Mariposa County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bear Valley and Bootjack
Mariposa 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. Mariposa County has no incorporated cities or towns. Its communities, including Bear Valley, Bootjack, Buck Meadows, are unincorporated and governed by the county. Electrical contractors employ 22, up 57.1% since 2019 against up 8.5% statewide, at an average $55,151 a year. Construction employs 229, up 17.4% since 2019. Next door, Merced County has 424 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 6,106 jobs in 2025, up 8.5% from 2019 (the 9th fastest growth of 58 California counties).
Cities and towns in Mariposa County
Mariposa County has no incorporated cities or towns. Its communities, including Bear Valley, Bootjack, Buck Meadows, are unincorporated and governed by the county.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bear Valley, Bootjack, Buck Meadows, Catheys Valley, Coulterville, Crane Creek, El Portal, Fish Camp, Greeley Hill, Hornitos, Lake Don Pedro, Mariposa, Midpines, Mt. Bullion, Wawona, Yosemite Valley, Yosemite West.
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 Mariposa County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 17,130 | 16,918 | ▼ 1.2% | 53rd of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,627 | 6,106 | ▲ 8.5% | 9th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,719 | $54,091 | ▲ 29.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 195 | 229 | ▲ 17.4% | 13th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14 | 22 | ▲ 57.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.0% | 5.6% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 104 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro. Unemployment was 5.6% in August 2026, against 5.0% in 2019. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving Mariposa County. Its residential customers paid an average 39.62¢/kWh in 2024, above the 20.66¢ median for California utilities. 16,918 people live here, down 1.2% since 2020.
Who powers Mariposa County
Utilities with service territory in Mariposa County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Gas & Electric Co. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 5,047,461 | 39.62¢ | 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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 104 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exchequer | Merced Irrigation District | Hydro | 94 MW | 1967 |
| McSwain | Merced Irrigation District | Hydro | 9 MW | 1967 |
The Mariposa County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 6,106 | $54,091 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 229 | $70,228 | 0.71 |
| Electrical contractors | 22 | $55,151 | 0.50 |
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 Mariposa County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Mariposa County. California has 48 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Stanislaus County, Tuolumne County.
Mariposa County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Mariposa County, Stanislaus 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mariposa County | 16,918 | ▲ 8.5% | 104 MW | — | — | — |
| Madera County | 167,927 | ▲ 13.3% | 496 MW | 3 MW | — | — |
| Merced County | 297,260 | ▲ 6.0% | 849 MW | 424 MW | — | — |
| Stanislaus County | 557,719 | ▲ 3.1% | 1,505 MW | 100 MW | 6 | 1 |
| Tuolumne County | 53,160 | ▲ 3.9% | 1,166 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of California
Mariposa County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Mariposa County, California?
1 utility has service territory in Mariposa County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pacific Gas & Electric Co.. The largest, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., charged residential customers 39.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Mariposa County?
2 operating plants with 104 MW of capacity. The largest is Exchequer (94 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Mariposa County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Mariposa County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Merced County.
Is Mariposa County adding jobs?
Employers counted 6,106 jobs in 2025 against 5,627 in 2019 (+8.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 195 to 229.
Does Mariposa County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Mariposa County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.