Travis County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Austin and Pflugerville, and the communities of Hornsby Bend
Travis County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 25 data centers in Travis County, 6% of Texas's total. Travis County is home to most of Austin (929,657 of its 1,002,632 residents), Pflugerville, Manor and Lakeway, plus the unincorporated community of Hornsby Bend. Electrical contractors employ 7,912, up 50.0% since 2019 against up 24.0% statewide, at an average $80,875 a year. Construction employs 52,830, up 28.9% since 2019. Employers here counted 934,650 jobs in 2025, up 19.9% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Travis County
Travis County is home to most of Austin (929,657 of its 1,002,632 residents), Pflugerville, Manor and Lakeway, plus the unincorporated community of Hornsby Bend.
- Austin also extends into Williamson County.
- Leander also extends into Williamson County.
- Cedar Park also extends into Williamson County.
- Round Rock also extends into Williamson County.
- Elgin also extends into Bastrop County.
- Mustang Ridge also extends into Caldwell County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Hornsby Bend, Barton Creek, Garfield, Hudson Bend, Lost Creek, Manchaca, Shady Hollow, Steiner Ranch, Wells Branch.
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 Travis County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,296,572 | 1,389,670 | ▲ 7.2% | 5th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 779,766 | 934,650 | ▲ 19.9% | 36th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $69,809 | $100,928 | ▲ 44.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 40,988 | 52,830 | ▲ 28.9% | 60th of 155 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,275 | 7,912 | ▲ 50.0% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 475 | 1,034 | ▲ 117.7% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,048 | 11,266 | ▲ 59.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.9% | ▲ 1.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 379 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 728 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 2 MW | 0% of today's fleet | 149th of 149 by size |
728 MW has retired here since 2019, including Decker Creek (natural gas, 726 MW, 2022). 2 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Tesla Inc. (solar). 2 MW of it is already under construction or built. Its power plants have 1,624 MW of capacity, 66% of it natural gas. 379 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. Owners plan to retire 14 MW more by 2035, led by Hal C Weaver Power Plant in 2028. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Travis County, one of 4 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers. 1,389,670 people live here, up 7.2% since 2020, 5th of 254 Texas counties by population.
Who powers Travis County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −349 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Travis 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 | — | — |
| Austin Energy | Municipal | Bundled | 507,291 | 12.58¢ | 42% |
| Pedernales Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 405,587 | 12.22¢ | 22% |
| Bluebonnet Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 113,890 | 11.42¢ | 42% |
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 19
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,075 MW | 66% |
| Battery storage | 226 MW | 14% |
| Solar | 185 MW | 11% |
| Hydro | 126 MW | 8% |
| Other technologies | 10 MW | 1% |
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sand Hill | Austin Energy | Natural gas | 696 MW | 2001 |
| Decker Creek | Austin Energy | Natural gas | 206 MW | 1988 |
| Hal C Weaver Power Plant | University of Texas at Austin | Natural gas | 152 MW | 1951 |
| East Blackland Solar Project 1 | Deriva Energy | Solar | 144 MW | 2021 |
| GFTX BESS | Giga Texas Energy LLC | Battery storage | 125 MW | 2024 |
| Marshall Ford | Lower Colorado River Authority | Hydro | 108 MW | 1941 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Austin TX GigaFactory | Solar Photovoltaic | 2 MW | Built, not yet operating | 2026 | Tesla Inc. |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decker Creek | Natural gas | 726 MW | 2022 |
| Austin Gas Recovery | Other technologies | 2 MW | 2019 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hal C Weaver Power Plant | Natural gas | 14 MW | 2028 |
The Travis County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 934,650 | $100,928 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 52,830 | $93,206 | 1.07 |
| Electrical contractors | 7,912 | $80,875 | 1.17 |
| Electric utilities | 1,034 | $157,887 | 0.41 |
| Data processing and hosting | 11,266 | $248,526 | 3.88 |
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 Travis County
25 data centers in Travis County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Travis County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Travis County, Bastrop 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis County | 1,389,670 | ▲ 19.9% | 1,624 MW | 2 MW | 25 | — |
| Bastrop County | 118,908 | ▲ 25.0% | 2,051 MW | 80 MW | 2 | — |
| Blanco County | 13,581 | ▲ 20.3% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Burnet County | 57,015 | ▲ 14.9% | 109 MW | 289 MW | — | — |
| Caldwell County | 55,150 | ▲ 25.3% | 368 MW | 200 MW | 1 | — |
| Hays County | 304,390 | ▲ 34.2% | 999 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Williamson County | 752,827 | ▲ 31.3% | 214 MW | — | 6 | — |
More of Texas
Travis County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Travis County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Travis County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, Austin Energy, Pedernales Electric Coop, Inc, Bluebonnet Electric Coop, Inc.
What county is Austin, TX in?
Most of Austin is in Travis County: 929,657 of its 1,002,632 residents, or 93%. The rest of the city lies in Williamson County.
What county is Pflugerville, TX in?
Pflugerville is in Travis County, Texas. About 68,121 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Manor, TX in?
Manor is in Travis County, Texas. About 23,070 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Travis County?
19 operating plants with 1,624 MW of capacity. The largest is Sand Hill (696 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Travis County?
2 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 2 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Tesla Inc..
Are there data centers in Travis County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 25 data centers in Travis County.
Is Travis County adding jobs?
Employers counted 934,650 jobs in 2025 against 779,766 in 2019 (+19.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 40,988 to 52,830.
Does Travis County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Travis County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.