# Alton, Texas electricity: only part of town can choose a provider

_Updated October 19, 2026. Data: ERCOT Oct 5, 2026; Power to Choose Oct 19, 2026, 7:59 AM CT._

**In short:** ERCOT counts 2,317 active residential meters with an Alton address, all on AEP Texas Central's wires (October 5, 2026). Only part of Alton is on the competitive market; the Census counts about 5,349 households in the city. Many of the rest likely get power from an electric co-op or another utility without retail choice, so check your exact address.

## Moving to Alton

Local numbers for setting up a home in Alton, each checked on the official source. More contacts: https://powerhopper.energy/texas-electricity/alton/move-in-information

- **City hall (ask about water service):** City of Alton: City Hall (main line), 956-432-0760.
- **Natural gas:** Texas Gas Service: customer service, 800-700-2443.
- **Public schools:** Mission CISD, Sharyland ISD, La Joya ISD.
- **Driver license:** Texas DPS Driver License Office: Mission, 512-424-2600.

## Who delivers electricity in Alton?
ERCOT counts 2,317 active residential meters with an Alton address, all on AEP Texas Central's wires (October 5, 2026).

## Can every address in Alton choose?
1,836 of 2,296 Alton-addressed competitive homes (80%) are in split ZIP codes (78573, 78574), where a neighbor may have a different utility.

## What is different about Alton?
- Population: 18,223 (2020 base) to 24,138 (July 2025), +32.5%, per Census Vintage 2025 estimates. The largest one-year change was +1,679 people, from July 2023 to July 2024. (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals/sub-est2025_48.csv)
- Only 2,317 competitive residential meters carry an Alton mailing address, against 5,349 Census households in the city, a ratio of 0.43: some homes use other postal cities, and some likely have no retail choice. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)
- Of the 810,296 homes AEP Texas Central serves on the competitive market, 0.3% have an Alton mailing address. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- New construction shows up in the meter data: 27 residential meters were added in Alton's main ZIP codes from Oct. 7 to Oct. 18, 2026, including 15 in 78572, and 99 more switched from vacant to active. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- 5,967 of the 46,848 home meters in Alton's main ZIP codes (12.7%) were de-energized on October 5, 2026, typically a vacant unit awaiting its next account. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- ZIP 78573 holds 1,809 of the 2,296 competitive homes with an Alton address (79%); across the whole ZIP there are 0.39 competitive meters per Census household. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)
- By competitive homes on its postal city, Alton is number 13 of the 22 cities and towns touching Hidalgo County, just behind Penitas (4,058). (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- In ZIP 78573, which holds 1,809 Alton-addressed homes, ERCOT counts only 0.39 competitive meters per Census household. EIA's 2024 data lists Magic Valley Electric Cooperative and San Patricio Electric Cooperative in the counties ERCOT and the Census link to that ZIP; their customers are not on the competitive market unless the utility opted in. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/, https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia861/)
- 34.0% of households in 78573 rent (ACS 2020-2024), the most among Alton's main ZIP codes, so a lot of Alton electricity accounts open and close with each lease. (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)
- Median household income across Alton's main ZIP codes runs from $54,298 in 78572 to $55,000 in 78573 (ACS 2020-2024); 25.4% of 78573 households and 30.1% of 78572 households report $250+ monthly electric bills. (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)

## By the numbers
- Population (July 1, 2025 estimate): 24,138
- Population (2020 estimates base): 18,223
- Occupied households (ACS 2020-2024): 5,349
- Active residential meters with an Alton address: 2,317
- Active business meters with an Alton address: 410
- Residential meters per Census household: 0.43
- Delivery utilities (homes): AEP Texas Central 2,317
- Counties: Hidalgo
- ZIP codes touching Alton: 3
- Split ZIP codes (flagged below): 2

## Plan prices (median ¢/kWh at 500 / 1,000 / 2,000 kWh)
- AEP Texas Central: 12.7 / 12.1 / 12; delivery 5.6898¢/kWh + $3.24/mo

## ZIP codes
**Not every address in these ZIP codes has retail choice; check your exact address.**

| ZIP | Postal cities | Land in city | Competitive homes | Households | Ratio | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78572 | Mission 83%, Palmview 10%, Moore Field 4% | 0% | 35,943 | 26,723 | 1.35 | Near-full coverage. 15 new residential meters Oct 7-18, 2026. Mostly outside Alton city limits. |
| 78574 | Mission 90%, Palmview 8%, Moore Field 2% | 0% | 11,668 | 17,078 | 0.68 | Split. Most homes, not all. 10 new residential meters Oct 7-18, 2026. Mostly outside Alton city limits. |
| 78573 | Mission 55%, Alton 37%, Palmhurst 6% | 20% | 4,938 | 12,720 | 0.39 | Split. Partial coverage. 12 new residential meters Oct 7-18, 2026. |

## Business electricity in Alton
410 active business meters. Power Hopper compares offers from retail electric providers and direct suppliers; for high-consumption businesses we can run a competitive bid. No savings or bidder count is promised. Businesses in Texas retail-choice areas can request a rate review online.

## Questions
**Is Alton deregulated for electricity?** Some can: 2,317 Alton-addressed homes are on the competitive market, against about 5,349 city households. Many others likely belong to an electric co-op and can't choose. Split ZIP codes for Alton: 78573, 78574; on those, check the exact address.
**Which Alton ZIP code has the most homes on the competitive market?** ZIP 78573: 1,809 of its 4,938 competitive residential meters use an Alton address, and the ZIP has about 12,720 Census households (ratio 0.39).
**How many Alton households have a $250 electric bill?** Bills vary across Alton. 30.1% of households in 78572 told the Census survey (ACS 2020-2024) they pay $250 or more a month for electricity, compared with 25.4% in 78573. Bigger, older or all-electric homes push that share up, so compare plans at your own usage.
**How do I start electric service at a new Alton address?** 12.3% of 78573 residents moved within a year (ACS), and 87 78572 meters turned from vacant to active Oct. 7-18, 2026. Check that your Alton address is on AEP Texas Central's wires, then choose a plan and start date.
**Why does my Alton home have a Mission address?** Because ZIP 78573 is mostly addressed to Mission: 55% of its 4,938 competitive residential meters use that postal city, and 37% use Alton. Mailing city isn't city limits; the service address decides the utility.
**Where do I report a Alton power outage?** AEP Texas Central, at aeptexas.com/outages: it carries power to all 2,317 Alton-addressed competitive homes, whatever retail provider bills them. Co-op members report outages to their co-op.

## Sources
- ERCOT TDSP ESIID Extract (report 203): full extract as of Oct 5, 2026; daily files Oct 7-18, 2026: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203
- Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates (B25003 households, B01003 population): https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/
- Census Vintage 2025 city and town population estimates: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals/sub-est2025_48.csv
- Census 2020 ZCTA-to-place and ZCTA-to-county relationship files: https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/rel2020/zcta520/
- EIA-861 (2024) utility service territories by county: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia861/
- PUCT Power to Choose residential offer export, Oct 19, 2026, 7:59 AM CT: https://www.powertochoose.org/en-us/Plan/ExportToCsv
- PUCT: Choosing an Electric Plan: https://www.puc.texas.gov/consumer-help/electricity/electric-plan/
- PUCT broker directory (BR260201): https://www.puc.texas.gov/industry/electric/directories/brk/alpha_brk/
- AEP Texas (Central Division): https://www.aeptexas.com/
- AEP Texas Central delivery tariff (effective September 29, 2026): https://www.aeptexas.com/lib/docs/ratesandtariffs/Texas/AEP_TEXAS_TARIFF_Eff_Sept_29_2026v1.pdf
- Census Bureau Vintage 2025 city and town population estimates: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals/sub-est2025_48.csv
- ERCOT TDSP ESIID Extract (report 203), Oct 5, 2026: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203
- Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B25003: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/
- ERCOT TDSP ESIID Extract (report 203), Oct 5, 2026: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203
- ERCOT daily TDSP ESIID Extract files, Oct 7-18, 2026, via Power Hopper's Oct 18 ZIP study: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203
- ERCOT TDSP ESIID Extract (report 203), Oct 5, 2026: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203
- ERCOT TDSP ESIID Extract (report 203), Oct 5, 2026: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203
- Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B25003: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/
- ERCOT TDSP ESIID Extract (report 203), Oct 5, 2026: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203
- ERCOT TDSP ESIID Extract (report 203), Oct 5, 2026: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203
- Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B25003: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/
- EIA-861 (2024) utility service territories by county: https://www.eia.gov/electricity/data/eia861/
- Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B25003: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/
- Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B25003: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/

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