Sumter County, Alabama: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Livingston and York
Sumter 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. Sumter County is home to Livingston and York. Next door, Lauderdale County, Mississippi, has 1 data center. Unemployment was 5.5% in August 2026, against 4.9% in 2019. Employers here counted 2,908 jobs in 2025, down 2.4% from 2019. Alabama Power Co is the largest utility serving Sumter 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 Sumter County
Sumter County is home to Livingston and York.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bellamy, Panola.
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 Sumter County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Alabama |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 12,193 | 11,588 | ▼ 5.0% | 60th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,978 | 2,908 | ▼ 2.4% | 53rd of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,862 | $50,226 | ▲ 29.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 49 | 81 | ▲ 65.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.9% | 5.5% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
11,588 people live here, down 5.0% since 2020.
Who powers Sumter County
Utilities with service territory in Sumter 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.
No operating power plant is located in Sumter County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Sumter County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,908 | $50,226 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 81 | $77,866 | 0.53 |
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 Sumter County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Sumter County. Alabama has 18 local measures on record statewide.
Sumter County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Sumter County, Greene 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumter County | 11,588 | ▼ 2.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Choctaw County | 11,904 | ▼ 7.9% | 88 MW | — | — | — |
| Greene County | 7,067 | ▼ 1.5% | 1,288 MW | — | — | — |
| Kemper County MS | 8,600 | ▼ 12.2% | 1,212 MW | — | — | — |
| Lauderdale County MS | 70,317 | ▼ 6.3% | 108 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Marengo County | 18,311 | ▲ 0.9% | 47 MW | — | — | — |
| Noxubee County MS | 9,798 | ▼ 11.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Pickens County | 18,221 | ▼ 1.7% | — | — | — | — |
More of Alabama
Sumter County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Sumter County, Alabama?
2 utilities have service territory in Sumter 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.
Are there data centers in Sumter County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Sumter County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Lauderdale County.
Is Sumter County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,908 jobs in 2025 against 2,978 in 2019 (-2.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 49 to 81.
Does Sumter County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Sumter County. Alabama has 18 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.