# Baytown, Texas electricity: CenterPoint wires and 51,848 competitive homes

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

**In short:** Every Baytown-addressed home in ERCOT's competitive data is on CenterPoint's wires (51,848 active residential meters, October 5, 2026). Addresses on CenterPoint's wires can choose a retail provider, and in Baytown that is nearly everyone our data can see.

## Moving to Baytown

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

- **Water and utility billing:** utility billing (start, transfer or stop water service), 281-420-6515.
- **Natural gas:** CenterPoint Energy: gas customer service (Houston area), 713-659-2111.
- **Public schools:** Goose Creek CISD.
- **Driver license:** Texas DPS Driver License Office: Baytown, 512-424-2600.

## Who delivers electricity in Baytown?
Every Baytown-addressed home in ERCOT's competitive data is on CenterPoint's wires (51,848 active residential meters, October 5, 2026).

## Can every address in Baytown choose?
None of the ZIP codes holding Baytown's 51,844 competitive homes is flagged split in our data, so most streets can shop; the table below still shows each ZIP's ratio.

## What is different about Baytown?
- Hurricane Beryl (July 2024) knocked out power to more than 2.6 million Texas customers; CenterPoint, the wires utility here, said it had restored more than 2 million by July 15, 2024. Restoration is the delivery utility's job, whichever retail provider you choose. (Source: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/07/25/texas-power-grid-puc-centerpoint-hurricane-beryl/, https://www.centerpointenergy.com/en-us/about-us/hurricane-response-updates)
- Census estimates put Baytown at 86,561 residents on July 1, 2025, up 1.2% from a 2020 estimates base of 85,547. (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals/sub-est2025_48.csv)
- ERCOT lists 51,848 competitive residential meters with a Baytown mailing address, about 1.67 per Census household in the city (30,964), because the Baytown postal area reaches beyond city limits. (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/)
- ERCOT's daily files added 68 new residential meters in Baytown's main ZIP codes between Oct. 7 and Oct. 18, 2026, 52 of them in 77521. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- Baytown-addressed business meters number 7,040 in ERCOT's Oct. 5 extract, one for every 7.4 homes. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- Renters make up 47.8% of households in 77520, the highest share among Baytown's main ZIP codes (ACS 2020-2024), so many Baytown addresses change hands, and electricity accounts, every year. (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)

## By the numbers
- Population (July 1, 2025 estimate): 86,561
- Population (2020 estimates base): 85,547
- Occupied households (ACS 2020-2024): 30,964
- Active residential meters with a Baytown address: 51,848
- Active business meters with a Baytown address: 7,040
- Residential meters per Census household: 1.67
- Delivery utilities (homes): CenterPoint 51,848
- Counties: Harris, Chambers
- ZIP codes touching Baytown: 3
- Split ZIP codes (flagged below): 0

## Plan prices (median ¢/kWh at 500 / 1,000 / 2,000 kWh)
- CenterPoint: 14 / 13.2 / 13; delivery 6.5333¢/kWh + $4.90/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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77521 | Baytown 100% | 35% | 27,233 | 24,321 | 1.12 | Near-full coverage. 52 new residential meters Oct 7-18, 2026. |
| 77523 | Baytown 75%, Mont Belvieu 25% | 7% | 14,226 | 10,443 | 1.36 | Near-full coverage. 15 new residential meters Oct 7-18, 2026. Mostly outside Baytown city limits. |
| 77520 | Baytown 100% | 66% | 13,957 | 12,753 | 1.09 | Near-full coverage.  |

## Business electricity in Baytown
7,040 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 I choose my electricity provider in Baytown?** For most addresses, yes: 51,848 homes with a Baytown mailing address are on the competitive market in ERCOT's October 5, 2026 data, against 30,964 Census households in the city. No ZIP code touching it is flagged split, but check your exact address.
**Which Baytown ZIP code has the most homes on the competitive market?** 77521. ERCOT lists 27,233 competitive residential meters there, 27,232 with a Baytown address, against about 24,321 Census households in the ZIP (ratio 1.12).
**Are electric bills high in Baytown?** It varies by ZIP code. In the Census survey (ACS 2020-2024), 45.4% of households in 77523 reported paying $250 or more a month for electricity, the highest share among Baytown's main ZIP codes, against 27.3% in 77521. Home size, age and heating type drive much of that, so compare plans at your own usage.
**Why are there more electric meters than households in Baytown?** ERCOT counts 51,848 competitive residential meters with a Baytown mailing address, about 1.67 for every Census household in the city (30,964). The Baytown postal area is bigger than the city, and new homes get a meter before the Census survey counts them. It does not mean every Baytown-area address can choose; check yours.
**Who do I call in Baytown when the power goes out?** CenterPoint, which delivers to all 51,848 Baytown-addressed homes in ERCOT's competitive data, not your retail provider. centerpointenergy.com/outage.

## 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/
- CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric: https://www.centerpointenergy.com/
- CenterPoint delivery tariff (effective October 1, 2026): https://ftp.puc.texas.gov/public/puct-info/industry/electric/rates/tdr/tdu/CenterPoint_Rate_Report.pdf
- Texas Tribune, July 25, 2024: CenterPoint and Hurricane Beryl: https://www.texastribune.org/2024/07/25/texas-power-grid-puc-centerpoint-hurricane-beryl/
- CenterPoint Energy: Hurricane Beryl restoration updates: https://www.centerpointenergy.com/en-us/about-us/hurricane-response-updates
- 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 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
- Census ACS 2020-2024 5-year, table B25003 (via Power Hopper's Oct 18, 2026 ZIP study): https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/

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