Parker County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Weatherford, Willow Park and Aledo
Parker County is a generation frontier for Texas. Construction employs 3,847, up 35.7% since 2019, and construction is 1.7 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Parker County is home to Weatherford, Willow Park, Aledo and Springtown. 773 MW of new generation is planned here across 2 units, led by Gigawatt Solar LLC (solar). Employers here counted 42,861 jobs in 2025, up 22.7% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 660, up 31.2% since 2019 against up 24.0% statewide, at an average $64,011 a year.
Cities and towns in Parker County
Parker County is home to Weatherford, Willow Park, Aledo and Springtown.
- Azle also extends into Tarrant County.
- Fort Worth also extends into Tarrant County, Denton County.
- Cresson also extends into Hood County, Johnson County.
- Mineral Wells also extends into Palo Pinto County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Briar, Carter, Dennis, Garner, Horseshoe Bend, Western Lake.
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 Parker County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 149,559 | 184,767 | ▲ 23.5% | 31st of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 34,944 | 42,861 | ▲ 22.7% | 31st of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,586 | $59,195 | ▲ 29.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,835 | 3,847 | ▲ 35.7% | 51st of 155 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 503 | 660 | ▲ 31.2% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 18 | 20 | ▲ 11.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 3.8% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 773 MW | 24156% of today's fleet | 33rd of 149 by size |
184,767 people live here, up 23.5% since 2020. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. Its power plants have 3 MW of capacity, 100% of it other technologies. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Parker County, one of 4 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers.
Who powers Parker County
Utilities with service territory in Parker 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 | — | — |
| Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (TX) | Cooperative | Bundled | 118,075 | 12.65¢ | 35% |
| Wise Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,137 | 15.56¢ | 53% |
| Weatherford Mun Utility System | Municipal | Bundled | 14,466 | 12.69¢ | 45% |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 3 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Westside Landfill Gas Recovery | WM Renewable Energy LLC | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2010 |
Planned generation 2
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gigawatt Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 429 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Gigawatt Solar LLC |
| Gigawatt Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 344 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2028 | Gigawatt Solar LLC |
The Parker County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 42,861 | $59,195 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,847 | $79,038 | 1.69 |
| Electrical contractors | 660 | $64,011 | 2.14 |
| Data processing and hosting | 20 | $115,601 | 0.15 |
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 Parker County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Parker County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Hood County.
Parker County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Parker County, Tarrant 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parker County | 184,767 | ▲ 22.7% | 3 MW | 773 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 | — | — |
| Johnson County | 218,048 | ▲ 26.0% | 283 MW | — | — | — |
| Palo Pinto County | 30,791 | ▼ 2.4% | 614 MW | — | — | — |
| Tarrant County | 2,248,466 | ▲ 10.4% | 1,484 MW | — | 17 | — |
| Wise County | 83,778 | ▲ 5.5% | 2,237 MW | 403 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Parker County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Parker County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Parker County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (TX), Wise Electric Coop Inc, Weatherford Mun Utility System.
What county is Weatherford, TX in?
Weatherford is in Parker County, Texas. About 40,634 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Parker County?
1 operating plant with 3 MW of capacity. The largest is Westside Landfill Gas Recovery (3 MW, other technologies).
How much new power is planned in Parker County?
773 MW across 2 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Gigawatt Solar LLC.
Are there data centers in Parker County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Parker County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Tarrant County.
Is Parker County adding jobs?
Employers counted 42,861 jobs in 2025 against 34,944 in 2019 (+22.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,835 to 3,847.
Does Parker County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Parker County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.