Sutton County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sonora
Sutton 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. Employers here counted 1,134 jobs in 2025, down 35.7% from 2019. Sutton County is home to Sonora. Unemployment was 6.3% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. Next door, Val Verde County has 276 MW of planned generation. Pedernales Electric Coop, Inc is the largest utility serving Sutton County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.22¢/kWh in 2024, below the 12.81¢ median for Texas utilities.
Cities and towns in Sutton County
Sutton County is home to Sonora.
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 Sutton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 3,361 | 3,203 | ▼ 4.7% | 216th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,764 | 1,134 | ▼ 35.7% | 253rd of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $66,193 | $67,823 | ▲ 2.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 87 | 63 | ▼ 27.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 6.3% | ▲ 2.7pts | — |
3,203 people live here, down 4.7% since 2020.
Who powers Sutton County
Utilities with service territory in Sutton County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pedernales Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 405,587 | 12.22¢ | 22% |
| AEP Texas North Company | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 157,455 | — | — |
| Southwest Texas Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 5,886 | 13.55¢ | 10% |
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 Sutton County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Sutton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,134 | $67,823 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 63 | $74,373 | 1.05 |
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 Sutton County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Sutton County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide.
Sutton County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Sutton County, Crockett 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sutton County | 3,203 | ▼ 35.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Crockett County | 2,769 | ▼ 11.0% | 1,124 MW | 265 MW | — | — |
| Edwards County | 1,370 | ▼ 3.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Kimble County | 4,438 | ▼ 7.8% | 20 MW | — | — | — |
| Menard County | 1,956 | ▼ 3.4% | 8 MW | — | — | — |
| Schleicher County | 2,245 | ▼ 8.1% | 200 MW | — | — | — |
| Val Verde County | 47,835 | ▼ 0.7% | 396 MW | 276 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Sutton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Sutton County, Texas?
3 utilities have service territory in Sutton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pedernales Electric Coop, Inc, AEP Texas North Company, Southwest Texas Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, Pedernales Electric Coop, Inc, charged residential customers 12.22¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Sutton County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Sutton County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Val Verde County.
Is Sutton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,134 jobs in 2025 against 1,764 in 2019 (-35.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 87 to 63.
Does Sutton County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Sutton County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.