Randall County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Amarillo and Canyon
Randall 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. Randall County is home to most of Amarillo (106,621 of its 205,130 residents), Canyon and Lake Tanglewood. Construction employs 3,059, up 17.1% since 2019, and construction is 1.6 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 37,224 jobs in 2025, up 13.9% from 2019. Next door, Carson County has 16,147 MW of planned generation. Electrical contractors employ 656, up 14.5% since 2019 against up 24.0% statewide, at an average $88,248 a year.
Cities and towns in Randall County
Randall County is home to most of Amarillo (106,621 of its 205,130 residents), Canyon and Lake Tanglewood.
- Amarillo also extends into Potter County.
- Happy also extends into Swisher County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bushland, Rockwell Place, Umbarger.
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 Randall County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 141,255 | 152,351 | ▲ 7.9% | 34th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 32,692 | 37,224 | ▲ 13.9% | 60th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,893 | $55,868 | ▲ 24.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,612 | 3,059 | ▲ 17.1% | 82nd of 155 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 573 | 656 | ▲ 14.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 3.3% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 3.3% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019. Its power plants have 166 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind. Southwestern Public Service Co is the largest utility serving Randall County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.35¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.81¢ median for Texas utilities. 152,351 people live here, up 7.9% since 2020.
Who powers Randall County
Utilities with service territory in Randall County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southwestern Public Service Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 222,146 | 13.35¢ | 25% |
| Greenbelt Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 3,912 | 18.00¢ | 11% |
| Swisher 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 166 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Astra Wind Farm | Astra Wind LLC | Wind | 163 MW | 2017 |
| UL Advanced Wind Turbine Test Facility | West Texas A&M University | Wind | 4 MW | 2016 |
The Randall County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 37,224 | $55,868 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,059 | $76,507 | 1.55 |
| Electrical contractors | 656 | $88,248 | 2.44 |
| Power and communication line construction | 264 | $99,822 | 4.39 |
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 Randall County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Randall County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Randall County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Randall County, Carson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Randall County | 152,351 | ▲ 13.9% | 166 MW | — | — | — |
| Armstrong County | 1,843 | ▲ 85.1% | 266 MW | 266 MW | 1 | — |
| Carson County | 5,805 | ▲ 40.5% | 1,212 MW | 16,147 MW | — | — |
| Castro County | 7,295 | ▲ 14.2% | 442 MW | 440 MW | — | — |
| Deaf Smith County | 18,626 | ▲ 6.4% | 710 MW | 1,686 MW | — | — |
| Oldham County | 1,783 | ▼ 11.0% | 755 MW | — | — | — |
| Potter County | 114,453 | ▲ 2.0% | 1,555 MW | 168 MW | 4 | — |
| Swisher County | 6,703 | ▼ 4.7% | 1,100 MW | 601 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Randall County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Randall County, Texas?
3 utilities have service territory in Randall County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwestern Public Service Co, Greenbelt Electric Coop, Inc, Swisher Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Southwestern Public Service Co, charged residential customers 13.35¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Amarillo, TX in?
Most of Amarillo is in Randall County: 106,621 of its 205,130 residents, or 52%. The rest of the city lies in Potter County.
What county is Canyon, TX in?
Canyon is in Randall County, Texas. About 16,518 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Randall County?
2 operating plants with 166 MW of capacity. The largest is Astra Wind Farm (163 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Randall County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Randall County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Carson County.
Is Randall County adding jobs?
Employers counted 37,224 jobs in 2025 against 32,692 in 2019 (+13.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,612 to 3,059.
Does Randall County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Randall County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.