28,456 | 30,791 | ▲ 8.2% | 94th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,753 | 8,545 | ▼ 2.4% | 183rd of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,122 | $50,056 | ▲ 8.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 315 | 374 | ▲ 18.7% | 78th of 155 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 82 | 63 | ▼ 23.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 4.6% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 10 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 614 MW of capacity, 98% of it natural gas. Employers here counted 8,545 jobs in 2025, down 2.4% from 2019. 30,791 people live here, up 8.2% since 2020. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Palo Pinto County, one of 5 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers.
Who powers Palo Pinto County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +10 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Palo Pinto 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 | — | — |
| Texas-New Mexico Power Co | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 233,056 | — | — |
| Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (TX) | Cooperative | Bundled | 118,075 | 12.65¢ | 35% |
| United Electric Coop Service Inc - (TX) | Cooperative | Bundled | 88,324 | 13.00¢ | 20% |
| Fort Belknap Electric Coop Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 | 604 MW | 98% |
| Battery storage | 10 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R W Miller | RW Miller Power LLC | Natural gas | 604 MW | 1968 |
| Mineral Wells East BESS | HEN Infrastructure, L.L.C. | Battery storage | 10 MW | 2024 |
The Palo Pinto County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,545 | $50,056 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 374 | $57,114 | 0.83 |
| Electric utilities | 63 | $136,496 | 2.72 |
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 Palo Pinto County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Palo Pinto County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Hood County.
Palo Pinto County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Palo Pinto County, Hood 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palo Pinto County | 30,791 | ▼ 2.4% | 614 MW | — | — | — |
| Eastland County | 18,143 | ▼ 26.0% | 1,134 MW | — | — | — |
| Erath County | 43,911 | ▲ 14.0% | 163 MW | 204 MW | — | — |
| Hood County | 70,501 | ▲ 10.5% | 2,646 MW | 200 MW | 2 | 1 |
| Jack County | 9,563 | ▼ 15.8% | 1,030 MW | 300 MW | — | — |
| Parker County | 184,767 | ▲ 22.7% | 3 MW | 773 MW | — | — |
| Stephens County | 9,380 | ▼ 0.4% | 150 MW | — | — | — |
| Young County | 18,154 | ▲ 4.3% | 1,352 MW | — | — | — |
More of Texas
Palo Pinto County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Palo Pinto County, Texas?
5 utilities have service territory in Palo Pinto County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, Texas-New Mexico Power Co, Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (TX), United Electric Coop Service Inc - (TX).
What county is Mineral Wells, TX in?
Mineral Wells is in Palo Pinto County, Texas. About 15,799 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Palo Pinto County?
2 operating plants with 614 MW of capacity. The largest is R W Miller (604 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Palo Pinto County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Palo Pinto County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Parker County.
Is Palo Pinto County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,545 jobs in 2025 against 8,753 in 2019 (-2.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 315 to 374.
Does Palo Pinto County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Palo Pinto County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.