San Francisco County, California: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to San Francisco
The data center boom is not abstract in San Francisco County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 18 data centers in San Francisco County, 4% of California's total. San Francisco County and the city of San Francisco share the same boundaries. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019. Construction employs 21,750, down 9.5% since 2019. Employers here counted 696,891 jobs in 2025, down 8.4% from 2019.
Cities and towns in San Francisco County
San Francisco County and the city of San Francisco share the same boundaries.
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 San Francisco County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in California |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 875,139 | 826,079 | ▼ 5.6% | 13th of 58 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 760,775 | 696,891 | ▼ 8.4% | 57th of 58 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $129,814 | $196,352 | ▲ 51.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 24,045 | 21,750 | ▼ 9.5% | 44th of 51 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,320 | 3,490 | ▼ 19.2% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,218 | 16,709 | ▲ 26.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 4.2% | ▲ 1.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — |
2 MW has retired here since 2019, including SF State University (natural gas, 2 MW, 2021). Owners plan to retire 2 MW more by 2035, led by SF Southeast Cogen Plant in 2028. Its power plants have 24 MW of capacity, 72% of it natural gas. Pacific Gas & Electric Co. is the largest utility serving San Francisco County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 39.62¢/kWh in 2024, above the 20.66¢ median for California utilities. 826,079 people live here, down 5.6% since 2020. Electrical contractors employ 3,490, down 19.2% since 2019 against up 8.5% statewide, at an average $142,706 a year.
Who powers San Francisco County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in San Francisco 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% |
| City & County of San Francisco | Municipal | Bundled | 2,618 | 24.05¢ | 78% |
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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 17 MW | 72% |
| Solar | 4 MW | 19% |
| Other technologies | 2 MW | 9% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parnassus Central Utility Plant | University of California-San Francisco | Natural gas | 13 MW | 1996 |
| Sunset Reservoir North Basin | Deriva Energy | Solar | 4 MW | 2010 |
| SF Southeast Cogen Plant | City & County of San Francisco - (CA) | Other technologies | 2 MW | 2002 |
| One Market Plaza | Paramount Group Inc | Natural gas | 2 MW | 2003 |
| Univ of San Francisco Cogen | University of San Francisco | Natural gas | 2 MW | 1987 |
| Transamerica Pyramid | Transamerica Pyramid Properties LLC | Natural gas | 1 MW | 2007 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| SF State University | Natural gas | 2 MW | 2021 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| SF Southeast Cogen Plant | Other technologies | 2 MW | 2028 |
The San Francisco County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 696,891 | $196,352 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 21,750 | $128,455 | 0.59 |
| Electrical contractors | 3,490 | $142,706 | 0.69 |
| Electric utilities | 770 | $247,846 | 0.41 |
| Data processing and hosting | 16,709 | $337,822 | 7.72 |
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 San Francisco County
18 data centers in San Francisco County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
San Francisco County and its neighbors
Of the 2 counties that border San Francisco County, Alameda 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco County | 826,079 | ▼ 8.4% | 24 MW | — | 18 | — |
| Alameda County | 1,636,630 | ▼ 1.3% | 1,348 MW | 477 MW | 30 | — |
| San Mateo County | 743,568 | ▼ 1.1% | 29 MW | 3 MW | 10 | — |
More of California
San Francisco County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in San Francisco County, California?
2 utilities have service territory in San Francisco County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Pacific Gas & Electric Co., City & County of San Francisco. The largest, Pacific Gas & Electric Co., charged residential customers 39.62¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is San Francisco, CA in?
San Francisco is in San Francisco County, California. About 826,079 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in San Francisco County?
6 operating plants with 24 MW of capacity. The largest is Parnassus Central Utility Plant (13 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in San Francisco County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 18 data centers in San Francisco County.
Is San Francisco County adding jobs?
Employers counted 696,891 jobs in 2025 against 760,775 in 2019 (-8.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 24,045 to 21,750.
Does San Francisco County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for San Francisco County. California has 48 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.