Panola County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Carthage
Panola 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. Panola County is home to Carthage and Beckville. Construction employs 1,170, down 14.4% since 2019, and construction is 2.9 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Next door, Harrison County has 450 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 7,710 jobs in 2025, down 7.9% from 2019. Unemployment was 5.2% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Panola County
Panola County is home to Carthage and Beckville.
- Tatum also extends into Rusk County.
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 Panola County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 22,498 | 23,018 | ▲ 2.3% | 108th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,373 | 7,710 | ▼ 7.9% | 215th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $49,486 | $62,423 | ▲ 26.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,367 | 1,170 | ▼ 14.4% | 143rd of 155 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 5.2% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
Southwestern Electric Power Co is the largest utility serving Panola County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.03¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.81¢ median for Texas utilities. 23,018 people live here, up 2.3% since 2020.
Who powers Panola County
Utilities with service territory in Panola County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern Electric Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 156,271 | 12.03¢ | 30% |
| Deep East Texas Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 40,404 | 13.10¢ | 25% |
| Rusk County Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,152 | 12.90¢ | 20% |
| Panola-Harrison Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,394 | 9.41¢ | 33% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in Panola County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Panola County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,710 | $62,423 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,170 | $80,814 | 2.86 |
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 Panola County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Panola County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Caddo Parish.
Panola County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Panola County, Rusk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panola County | 23,018 | ▼ 7.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Caddo Parish LA | 224,226 | ▼ 0.8% | 1,050 MW | — | 3 | 1 |
| De Soto Parish LA | 27,381 | ▲ 23.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Harrison County | 71,956 | ▼ 8.3% | 1,043 MW | 450 MW | — | — |
| Rusk County | 54,854 | ▼ 2.2% | 3,519 MW | — | — | — |
| Shelby County | 24,286 | ▲ 3.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Texas
Panola County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Panola County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Panola County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwestern Electric Power Co, Deep East Texas Elec Coop Inc, Rusk County Electric Coop, Inc, Panola-Harrison Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Southwestern Electric Power Co, charged residential customers 12.03¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Panola County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Panola County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Harrison County.
Is Panola County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,710 jobs in 2025 against 8,373 in 2019 (-7.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,367 to 1,170.
Does Panola County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Panola County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.