Starr County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Rio Grande City and Roma, and the communities of Mesquite
Starr County is where a large share of Texas's next power plants are planned. Construction employs 185, up 58.1% since 2019. Starr County is home to Rio Grande City, Roma, Escobares and La Grulla, plus the unincorporated community of Mesquite. 880 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Rising Star Solar, LLC (solar). 625 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Its power plants have 1,166 MW of capacity, 81% of it wind.
Cities and towns in Starr County
Starr County is home to Rio Grande City, Roma, Escobares and La Grulla, plus the unincorporated community of Mesquite.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Mesquite, Airport Heights, Alto Bonito Heights, Amada Acres, Anacua, B and E, Barrera, Benjamin Perez, Buena Vista, Camargito, Campo Verde, Casa Blanca, Casas, Chaparrito, Chapeno, Delmita, E. Lopez, East Alto Bonito, El Brazil, El Castillo, El Cenizo, El Chaparral, El Mesquite, El Quiote, El Rancho Vela, El Refugio, El Socio, Elias-Fela Solis, Eugenio Saenz, Evergreen, Falcon Heights, Falcon Village, Falconaire, Fernando Salinas, Flor del Rio, Fronton, Fronton Ranchettes, Garceno, Garciasville, Garza-Salinas II and 71 more.
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 Starr County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 65,853 | 66,319 | ▲ 0.7% | 56th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15,270 | 15,052 | ▼ 1.4% | 177th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $31,251 | $41,877 | ▲ 34.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 117 | 185 | ▲ 58.1% | 23rd of 155 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 9.7% | 9.4% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 625 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 880 MW | 75% of today's fleet | 26th of 149 by size |
AEP Texas Central Company is the largest utility serving Starr County, one of 3 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers. Employers here counted 15,052 jobs in 2025, down 1.4% from 2019. Unemployment was 9.4% in August 2026, against 9.7% in 2019. 66,319 people live here, up 0.7% since 2020.
Who powers Starr County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +625 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Starr County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AEP Texas Central Company | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 784,148 | — | — |
| Magic Valley Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 126,402 | 10.20¢ | 10% |
| Medina Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 30,205 | 12.10¢ | 20% |
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 12
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 949 MW | 81% |
| Solar | 136 MW | 12% |
| Battery storage | 50 MW | 4% |
| Hydro | 32 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rio Bravo Windpower, LLC | Rio Bravo Windpower, LLC | Wind | 238 MW | 2019 |
| Mesteno | Deriva Energy | Wind | 202 MW | 2019 |
| Los Vientos Windpower III | Deriva Energy | Wind | 200 MW | 2015 |
| Los Vientos Windpower IV | Deriva Energy | Wind | 200 MW | 2016 |
| Starr Solar Ranch | Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC | Solar | 136 MW | 2024 |
| Los Vientos V Wind Power | Deriva Energy | Wind | 110 MW | 2015 |
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rising Star Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 500 MW | Approvals received | 2028 | Rising Star Solar, LLC |
| Diamondback Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 200 MW | Approvals received | 2027 | Diamondback Solar, LLC |
| Starr Solar Ranch | Batteries | 180 MW | Approvals pending | 2031 | Lightsource Renewable Energy Asset Management, LLC |
The Starr County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 15,052 | $41,877 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 185 | $72,951 | 0.23 |
| Electric utilities | 65 | $121,186 | 1.60 |
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 Starr County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Starr County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Starr County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Starr County, Hidalgo 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starr County | 66,319 | ▼ 1.4% | 1,166 MW | 880 MW | — | — |
| Brooks County | 6,579 | ▼ 21.9% | 30 MW | — | — | — |
| Hidalgo County | 921,549 | ▲ 11.4% | 3,426 MW | 160 MW | 8 | — |
| Jim Hogg County | 4,555 | ▼ 0.4% | 78 MW | — | — | — |
| Zapata County | 13,753 | ▼ 14.6% | 441 MW | 200 MW | 4 | — |
More of Texas
Starr County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Starr County, Texas?
3 utilities have service territory in Starr County in the EIA-861 2024 report: AEP Texas Central Company, Magic Valley Electric Coop Inc, Medina Electric Coop, Inc.
What county is Rio Grande City, TX in?
Rio Grande City is in Starr County, Texas. About 15,451 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Roma, TX in?
Roma is in Starr County, Texas. About 11,543 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Starr County?
12 operating plants with 1,166 MW of capacity. The largest is Rio Bravo Windpower, LLC (238 MW, wind).
How much new power is planned in Starr County?
880 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Rising Star Solar, LLC.
Are there data centers in Starr County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Starr County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Hidalgo County.
Is Starr County adding jobs?
Employers counted 15,052 jobs in 2025 against 15,270 in 2019 (-1.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 117 to 185.
Does Starr County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Starr County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.