Lamar County, Alabama: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Vernon and Sulligent
Lamar 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. Lamar County is home to Vernon, Sulligent and Millport. Next door, Lowndes County, Mississippi, has 1 data center and 504 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 3,345 jobs in 2025, down 3.7% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 23, at an average $61,997 a year. Alabama Power Co is the largest utility serving Lamar 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.
Cities and towns in Lamar County
Lamar County is home to Vernon, Sulligent and Millport.
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 Lamar County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Alabama |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 13,946 | 13,587 | ▼ 2.6% | 57th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,472 | 3,345 | ▼ 3.7% | 59th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,177 | $52,592 | ▲ 27.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 73 | 72 | ▼ 1.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 3.6% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. 13,587 people live here, down 2.6% since 2020.
Who powers Lamar County
Utilities with service territory in Lamar 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% |
| Tombigbee Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in Lamar County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Lamar County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,345 | $52,592 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 72 | $49,649 | 0.41 |
| Electrical contractors | 23 | $61,997 | 0.95 |
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 Lamar County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lamar County. Alabama has 18 local measures on record statewide.
Lamar County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Lamar County, Lowndes 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lamar County | 13,587 | ▼ 3.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Fayette County | 15,872 | ▼ 1.4% | — | 10 MW | — | — |
| Lowndes County MS | 57,346 | ▲ 2.7% | 1,380 MW | 504 MW | 1 | — |
| Marion County | 29,097 | ▼ 0.2% | — | 4 MW | — | — |
| Monroe County MS | 33,318 | ▼ 6.7% | — | 160 MW | — | — |
| Pickens County | 18,221 | ▼ 1.7% | — | — | — | — |
More of Alabama
Lamar County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lamar County, Alabama?
2 utilities have service territory in Lamar County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Alabama Power Co, Tombigbee Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Alabama Power Co, charged residential customers 16.77¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Lamar County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lamar County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Lowndes County.
Is Lamar County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,345 jobs in 2025 against 3,472 in 2019 (-3.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 73 to 72.
Does Lamar County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lamar County. Alabama has 18 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.