Shelby County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Center and Tenaha
No data center or power plant project is on record in Shelby County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Shelby County is home to Center, Tenaha, Timpson and Joaquin. Construction employs 399, up 39.5% since 2019. Next door, Nacogdoches County has 674 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 5.5% in August 2026, against 4.5% in 2019. Employers here counted 8,789 jobs in 2025, up 3.1% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Shelby County
Shelby County is home to Center, Tenaha, Timpson and Joaquin.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Shelbyville.
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 Shelby County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 24,042 | 24,286 | ▲ 1.0% | 104th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,523 | 8,789 | ▲ 3.1% | 138th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,288 | $53,446 | ▲ 32.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 286 | 399 | ▲ 39.5% | 45th of 155 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.5% | 5.5% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
Southwestern Electric Power Co is the largest utility serving Shelby 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. 24,286 people live here, up 1.0% since 2020.
Who powers Shelby County
Utilities with service territory in Shelby 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% |
| City of Timpson - (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.
No operating power plant is located in Shelby County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Shelby County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,789 | $53,446 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 399 | $69,506 | 0.86 |
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 Shelby County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Shelby County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Shelby County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Shelby 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby County | 24,286 | ▲ 3.1% | — | — | — | — |
| De Soto Parish LA | 27,381 | ▲ 23.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Nacogdoches County | 66,035 | ▲ 0.8% | 114 MW | 674 MW | — | — |
| Panola County | 23,018 | ▼ 7.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Rusk County | 54,854 | ▼ 2.2% | 3,519 MW | — | — | — |
| Sabine County | 10,012 | ▼ 1.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Sabine Parish LA | 21,834 | ▼ 0.4% | — | 220 MW | — | — |
| San Augustine County | 7,722 | ▼ 8.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Texas
Shelby County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Shelby County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Shelby County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southwestern Electric Power Co, Deep East Texas Elec Coop Inc, Rusk County Electric Coop, Inc, City of Timpson - (TX). The largest, Southwestern Electric Power Co, charged residential customers 12.03¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Shelby County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Shelby County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Nacogdoches County.
Is Shelby County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,789 jobs in 2025 against 8,523 in 2019 (+3.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 286 to 399.
Does Shelby County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Shelby County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.