Monroe County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Key West, Marathon and Islamorada, Village of Islands
No data center or power plant project is on record in Monroe County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Monroe County is home to Key West, Marathon, Islamorada, Village of Islands and Key Colony Beach. Next door, Miami-Dade County has 39 data centers. Employers here counted 47,299 jobs in 2025, up 12.9% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 441, up 21.5% since 2019 against up 16.3% statewide, at an average $62,777 a year. Construction employs 3,355, up 5.2% since 2019, and construction is 1.3 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy.
Cities and towns in Monroe County
Monroe County is home to Key West, Marathon, Islamorada, Village of Islands and Key Colony Beach.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Big Coppitt Key, Big Pine Key, Cudjoe Key, Duck Key, Key Largo, North Key Largo, Stock Island, Tavernier.
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 Monroe County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 82,851 | 80,406 | ▼ 3.0% | 39th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 41,887 | 47,299 | ▲ 12.9% | 20th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,856 | $62,166 | ▲ 41.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,188 | 3,355 | ▲ 5.2% | 48th of 59 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 363 | 441 | ▲ 21.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.3% | 3.3% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 11 MW | — |
11 MW has retired here since 2019, including Marathon Generating Plant (petroleum, 11 MW, 2025). Unemployment was 3.3% in August 2026, against 2.3% in 2019. Its power plants have 126 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum. Florida Power & Light Co is the largest utility serving Monroe County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.71¢/kWh in 2024. 80,406 people live here, down 3.0% since 2020.
Who powers Monroe County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −11 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Monroe 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% |
| Lee County Electric Coop, Inc - (FL) | Cooperative | Bundled | 231,142 | 13.54¢ | 28% |
| Florida Keys El Coop Assn, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 28,815 | 12.94¢ | 13% |
| Utility Board of the City of Key West, F | Municipal | Bundled | 27,264 | 14.03¢ | 47% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 126 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stock Island | Utility Board of Key West City (FL) | Petroleum | 126 MW | 1978 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marathon Generating Plant | Petroleum | 11 MW | 2025 |
The Monroe County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 47,299 | $62,166 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,355 | $66,319 | 1.34 |
| Electrical contractors | 441 | $62,777 | 1.29 |
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 Monroe County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Monroe County. Florida has 45 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Collier County.
Monroe County and its neighbors
Of the 2 counties that border Monroe County, Miami-Dade 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County | 80,406 | ▲ 12.9% | 126 MW | — | — | — |
| Collier County | 417,131 | ▲ 13.8% | 228 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Miami-Dade County | 2,802,029 | ▲ 9.6% | 3,263 MW | — | 39 | — |
More of Florida
Monroe County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Monroe County, Florida?
4 utilities have service territory in Monroe County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Florida Power & Light Co, Lee County Electric Coop, Inc - (FL), Florida Keys El Coop Assn, Inc, Utility Board of the City of Key West, F. The largest, Florida Power & Light Co, charged residential customers 13.71¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Key West, FL in?
Key West is in Monroe County, Florida. About 24,999 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Marathon, FL in?
Marathon is in Monroe County, Florida. About 10,060 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Monroe County?
1 operating plant with 126 MW of capacity. The largest is Stock Island (126 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Monroe County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Monroe County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Miami-Dade County.
Is Monroe County adding jobs?
Employers counted 47,299 jobs in 2025 against 41,887 in 2019 (+12.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 3,188 to 3,355.
Does Monroe County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Monroe County. Florida has 45 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.