DeKalb County, Alabama: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Fort Payne, Rainsville and Henagar
DeKalb County supplies the labor the power build-out runs on. Electrical contractors employ 179, up 289.1% since 2019 against up 28.7% statewide, at an average $53,281 a year. DeKalb County is home to Fort Payne, Rainsville, Henagar and Collinsville. Construction employs 779, up 29.2% since 2019. Next door, Jackson County has 2 data centers and 200 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 23,861 jobs in 2025, up 6.6% from 2019.
Cities and towns in DeKalb County
DeKalb County is home to Fort Payne, Rainsville, Henagar and Collinsville.
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 DeKalb County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Alabama |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 71,662 | 74,085 | ▲ 3.4% | 20th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 22,382 | 23,861 | ▲ 6.6% | 21st of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,230 | $52,324 | ▲ 36.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 603 | 779 | ▲ 29.2% | 15th of 41 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 46 | 179 | ▲ 289.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 3.2% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 5 MW of capacity, 100% of it other technologies. Sand Mountain Electric Coop is the largest utility serving DeKalb County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.55¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.24¢ median for Alabama utilities. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. 74,085 people live here, up 3.4% since 2020.
Who powers DeKalb County
Utilities with service territory in DeKalb County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sand Mountain Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 27,298 | 12.55¢ | 28% |
| Cherokee Electric Coop - (AL) | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,830 | 15.06¢ | 30% |
| Marshall-De Kalb Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 17,318 | 12.49¢ | 38% |
| Fort Payne Improvement Authority | Municipal | Bundled | 6,922 | 12.14¢ | 43% |
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 | 5 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sand Valley Power Station | Energy Developments, Inc d/b/a EDL | Other technologies | 5 MW | 2013 |
The DeKalb County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 23,861 | $52,324 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 779 | $66,251 | 0.62 |
| Electrical contractors | 179 | $53,281 | 1.04 |
| Data processing and hosting | 4 | $79,452 | 0.05 |
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 DeKalb County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in DeKalb County. Alabama has 18 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Walker County.
DeKalb County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border DeKalb County, Jackson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeKalb County | 74,085 | ▲ 6.6% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Chattooga County GA | 25,300 | ▼ 14.7% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Cherokee County | 26,413 | ▲ 4.4% | 88 MW | — | — | — |
| Dade County GA | 16,154 | ▲ 18.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Etowah County | 103,886 | ▼ 7.1% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Jackson County | 54,281 | ▼ 3.1% | 14 MW | 200 MW | 2 | — |
| Marshall County | 103,537 | ▲ 7.9% | 119 MW | — | — | — |
| Walker County GA | 70,250 | ▲ 12.2% | — | — | — | 1 |
More of Alabama
DeKalb County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in DeKalb County, Alabama?
4 utilities have service territory in DeKalb County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Sand Mountain Electric Coop, Cherokee Electric Coop - (AL), Marshall-De Kalb Electric Coop, Fort Payne Improvement Authority. The largest, Sand Mountain Electric Coop, charged residential customers 12.55¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Fort Payne, AL in?
Fort Payne is in DeKalb County, Alabama. About 15,189 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in DeKalb County?
1 operating plant with 5 MW of capacity. The largest is Sand Valley Power Station (5 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in DeKalb County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in DeKalb County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Jackson County.
Is DeKalb County adding jobs?
Employers counted 23,861 jobs in 2025 against 22,382 in 2019 (+6.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 603 to 779.
Does DeKalb County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for DeKalb County. Alabama has 18 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.