Choctaw County, Alabama: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Butler
Choctaw County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Electrical contractors employ 139, up 595.0% since 2019 against up 28.7% statewide, at an average $86,645 a year. Choctaw County is home to Butler and Gilbertown. Next door, Washington County has 438 MW of planned generation. 31 MW has retired here since 2019, including Georgia-Pacific Consr Prods LP-Naheola (other technologies, 31 MW, 2019). Employers here counted 3,364 jobs in 2025, down 7.9% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Choctaw County
Choctaw County is home to Butler and Gilbertown.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Cullomburg.
Residents are 2025 Census estimates for the part of each city, town or township inside this county. Census publishes no annual estimate for unincorporated communities.
What changed in Choctaw County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Alabama |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 12,623 | 11,904 | ▼ 5.7% | 59th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,653 | 3,364 | ▼ 7.9% | 64th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,081 | $63,339 | ▲ 21.6% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 20 | 139 | ▲ 595.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.9% | 5.0% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 40 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 31 MW | — |
40 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly other technologies. Its power plants have 88 MW of capacity, 100% of it other technologies. Alabama Power Co is the largest utility serving Choctaw County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.77¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.24¢ median for Alabama utilities. 11,904 people live here, down 5.7% since 2020. Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 4.9% in 2019.
Who powers Choctaw County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +9 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Choctaw County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,332,911 | 16.77¢ | 26% |
| Black Warrior Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,053 | 13.24¢ | 27% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
Operating power plants 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 88 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia-Pacific Consr Prods LP-Naheola | Georgia-Pacific Consr Prods LP-Naheola | Other technologies | 88 MW | 1993 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia-Pacific Consr Prods LP-Naheola | Other technologies | 31 MW | 2019 |
The Choctaw County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,364 | $63,339 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 139 | $86,645 | 5.73 |
Concentration is the BLS location quotient: 1.0 means the industry holds the same share of local jobs as it does nationally. Industry rows count private employers; cells BLS suppresses are left out.
Data centers and local rules in Choctaw County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Choctaw County. Alabama has 18 local measures on record statewide.
Choctaw County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Choctaw County, Washington County carries the most build-out activity: data centers, planned generation and operating plants combined.
| County | Population | Jobs since 2019 | Operating MW | Planned MW | Data centers | Local measures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Choctaw County | 11,904 | ▼ 7.9% | 88 MW | — | — | — |
| Clarke County | 22,014 | ▼ 3.3% | 204 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Clarke County MS | 15,102 | ▼ 3.9% | 78 MW | — | — | — |
| Lauderdale County MS | 70,317 | ▼ 6.3% | 108 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Marengo County | 18,311 | ▲ 0.9% | 47 MW | — | — | — |
| Sumter County | 11,588 | ▼ 2.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 14,822 | ▲ 49.0% | 1,531 MW | 438 MW | — | — |
| Wayne County MS | 19,807 | ▼ 2.1% | — | — | — | — |
More of Alabama
Choctaw County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Choctaw County, Alabama?
2 utilities have service territory in Choctaw County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Alabama Power Co, Black Warrior Elec Member Corp. The largest, Alabama Power Co, charged residential customers 16.77¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Choctaw County?
1 operating plant with 88 MW of capacity. The largest is Georgia-Pacific Consr Prods LP-Naheola (88 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Choctaw County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Choctaw County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Washington County.
Is Choctaw County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,364 jobs in 2025 against 3,653 in 2019 (-7.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Choctaw County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Choctaw County. Alabama has 18 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.