# La Porte, Texas electricity: CenterPoint wires and 16,000 competitive homes

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

**In short:** ERCOT counts 16,000 active residential meters with a La Porte address, all on CenterPoint's wires (October 5, 2026). Nearly every La Porte address in our data is on CenterPoint's wires and can pick a retail provider.

## Moving to La Porte

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

- **Water and utility billing:** utility billing (start, transfer or stop water service), 281-470-1403.
- **Natural gas:** CenterPoint Energy: gas customer service (Houston area), 713-659-2111.
- **Public schools:** La Porte ISD.
- **Driver license:** Texas DPS Driver License Office: Baytown, 512-424-2600.

## Who delivers electricity in La Porte?
ERCOT counts 16,000 active residential meters with a La Porte address, all on CenterPoint's wires (October 5, 2026).

## Can every address in La Porte choose?
None of the ZIP codes holding La Porte's 16,000 competitive homes is flagged split, so most La Porte streets can shop.

## What is different about La Porte?
- La Porte counted about 37,983 residents in the Census Bureau's 2025 estimate, against 35,129 in the 2020 base, a change of +8.1%. The largest one-year change was +751 people, from July 2020 to July 2021. (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/datasets/2020-2025/cities/totals/sub-est2025_48.csv)
- CenterPoint share: 0.6% of its 2,585,110 competitive residential meters carry a La Porte address. (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- From Oct. 7 to Oct. 18, 2026, 20 residential meters in La Porte'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)
- 342 of the 16,343 home meters in La Porte's main ZIP codes (2.1%) 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)
- Nearly all La Porte-addressed competitive homes (16,000) are in one ZIP code, 77571. ZIP-wide, ERCOT counts 16,001 competitive meters for 14,028 Census households, a 1.14 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/)
- Harris County context: La Porte ranks 11 of 22 touching cities and towns for postal-city competitive homes, just behind Friendswood (20,428). (Source: https://www.ercot.com/misapp/GetReports.do?reportTypeId=203)
- In 77571, the ZIP holding most La Porte homes, the ACS 2020-2024 survey finds a median household income of $81,850, 27.9% renters and 36.9% of households with $250+ monthly electric bills. (Source: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/acs/summary_file/2024/table-based-SF/data/5YRData/)
- Of La Porte's six nearest towns, Baytown has the most competitive homes (51,848, 8 mi away) and Pasadena the fewest per household (0.98). (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): 37,983
- Population (2020 estimates base): 35,129
- Occupied households (ACS 2020-2024): 13,329
- Active residential meters with a La Porte address: 16,000
- Active business meters with a La Porte address: 2,540
- Residential meters per Census household: 1.2
- Delivery utilities (homes): CenterPoint 16,000
- Counties: Harris
- ZIP codes touching La Porte: 1
- 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 77571 | La Porte 100% | 50% | 16,001 | 14,028 | 1.14 | Near-full coverage.  |

## Business electricity in La Porte
2,540 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
**Does La Porte have electricity choice?** Yes, where CenterPoint's wires reach the house, which in La Porte is most of the city: 16,000 homes with a La Porte mailing address were on the competitive market on October 5, 2026, 1.2 for each Census household. None of La Porte's ZIP codes is flagged split, though an address check is still the only sure answer.
**What is the biggest La Porte ZIP code for electricity customers?** 77571, with 16,001 competitive homes in ERCOT's data (16,000 addressed to La Porte) against roughly 14,028 Census households, a 1.14 ratio.
**How many businesses in La Porte are on the competitive electricity market?** Yes, where CenterPoint delivers: 2,540 La Porte-addressed business meters are on the competitive market in ERCOT's data, and large accounts can also buy from commercial suppliers directly.
**How do I start electric service at a new La Porte address?** Confirm the address is on CenterPoint's wires, then pick a plan and a start date. In 77571, 11.1% of residents moved in the past year (ACS); 20 77571 meters went vacant-to-active Oct. 7-18, 2026.
**Who do I call in La Porte when the power goes out?** CenterPoint, at centerpointenergy.com/outage: it carries power to all 16,000 La Porte-addressed competitive homes, whatever retail provider bills them.

## 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
- 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
- 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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