Polk County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Livingston, Onalaska and Corrigan
No data center or power plant project is on record in Polk County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Polk County is home to Livingston, Onalaska and Corrigan. 170 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Entergy Louisiana LLC (solar). Employers here counted 13,150 jobs in 2025, up 13.9% from 2019. Next door, San Jacinto County has 467 MW of planned generation. 177 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Polk County
Polk County is home to Livingston, Onalaska and Corrigan.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Big Thicket Lake Estates, Cedar Point, Indian Springs, Pleasant Hill, West Livingston.
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 Polk County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 50,464 | 53,434 | ▲ 5.9% | 71st of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,549 | 13,150 | ▲ 13.9% | 61st of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,096 | $53,421 | ▲ 30.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.5% | 5.0% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 177 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 170 MW | 96% of today's fleet | 123rd of 149 by size |
Its power plants have 177 MW of capacity, 85% of it solar. Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 4.5% in 2019. Entergy Texas Inc. is the largest utility serving Polk County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.66¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.81¢ median for Texas utilities. 53,434 people live here, up 5.9% since 2020.
Who powers Polk County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +177 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Polk 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% |
| Sam Houston Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 86,118 | 12.62¢ | 9% |
| City of Livingston - (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 150 MW | 85% |
| Hydro | 27 MW | 15% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Umbriel Solar | Umbriel Solar, LLC | Solar | 150 MW | 2023 |
| RC Thomas Hydroelectric Project | East Texas Electric Coop, Inc | Hydro | 27 MW | 2020 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Segno Solar Station | Solar Photovoltaic | 170 MW | Planned, approvals not started | 2029 | Entergy Louisiana LLC |
The Polk County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 13,150 | $53,421 | 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 Polk County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Polk County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Polk County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Polk County, San Jacinto 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polk County | 53,434 | ▲ 13.9% | 177 MW | 170 MW | — | — |
| Angelina County | 88,154 | ▲ 1.1% | 200 MW | 200 MW | 2 | — |
| Hardin County | 58,723 | ▼ 5.7% | 173 MW | 341 MW | — | — |
| Liberty County | 121,364 | ▲ 9.7% | 110 MW | 150 MW | — | — |
| San Jacinto County | 29,488 | ▲ 15.3% | 170 MW | 467 MW | — | — |
| Trinity County | 14,384 | ▲ 8.6% | — | 100 MW | — | — |
| Tyler County | 20,443 | ▲ 3.3% | 50 MW | — | — | — |
More of Texas
Polk County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Polk County, Texas?
3 utilities have service territory in Polk County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Entergy Texas Inc., Sam Houston Electric Coop Inc, City of Livingston - (TX). The largest, Entergy Texas Inc., charged residential customers 13.66¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Polk County?
2 operating plants with 177 MW of capacity. The largest is Umbriel Solar (150 MW, solar).
How much new power is planned in Polk County?
170 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Entergy Louisiana LLC.
Are there data centers in Polk County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Polk County. The nearest activity on record is next door in San Jacinto County.
Is Polk County adding jobs?
Employers counted 13,150 jobs in 2025 against 11,549 in 2019 (+13.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Polk County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Polk County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.