Waller County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Prairie View, Hempstead and Katy
No data center or power plant project is on record in Waller County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Electrical contractors employ 111, up 170.7% since 2019 against up 24.0% statewide, at an average $80,033 a year. Employers here counted 27,947 jobs in 2025, up 40.7% from 2019 (the 9th fastest growth of 254 Texas counties). Waller County is home to Prairie View, Hempstead, part of Katy (6,475 of its 28,373 residents) and Brookshire. Construction employs 1,838, up 37.1% since 2019. Unemployment was 5.6% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Waller County
Waller County is home to Prairie View, Hempstead, part of Katy (6,475 of its 28,373 residents) and Brookshire.
- Katy also extends into Harris County, Fort Bend County.
- Waller also extends into Harris County.
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 Waller County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 57,294 | 69,858 | ▲ 21.9% | 55th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 19,859 | 27,947 | ▲ 40.7% | 9th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,350 | $63,956 | ▲ 38.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,341 | 1,838 | ▲ 37.1% | 50th of 155 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 41 | 111 | ▲ 170.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 5.6% | ▲ 2.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 480 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Next door, Harris County has 36 data centers and 967 MW of planned generation. 69,858 people live here, up 21.9% since 2020. 480 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 480 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. CenterPoint Energy is the largest utility serving Waller County, one of 5 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers.
Who powers Waller County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +480 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Waller County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CenterPoint Energy | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 2,485,470 | — | — |
| Entergy Texas Inc. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 457,369 | 13.66¢ | 24% |
| Mid-South Electric Coop Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 36,267 | 14.08¢ | 16% |
| San Bernard Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 31,774 | 14.16¢ | 14% |
| City of Hempstead - (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.
Operating power plants 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 480 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parliament Solar | Parliament Solar, LLC | Solar | 480 MW | 2025 |
The Waller County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 27,947 | $63,956 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,838 | $78,076 | 1.24 |
| Electrical contractors | 111 | $80,033 | 0.55 |
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 Waller County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Waller County. Texas has 25 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Austin County.
Waller County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Waller County, Harris 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waller County | 69,858 | ▲ 40.7% | 480 MW | — | — | — |
| Austin County | 33,625 | ▲ 27.0% | 210 MW | 800 MW | 1 | 1 |
| Fort Bend County | 975,191 | ▲ 33.0% | 7,211 MW | 360 MW | — | — |
| Grimes County | 34,252 | ▲ 13.9% | 1,301 MW | 210 MW | — | — |
| Harris County | 5,045,026 | ▲ 4.6% | 11,060 MW | 967 MW | 36 | — |
| Montgomery County | 781,194 | ▲ 22.4% | 1,548 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Washington County | 38,288 | ▲ 10.2% | — | 60 MW | — | — |
More of Texas
Waller County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Waller County, Texas?
5 utilities have service territory in Waller County in the EIA-861 2024 report: CenterPoint Energy, Entergy Texas Inc., Mid-South Electric Coop Assn, San Bernard Electric Coop, Inc.
What power plants are in Waller County?
1 operating plant with 480 MW of capacity. The largest is Parliament Solar (480 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Waller County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Waller County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Harris County.
Is Waller County adding jobs?
Employers counted 27,947 jobs in 2025 against 19,859 in 2019 (+40.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,341 to 1,838.
Does Waller County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Waller County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.