Smith County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Tyler, Whitehouse and Lindale
Smith 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. Smith County is home to Tyler, Whitehouse, Lindale and most of Bullard (4,948 of its 5,301 residents). Construction employs 5,368, up 17.3% since 2019. Next door, Van Zandt County has 220 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 115,454 jobs in 2025, up 10.0% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 485, up 8.7% since 2019 against up 24.0% statewide, at an average $64,389 a year.
Cities and towns in Smith County
Smith County is home to Tyler, Whitehouse, Lindale and most of Bullard (4,948 of its 5,301 residents).
- Bullard also extends into Cherokee County.
- Overton also extends into Rusk County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Emerald Bay.
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 Smith County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 234,205 | 252,549 | ▲ 7.8% | 23rd of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 104,972 | 115,454 | ▲ 10.0% | 86th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,803 | $59,676 | ▲ 27.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,578 | 5,368 | ▲ 17.3% | 81st of 155 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 446 | 485 | ▲ 8.7% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6 | 33 | ▲ 450.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 4.2% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Smith County, one of 5 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers. 252,549 people live here, up 7.8% since 2020.
Who powers Smith County
Utilities with service territory in Smith 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 | — | — |
| Southwestern Electric Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 156,271 | 12.03¢ | 30% |
| Upshur Rural Elec Coop Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 44,415 | 12.40¢ | 18% |
| Wood County Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 35,793 | 12.83¢ | 39% |
| Cherokee County Elec Coop Assn - (TX) | Cooperative | Bundled | 22,026 | 14.92¢ | 12% |
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 Smith County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Smith County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 115,454 | $59,676 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 5,368 | $65,586 | 0.88 |
| Electrical contractors | 485 | $64,389 | 0.58 |
| Data processing and hosting | 33 | $103,916 | 0.09 |
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 Smith County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Smith County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Smith County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Smith 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smith County | 252,549 | ▲ 10.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Cherokee County | 53,337 | ▲ 1.0% | 713 MW | — | — | — |
| Gregg County | 126,095 | ▼ 0.9% | 351 MW | — | — | — |
| Henderson County | 88,595 | ▲ 14.4% | 546 MW | 100 MW | — | — |
| Rusk County | 54,854 | ▼ 2.2% | 3,519 MW | — | — | — |
| Upshur County | 44,410 | ▲ 7.8% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Van Zandt County | 66,130 | ▲ 13.7% | 59 MW | 220 MW | — | — |
| Wood County | 49,688 | ▲ 3.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of Texas
Smith County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Smith County, Texas?
5 utilities have service territory in Smith County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, Southwestern Electric Power Co, Upshur Rural Elec Coop Corp, Wood County Electric Coop, Inc.
What county is Tyler, TX in?
Tyler is in Smith County, Texas. About 113,723 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
Are there data centers in Smith County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Smith County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Van Zandt County.
Is Smith County adding jobs?
Employers counted 115,454 jobs in 2025 against 104,972 in 2019 (+10.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 4,578 to 5,368.
Does Smith County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Smith County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.