Martin County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Stuart, Indiantown and Sewall's Point
Martin County hosts some of the generating capacity Florida runs on. Construction employs 8,015, up 33.4% since 2019, and construction is 1.9 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Martin County is home to Stuart, Indiantown, Sewall's Point and Jupiter Island. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “Proposed county moratorium on data centers”. Its power plants have 2,746 MW of capacity, 89% of it natural gas. Next door, Palm Beach County has 8 data centers.
Cities and towns in Martin County
Martin County is home to Stuart, Indiantown, Sewall's Point and Jupiter Island.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Hobe Sound, Jensen Beach, North River Shores, Palm City, Port Salerno, Rio.
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 Martin County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 158,656 | 166,272 | ▲ 4.8% | 33rd of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 69,642 | 77,918 | ▲ 11.9% | 25th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,626 | $62,234 | ▲ 42.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,009 | 8,015 | ▲ 33.4% | 11th of 59 by growth |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 19 | 65 | ▲ 242.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 4.9% | ▲ 1.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 298 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 395 MW | — |
395 MW has retired here since 2019, including Indiantown Cogeneration LP (coal, 395 MW, 2020). Unemployment was 4.9% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. Employers here counted 77,918 jobs in 2025, up 11.9% from 2019. 298 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Electrical contractors employ 803, at an average $60,016 a year. Florida Power & Light Co is the largest utility serving Martin County. Its residential customers paid an average 13.71¢/kWh in 2024. 166,272 people live here, up 4.8% since 2020.
Who powers Martin County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −97 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Martin County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida Power & Light Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 5,236,277 | 13.71¢ | 41% |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 2,448 MW | 89% |
| Solar | 298 MW | 11% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin | Florida Power & Light Co | Natural gas | 2,448 MW | 1994 |
| Fawn | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2025 |
| Monarch | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2024 |
| Sweetbay Solar Center | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2020 |
| White Tail | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2024 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiantown Cogeneration LP | Coal | 395 MW | 2020 |
The Martin County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 77,918 | $62,234 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 8,015 | $67,125 | 1.94 |
| Electrical contractors | 803 | $60,016 | 1.43 |
| Data processing and hosting | 65 | $124,741 | 0.27 |
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 Martin County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed county moratorium on data centers | Proposed | 2026-01 |
Martin County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Martin County, Palm Beach 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin County | 166,272 | ▲ 11.9% | 2,746 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Glades County | 13,270 | ▲ 11.2% | — | — | — | — |
| Hendry County | 48,276 | ▲ 7.6% | 720 MW | 149 MW | — | 1 |
| Okeechobee County | 42,608 | ▲ 8.1% | 2,245 MW | 149 MW | — | — |
| Palm Beach County | 1,575,726 | ▲ 8.9% | 6,242 MW | — | 8 | 1 |
| St. Lucie County | 402,449 | ▲ 15.2% | 3,465 MW | 74 MW | — | — |
More of Florida
Martin County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Martin County, Florida?
1 utility has service territory in Martin County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Florida Power & Light Co. The largest, Florida Power & Light Co, charged residential customers 13.71¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Stuart, FL in?
Stuart is in Martin County, Florida. About 19,451 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Martin County?
5 operating plants with 2,746 MW of capacity. The largest is Martin (2,448 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Martin County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Martin County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Palm Beach County.
Is Martin County adding jobs?
Employers counted 77,918 jobs in 2025 against 69,642 in 2019 (+11.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 6,009 to 8,015.
Does Martin County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Martin County, 0 in force.