Marion County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ocala, Belleview and Dunnellon
Marion County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Marion County is home to Ocala, Belleview, Dunnellon and McIntosh. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Proposed county moratorium on data centers”. Construction employs 10,568, up 30.7% since 2019, and construction is 1.6 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Unemployment was 5.7% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. Employers here counted 121,921 jobs in 2025, up 15.2% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Marion County
Marion County is home to Ocala, Belleview, Dunnellon and McIntosh.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lake Kerr, Liberty Triangle, Marion Oaks, Ocala Estates, Ocklawaha, On Top of the World, Rainbow Lakes Estates, Rainbow Park, Rainbow Springs, Silver Springs, Silver Springs Shores, Silver Springs Shores East, The Villages.
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 Marion County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 377,432 | 442,660 | ▲ 17.3% | 18th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 105,829 | 121,921 | ▲ 15.2% | 14th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,544 | $54,546 | ▲ 37.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,084 | 10,568 | ▲ 30.7% | 13th of 59 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 804 | 998 | ▲ 24.1% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 155 | 178 | ▲ 14.8% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3 | 78 | ▲ 2500.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 5.7% | ▲ 1.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 998, up 24.1% since 2019 against up 16.3% statewide, at an average $55,501 a year. 442,660 people live here, up 17.3% since 2020. 3 MW has retired here since 2019, including G2 Energy Marion LLC (other technologies, 3 MW, 2026). Its power plants have 1 MW of capacity, 100% of it other technologies. Duke Energy Florida, LLC is the largest utility serving Marion County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.63¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.54¢ median for Florida utilities.
Who powers Marion County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Marion 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% |
| Sumter Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 228,855 | 13.09¢ | 7% |
| Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc - (FL) | Cooperative | Bundled | 171,179 | 13.09¢ | 20% |
| City of Ocala | Municipal | Bundled | 45,171 | 12.11¢ | 16% |
| Central Florida Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 32,771 | 13.62¢ | 18% |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 1 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| G2 Energy Marion LLC | G2 Energy LLC | Other technologies | 1 MW | 2010 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| G2 Energy Marion LLC | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2026 |
The Marion County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 121,921 | $54,546 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 10,568 | $61,577 | 1.64 |
| Electrical contractors | 998 | $55,501 | 1.14 |
| Electric utilities | 178 | $119,279 | 0.54 |
| Data processing and hosting | 78 | $106,024 | 0.21 |
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 Marion County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed county moratorium on data centers | In force | 2026-09 |
Marion County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Marion County, Citrus 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County | 442,660 | ▲ 15.2% | 1 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Alachua County | 290,028 | ▲ 5.0% | 957 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Citrus County | 171,666 | ▲ 8.7% | 3,524 MW | 100 MW | — | 1 |
| Lake County | 456,068 | ▲ 17.1% | 24 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Levy County | 48,520 | ▲ 2.3% | 224 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Putnam County | 77,734 | ▲ 7.5% | 2,500 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Sumter County | 157,772 | ▲ 33.8% | 150 MW | — | — | — |
| Volusia County | 606,573 | ▲ 7.7% | 3,324 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
More of Florida
Marion County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Marion County, Florida?
5 utilities have service territory in Marion County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Florida, LLC, Sumter Electric Coop, Inc, Clay Electric Cooperative, Inc - (FL), City of Ocala. The largest, Duke Energy Florida, LLC, charged residential customers 16.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Ocala, FL in?
Ocala is in Marion County, Florida. About 71,753 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Marion County?
1 operating plant with 1 MW of capacity. The largest is G2 Energy Marion LLC (1 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Marion County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Marion County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Alachua County.
Is Marion County adding jobs?
Employers counted 121,921 jobs in 2025 against 105,829 in 2019 (+15.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 8,084 to 10,568.
Does Marion County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Marion County, 1 in force.