Leon County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Tallahassee
Leon County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Leon County. Leon County is home to Tallahassee. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “Eighteen-month moratorium on large-scale data centers”. Unemployment was 4.9% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. Construction employs 7,529, up 12.4% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Leon County
Leon County is home to Tallahassee.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bradfordville, Capitola, Chaires, Fort Braden, Miccosukee, Woodville.
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 Leon County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 293,925 | 299,048 | ▲ 1.7% | 23rd of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 153,131 | 165,372 | ▲ 8.0% | 37th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $46,524 | $64,931 | ▲ 39.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,701 | 7,529 | ▲ 12.4% | 41st of 59 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 905 | 1,113 | ▲ 23.0% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 594 | 138 | ▼ 76.8% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 832 | 1,000 | ▲ 20.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 4.9% | ▲ 1.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 136 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 12 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 1,113, up 23.0% since 2019 against up 16.3% statewide, at an average $59,073 a year. Employers here counted 165,372 jobs in 2025, up 8.0% from 2019. 12 MW has retired here since 2019, including C H Corn Hydroelectric Facility (hydro, 12 MW, 2019). 136 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Its power plants have 754 MW of capacity, 92% of it natural gas. Duke Energy Florida, LLC is the largest utility serving Leon 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. 299,048 people live here, up 1.7% since 2020.
Who powers Leon County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +124 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Leon 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% |
| City of Tallahassee - (FL) | Municipal | Bundled | 106,946 | 13.60¢ | 57% |
| Talquin Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 53,881 | 14.85¢ | 16% |
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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 692 MW | 92% |
| Solar | 62 MW | 8% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arvah B Hopkins | City of Tallahassee - (FL) | Natural gas | 673 MW | 1977 |
| FL Solar 4, LLC | Onward Energy | Solar | 42 MW | 2019 |
| CoTAL Solar Farm | Onward Energy | Solar | 20 MW | 2017 |
| Sub 12 | City of Tallahassee - (FL) | Natural gas | 19 MW | 2018 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| C H Corn Hydroelectric Facility | Hydro | 12 MW | 2019 |
The Leon County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 165,372 | $64,931 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 7,529 | $65,234 | 0.86 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,113 | $59,073 | 0.93 |
| Power and communication line construction | 138 | $71,378 | 0.52 |
| Electric utilities | 114 | $154,169 | 0.25 |
| Data processing and hosting | 1,000 | $68,811 | 1.95 |
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 Leon County
2 data centers in Leon County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eighteen-month moratorium on large-scale data centers | Proposed | 2026-09 |
Leon County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Leon County, Jefferson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leon County | 299,048 | ▲ 8.0% | 754 MW | — | 2 | 1 |
| Gadsden County | 44,298 | ▲ 3.4% | 196 MW | — | — | — |
| Grady County GA | 26,590 | ▼ 2.4% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Jefferson County | 16,007 | ▲ 19.3% | — | 75 MW | — | — |
| Liberty County | 8,035 | ▲ 1.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Thomas County GA | 46,368 | ▲ 5.1% | 1 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Wakulla County | 38,089 | ▲ 13.5% | 272 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Florida
Leon County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Leon County, Florida?
3 utilities have service territory in Leon County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Florida, LLC, City of Tallahassee - (FL), Talquin Electric Coop, Inc. The largest, Duke Energy Florida, LLC, charged residential customers 16.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Tallahassee, FL in?
Tallahassee is in Leon County, Florida. About 204,902 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Leon County?
4 operating plants with 754 MW of capacity. The largest is Arvah B Hopkins (673 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Leon County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Leon County.
Is Leon County adding jobs?
Employers counted 165,372 jobs in 2025 against 153,131 in 2019 (+8.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 6,701 to 7,529.
Does Leon County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Leon County, 0 in force.