# Alvarado, Texas electricity: Oncor wires, 1 split ZIP code to check

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

**In short:** ERCOT counts 3,050 active residential meters with an Alvarado address, all on Oncor's wires (October 5, 2026). Many Alvarado addresses can choose a retail provider, but not all: the ZIP codes covering Alvarado's city limits average about 0.44 competitive meters per Census household, which fits co-op or other non-choice service on some streets. Check your exact address.

## Moving to Alvarado

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

- **City hall (ask about water service):** City of Alvarado: City Hall (main line), 817-790-3351.
- **Natural gas:** Atmos Energy: customer service, 888-286-6700.
- **Public schools:** Alvarado ISD.
- **Driver license:** Texas DPS Driver License Office: Cleburne, 512-424-2600.

## Who delivers electricity in Alvarado?
ERCOT counts 3,050 active residential meters with an Alvarado address, all on Oncor's wires (October 5, 2026).

## Can every address in Alvarado choose?
Split ZIP codes holding Alvarado homes: 76009. They carry 3,050 of the 3,050 competitive homes with an Alvarado address (100%); on those streets a neighbor's utility can differ from yours.

## What is different about Alvarado?
- Population: 5,341 (2020 base) to 7,539 (July 2025), +41.2%, per Census Vintage 2025 estimates. The largest one-year change was +637 people, from July 2021 to July 2022. July 1 estimates in between: 5,737 (2021), 6,374 (2022), 6,700 (2023), 7,324 (2024). (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals/sub-est2025_48.csv)
- Alvarado covers 6.8 square miles of land and 0.7 square miles of water (Census 2025 Gazetteer). That works out to about 1,113 residents and 268 occupied households per square mile of land, with roughly 4.1 residents for every Alvarado household. (Source: https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals/sub-est2025_48.csv, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)
- The Alvarado mailing area is bigger than the city: ERCOT lists 3,050 competitive homes under the Alvarado postal city, 1.68 for each of the city's 1,817 Census households. Because Alvarado has grown 41 percent since the 2020 base, the ACS 2020-2024 household figure likely runs behind today's count. (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/)
- Oncor delivers to 3,564,530 competitive homes in all; the 3,050 with an Alvarado address are 0.09 percent of them, roughly one in 1,169. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- Meter additions, Oct. 7-18, 2026 (ERCOT daily files): 16 across Alvarado's core ZIP codes, led by 76009 at 16; vacant-to-active switches over those days: 18. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- On October 5, 2026, ERCOT showed 326 home meters switched off (de-energized) in the ZIP codes most Alvarado homes use, against 3,050 switched on; that 9.7 percent is mostly vacant houses and apartments between occupants. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- One ZIP code, 76009, holds almost every Alvarado-addressed competitive home (3,050). Taken whole, 76009 has 0.44 competitive meters per Census household: 3,050 meters, 6,948 households. (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/)
- Alvarado is 7 of 13 on a Johnson County list of cities and towns ranked by postal-city competitive homes; the next one up is Venus, at 3,162. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- By the Census Bureau's 2025 estimates, Alvarado is the number 8 city or town by population among the 16 that reach into Johnson County, one place ahead of Keene (7,109 residents). (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals/sub-est2025_48.csv)
- Coverage gap: 76009, home to 3,050 Alvarado-addressed meters, has 0.44 ERCOT meters for each household the Census counts there. That fits co-op service: EIA's 2024 lists for the counties tied to the ZIP include 2 co-ops, such as the United Electric Cooperative Service and HILCO co-ops. Co-op homes stay off the competitive market unless their co-op opts 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/)
- Electric bills over $250 a month: 42.5 percent of households in 76009, Alvarado's main ZIP code, per the ACS 2020-2024; the same survey puts median household income there at $79,755 and the renter share at 22.4 percent. (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)
- Neighbors differ: Mansfield, about 12 miles away, has 30,415 competitive homes on its postal city, while Joshua manages 0.75 per 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 the numbers
- Population (July 1, 2025 estimate): 7,539
- Population (2020 estimates base): 5,341
- Occupied households (ACS 2020-2024): 1,817
- Active residential meters with an Alvarado address: 3,050
- Active business meters with an Alvarado address: 657
- Residential meters per Census household: 1.68
- Delivery utilities (homes): Oncor 3,050
- Counties: Johnson
- ZIP codes touching Alvarado: 1
- Split ZIP codes (flagged below): 1

## Plan prices (median ¢/kWh at 500 / 1,000 / 2,000 kWh)
- Oncor: 14.1 / 13.4 / 13.2; delivery 6.8673¢/kWh + $4.06/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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76009 | Alvarado 100% | 4% | 3,050 | 6,948 | 0.44 | Split. Partial coverage. 16 new residential meters Oct 7-18, 2026. Mostly outside Alvarado city limits. |

## Business electricity in Alvarado
657 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
**Can Alvarado residents pick their own electric company?** For many addresses, if Oncor delivers there: 3,050 Alvarado-addressed homes are on the competitive market, yet ZIP codes inside Alvarado show fewer competitive meters than households, which points to co-op service on some streets. Addresses in 76009 (split) need an exact-address check before you shop.
**Which Alvarado ZIP code has the most homes on the competitive market?** 76009. It holds 3,050 Alvarado-addressed competitive homes; counting every address in the ZIP, ERCOT has 3,050 meters for roughly 6,948 households, a 0.44 ratio.
**How much is electricity in Alvarado right now?** On October 19, 2026, the median fixed-rate Power to Choose listing on Oncor's wires was 13.4¢ per kWh at 1,000 kWh a month (170 listings); Oncor's delivery charge of 6.8673¢ per kWh plus $4.06 a month is included. A median is not a quote.
**How do I start electric service at a new Alvarado address?** Confirm the address is on Oncor's wires, then pick a plan and a start date. In 76009, 10.1% of residents moved in the past year (ACS); 18 meters in 76009 went vacant-to-active Oct. 7-18, 2026.
**Why are there more electric meters than households in Alvarado?** 3,050 Alvarado-addressed meters against 1,817 city households is 1.68 per household: the Alvarado postal area extends past city limits, and new homes get meters before the Census counts them. It doesn't mean every nearby address can choose.
**Who restores power in Alvarado after an outage?** Oncor, at oncor.com/outages: it carries power to all 3,050 Alvarado-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/
- Oncor Electric Delivery: https://www.oncor.com/
- Oncor delivery tariff (effective October 4, 2026): https://interchange.puc.texas.gov/Documents/59249_105_1676040.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
- Census Bureau 2025 Gazetteer Files, Texas places (land and water area): https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html
- 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
- 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
- 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
- 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/
- 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/
- 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/

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