Wichita County, Texas: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Wichita Falls, Burkburnett and Iowa Park
Wichita County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Wichita County. Wichita County is home to Wichita Falls, Burkburnett, Iowa Park and Electra. 606 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Wichita Solar I, LLC (solar). Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. Construction employs 1,817, up 5.6% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Wichita County
Wichita County is home to Wichita Falls, Burkburnett, Iowa Park and Electra.
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 Wichita County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Texas |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 129,611 | 129,555 | ● 0.0% | 37th of 254 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 54,816 | 52,785 | ▼ 3.7% | 190th of 254 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,493 | $54,074 | ▲ 30.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,721 | 1,817 | ▲ 5.6% | 105th of 155 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 300 | 311 | ▲ 3.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 4.2% | ▲ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 606 MW | 704% of today's fleet | 42nd of 149 by size |
Owners plan to retire 2 MW more by 2035, led by Works 4 in 2029. 1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Electrical contractors employ 311, up 3.7% since 2019 against up 24.0% statewide, at an average $60,451 a year. Employers here counted 52,785 jobs in 2025, down 3.7% from 2019. Its power plants have 86 MW of capacity, 94% of it natural gas. Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC is the largest utility serving Wichita County, one of 4 with territory here. It delivers power that customers buy from competing retail providers. 129,555 people live here, down 0.0% since 2020.
Who powers Wichita County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Wichita 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 | — | — |
| AEP Texas North Company | — | Delivery only (retail choice) | 157,455 | — | — |
| City of Electra - (TX) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Southwest Rural Elec Assn Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 81 MW | 94% |
| Petroleum | 5 MW | 6% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Signal Hill Generating LLC | Signal Hill Generating LLC | Natural gas | 80 MW | 1987 |
| Works 4 | Vitro Architectural Glass | Petroleum | 5 MW | 1974 |
| WAL414 | Walmart Stores Texas, LLC | Natural gas | 1 MW | 2021 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short Creek Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 606 MW | Approvals pending | 2028 | Wichita Solar I, LLC |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Works 4 | Petroleum | 2 MW | 2029 |
The Wichita County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 52,785 | $54,074 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,817 | $60,314 | 0.65 |
| Electrical contractors | 311 | $60,451 | 0.82 |
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 Wichita County
3 data centers in Wichita County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Wichita County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Wichita County, Wilbarger 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wichita County | 129,555 | ▼ 3.7% | 86 MW | 606 MW | 3 | — |
| Archer County | 9,129 | ▲ 8.5% | 229 MW | 600 MW | — | — |
| Baylor County | 3,472 | ▲ 12.4% | 381 MW | — | — | — |
| Clay County | 10,764 | ▲ 13.2% | 204 MW | 450 MW | — | — |
| Cotton County OK | 5,432 | ▲ 17.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Tillman County OK | 6,780 | ▼ 14.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Wilbarger County | 12,481 | ▲ 2.4% | 1,195 MW | 373 MW | 1 | — |
More of Texas
Wichita County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wichita County, Texas?
4 utilities have service territory in Wichita County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Oncor Electric Delivery Company LLC, AEP Texas North Company, City of Electra - (TX), Southwest Rural Elec Assn Inc.
What county is Wichita Falls, TX in?
Wichita Falls is in Wichita County, Texas. About 101,949 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Burkburnett, TX in?
Burkburnett is in Wichita County, Texas. About 11,057 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Wichita County?
3 operating plants with 86 MW of capacity. The largest is Signal Hill Generating LLC (80 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Wichita County?
606 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Wichita Solar I, LLC.
Are there data centers in Wichita County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Wichita County.
Is Wichita County adding jobs?
Employers counted 52,785 jobs in 2025 against 54,816 in 2019 (-3.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,721 to 1,817.
Does Wichita County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Wichita County. Texas has 25 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.