# Gainesville, Texas electricity: Oncor wires, 2 split ZIP codes 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 7,445 active residential meters with a Gainesville address, all on Oncor's wires (October 5, 2026). 2 of Gainesville's ZIP codes are split, so most addresses can shop, but yours needs a check.

## Moving to Gainesville

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

- **City hall (ask about water service):** City of Gainesville: City Hall (main line), 940-668-4500.
- **Natural gas:** Atmos Energy: customer service, 888-286-6700.
- **Public schools:** Gainesville ISD, Lindsay ISD.
- **Driver license:** Texas DPS Driver License Office: Gainesville, 512-424-2600.

## Who delivers electricity in Gainesville?
ERCOT counts 7,445 active residential meters with a Gainesville address, all on Oncor's wires (October 5, 2026).

## Can every address in Gainesville choose?
7,415 of 7,415 Gainesville-addressed competitive homes (100%) are in split ZIP codes (76240, 76241), where a neighbor may have a different utility.

## What is different about Gainesville?
- Population: 17,368 (2020 base) to 18,528 (July 2025), +6.7%, per Census Vintage 2025 estimates. The largest one-year change was +292 people, from July 2020 to July 2021. (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals/sub-est2025_48.csv)
- Oncor share: 0.2% of its 3,564,530 competitive residential meters carry a Gainesville address. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- From Oct. 7 to Oct. 18, 2026, 22 residential meters in Gainesville's main ZIP codes went from vacant to active in ERCOT's daily files, which usually means a move-in. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- Gainesville's main ZIP codes: 7,415 active and 455 de-energized residential meters (5.8% de-energized, usually empty or between tenants). (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- Nearly all Gainesville-addressed competitive homes (7,415) are in one ZIP code, 76240. ZIP-wide, ERCOT counts 7,415 competitive meters for 11,365 Census households, a 0.65 ratio. (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, Gainesville is number 1 of the 5 cities and towns touching Cooke County, ahead of Pilot Point (2,596). (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- In ZIP 76240, which holds 7,415 Gainesville-addressed homes, ERCOT counts only 0.65 competitive meters per Census household. EIA's 2024 data lists Cooke County Electric Cooperative Assn, Denton County Electric Cooperative, and Fannin County Electric Cooperative among others 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/)
- 32.6% of households in 76240 rent (ACS 2020-2024), the most among Gainesville's main ZIP codes, so a lot of Gainesville electricity accounts open and close with each lease. (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)
- In 76240, the ZIP holding most Gainesville homes, the ACS 2020-2024 survey finds a median household income of $71,502, 32.6% renters and 31.2% of households with $250+ monthly electric bills. (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)
- Of Gainesville's six nearest towns, Pilot Point has the most competitive homes (2,596, 20 mi away) and Whitesboro the fewest per household (0.01). (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): 18,528
- Population (2020 estimates base): 17,368
- Occupied households (ACS 2020-2024): 6,994
- Active residential meters with a Gainesville address: 7,445
- Active business meters with a Gainesville address: 1,915
- Residential meters per Census household: 1.06
- Delivery utilities (homes): Oncor 7,445
- Counties: Cooke
- ZIP codes touching Gainesville: 2
- Split ZIP codes (flagged below): 2

## 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 76240 | Gainesville 100% | 5% | 7,415 | 11,365 | 0.65 | Split. Most homes, not all. Mostly outside Gainesville city limits. |
| 76241 | — | 100% | 0 | n/a | n/a | Split. Not in ERCOT's competitive data. No competitive meters in ERCOT's data: served by a city-owned utility, co-op or non-ERCOT utility. |

## Business electricity in Gainesville
1,915 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 Gainesville deregulated for electricity?** Yes, where Oncor's wires reach the house, which in Gainesville is most of the city: 7,445 homes with a Gainesville mailing address were on the competitive market on October 5, 2026, 1.06 for each Census household. Split ZIP codes for Gainesville: 76240, 76241; on those, check the exact address.
**Which Gainesville ZIP code has the most homes on the competitive market?** 76240, with 7,415 competitive homes in ERCOT's data (7,415 addressed to Gainesville) against roughly 11,365 Census households, a 0.65 ratio.
**Can businesses in Gainesville choose an electricity provider?** Yes, where Oncor delivers: 1,915 Gainesville-addressed business meters are on the competitive market in ERCOT's data, and large accounts can also buy from commercial suppliers directly.
**I'm moving to Gainesville. How do I set up electricity?** Start with the address check: Oncor-delivered Gainesville homes choose among the plans offered there and set a start date. Turnover is real in 76240, where 11.6% moved in the past year (ACS); ERCOT logged 22 vacant-to-active meters in 76240 Oct. 7-18, 2026.
**Where do I report a Gainesville power outage?** Call Oncor (oncor.com/outages), the wires utility for Gainesville's 7,445 competitive homes; a retail provider can't fix lines.

## 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
- 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/
- 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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