Limestone County, Alabama: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Athens, Madison and Huntsville
Limestone County hosts some of the generating capacity Alabama runs on. Employers here counted 34,737 jobs in 2025, up 42.6% from 2019 (the 2nd fastest growth of 67 Alabama counties). Limestone County is home to Athens, part of Madison (14,447 of its 67,968 residents), part of Huntsville (5,206 of its 233,627 residents) and Ardmore. Its power plants have 3,869 MW of capacity, 100% of it nuclear, the 2nd largest fleet in Alabama. Construction employs 2,848, up 22.3% since 2019, and construction is 1.6 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Next door, Madison County has 10 data centers.
Cities and towns in Limestone County
Limestone County is home to Athens, part of Madison (14,447 of its 67,968 residents), part of Huntsville (5,206 of its 233,627 residents) and Ardmore.
- Madison also extends into Madison County.
- Huntsville also extends into Madison County.
- Decatur also extends into Morgan County.
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 Limestone County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Alabama |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 104,193 | 122,928 | ▲ 18.0% | 10th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 24,368 | 34,737 | ▲ 42.6% | 2nd of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $49,587 | $64,128 | ▲ 29.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,328 | 2,848 | ▲ 22.3% | 19th of 41 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 2.9% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
122,928 people live here, up 18.0% since 2020, 10th of 67 Alabama counties by population. Electrical contractors employ 121, at an average $49,112 a year. City of Athens - (AL) is the largest utility serving Limestone County. Its residential customers paid an average 12.24¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.24¢ median for Alabama utilities. Unemployment was 2.9% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019.
Who powers Limestone County
Utilities with service territory in Limestone County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Athens - (AL) | Municipal | Bundled | 50,985 | 12.24¢ | 26% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 3,854 MW | 100% |
| Solar | 15 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Browns Ferry | Tennessee Valley Authority | Nuclear | 3,854 MW | 1974 |
| Cumblerland Land Holdings, LLC | Cumberland Land Holdings, LLC | Solar | 15 MW | 2018 |
The Limestone County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 34,737 | $64,128 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,848 | $78,112 | 1.55 |
| Electrical contractors | 121 | $49,112 | 0.48 |
| Data processing and hosting | 6 | $125,747 | 0.06 |
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 Limestone County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Limestone County. Alabama has 18 local measures on record statewide.
Limestone County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Limestone County, Madison 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Limestone County | 122,928 | ▲ 42.6% | 3,869 MW | — | — | — |
| Giles County TN | 31,433 | ▼ 4.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Lauderdale County | 97,135 | ▲ 4.3% | 742 MW | — | — | — |
| Lawrence County | 33,843 | ▲ 10.3% | 404 MW | 393 MW | — | — |
| Lincoln County TN | 36,853 | ▼ 2.3% | 150 MW | — | — | — |
| Madison County | 433,516 | ▲ 14.1% | 43 MW | — | 10 | — |
| Morgan County | 126,483 | ▲ 9.3% | 1,804 MW | — | — | — |
More of Alabama
Limestone County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Limestone County, Alabama?
1 utility has service territory in Limestone County in the EIA-861 2024 report: City of Athens - (AL). The largest, City of Athens - (AL), charged residential customers 12.24¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Athens, AL in?
Athens is in Limestone County, Alabama. About 34,209 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
Is Madison in Limestone County?
Partly. 14,447 of Madison's 67,968 residents (21%) live in Limestone County; most of the city is in Madison County.
What power plants are in Limestone County?
2 operating plants with 3,869 MW of capacity. The largest is Browns Ferry (3,854 MW, nuclear).
Are there data centers in Limestone County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Limestone County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Madison County.
Is Limestone County adding jobs?
Employers counted 34,737 jobs in 2025 against 24,368 in 2019 (+42.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,328 to 2,848.
Does Limestone County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Limestone County. Alabama has 18 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.