Lafayette County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Mayo
Lafayette 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. Lafayette County is home to Mayo. Unemployment was 6.1% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. Employers here counted 1,433 jobs in 2025, up 3.5% from 2019. Duke Energy Florida, LLC is the largest utility serving Lafayette County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.63¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.54¢ median for Florida utilities. 8,792 people live here, up 6.8% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Lafayette County
Lafayette County is home to Mayo.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Day.
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 Lafayette County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 8,236 | 8,792 | ▲ 6.8% | 66th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,384 | 1,433 | ▲ 3.5% | 57th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,309 | $47,294 | ▲ 42.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 6.1% | ▲ 2.6pts | — |
Who powers Lafayette County
Utilities with service territory in Lafayette County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,793,067 | 16.63¢ | 38% |
| Central Florida Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 32,771 | 13.62¢ | 18% |
| Suwannee Valley Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 25,934 | 15.00¢ | 21% |
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 Lafayette County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Lafayette County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,433 | $47,294 | 1.00 |
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 Lafayette County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Lafayette County. Florida has 45 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Madison County, Taylor County.
Lafayette County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Lafayette 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lafayette County | 8,792 | ▲ 3.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Dixie County | 18,038 | ▲ 10.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Gilchrist County | 20,488 | ▲ 7.6% | 235 MW | — | — | — |
| Madison County | 18,759 | ▲ 10.1% | 224 MW | 74 MW | — | 1 |
| Suwannee County | 48,149 | ▲ 3.1% | 466 MW | — | — | — |
| Taylor County | 21,210 | ▼ 15.1% | 5 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Florida
Lafayette County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Lafayette County, Florida?
3 utilities have service territory in Lafayette County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Florida, LLC, Central Florida Elec Coop, Inc, Suwannee Valley Elec Coop Inc. The largest, Duke Energy Florida, LLC, charged residential customers 16.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Lafayette County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Lafayette County.
Is Lafayette County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,433 jobs in 2025 against 1,384 in 2019 (+3.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Lafayette County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Lafayette County. Florida has 45 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.