Dale County, Alabama: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ozark, Daleville and Midland City
Dale 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. Dale County is home to Ozark, Daleville, Midland City and Level Plains. Construction employs 683, up 37.4% since 2019. Next door, Houston County has 1 data center. Employers here counted 18,014 jobs in 2025, up 4.6% from 2019. Its power plants have 11 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar.
Cities and towns in Dale County
Dale County is home to Ozark, Daleville, Midland City and Level Plains.
- Dothan also extends into Houston County.
- Enterprise also extends into Coffee County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Fort Rucker.
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 Dale County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Alabama |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 49,266 | 49,912 | ▲ 1.3% | 28th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,230 | 18,014 | ▲ 4.6% | 25th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $54,186 | $67,154 | ▲ 23.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 497 | 683 | ▲ 37.4% | 10th of 41 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 4.0% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Alabama Power Co is the largest utility serving Dale County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.77¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.24¢ median for Alabama utilities. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. 49,912 people live here, up 1.3% since 2020.
Who powers Dale County
Utilities with service territory in Dale 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% |
| City of Dothan - (AL) | Municipal | Bundled | 26,752 | 10.72¢ | 43% |
| Covington Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 23,281 | 16.65¢ | 16% |
| Wiregrass Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 22,401 | 15.45¢ | 20% |
| South Alabama Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 16,801 | 15.44¢ | 12% |
| Pea River Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 14,922 | 16.77¢ | 30% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 11 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Rucker Solar Array | Alabama Power Co | Solar | 11 MW | 2017 |
The Dale County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 18,014 | $67,154 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 683 | $66,908 | 0.72 |
| Data processing and hosting | 10 | $168,130 | 0.18 |
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 Dale County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Dale County. Alabama has 18 local measures on record statewide.
Dale County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Dale County, Houston 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dale County | 49,912 | ▲ 4.6% | 11 MW | — | — | — |
| Barbour County | 24,607 | ▼ 6.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Coffee County | 56,953 | ▲ 7.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Geneva County | 27,554 | ▲ 9.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Henry County | 18,394 | ▲ 10.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Houston County | 110,318 | ▲ 4.6% | 1,785 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Pike County | 33,688 | ▲ 8.0% | — | — | — | — |
More of Alabama
Dale County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dale County, Alabama?
6 utilities have service territory in Dale County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Alabama Power Co, City of Dothan - (AL), Covington Electric Coop, Inc, Wiregrass Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Alabama Power Co, charged residential customers 16.77¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Ozark, AL in?
Ozark is in Dale County, Alabama. About 14,269 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Dale County?
1 operating plant with 11 MW of capacity. The largest is Fort Rucker Solar Array (11 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Dale County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Dale County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Houston County.
Is Dale County adding jobs?
Employers counted 18,014 jobs in 2025 against 17,230 in 2019 (+4.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 497 to 683.
Does Dale County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Dale County. Alabama has 18 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.