St. Johns County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach
St. Johns County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. St. Johns County is home to St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach. Employers here counted 100,949 jobs in 2025, up 27.4% from 2019 (the 4th fastest growth of 67 Florida counties). The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “Proposed county moratorium on data centers”. Electrical contractors employ 682, up 57.5% since 2019 against up 16.3% statewide, at an average $71,979 a year. Construction employs 5,868, up 18.0% since 2019.
Cities and towns in St. Johns County
St. Johns County is home to St. Augustine and St. Augustine Beach.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Butler Beach, Crescent Beach, Flagler Estates, Fruit Cove, Hastings, Nocatee, Palm Valley, Sawgrass, St. Augustine Shores, St. Augustine South, Vilano Beach, World Golf Village.
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 St. Johns County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 277,119 | 346,328 | ▲ 25.0% | 21st of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 79,214 | 100,949 | ▲ 27.4% | 4th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,637 | $62,214 | ▲ 36.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,971 | 5,868 | ▲ 18.0% | 29th of 59 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 433 | 682 | ▲ 57.5% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 85 | 79 | ▼ 7.1% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 34 | 356 | ▲ 947.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 4.7% | ▲ 1.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 74 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. 346,328 people live here, up 25.0% since 2020. 74 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 74 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Florida Power & Light Co is the largest utility serving St. Johns County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.71¢/kWh in 2024.
Who powers St. Johns County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +74 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in St. Johns 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% |
| JEA | Municipal | Bundled | 470,564 | 12.43¢ | 32% |
| Beaches Energy Services | Municipal | Bundled | 30,358 | 12.38¢ | 40% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 74 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trailside Solar Center | Florida Power & Light Co | Solar | 74 MW | 2020 |
The St. Johns County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 100,949 | $62,214 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 5,868 | $71,872 | 1.10 |
| Electrical contractors | 682 | $71,979 | 0.94 |
| Electric utilities | 79 | $159,947 | 0.29 |
| Data processing and hosting | 356 | $184,696 | 1.13 |
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 St. Johns County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed county moratorium on data centers | Proposed | 2026-01 |
St. Johns County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border St. Johns County, Duval 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Johns County | 346,328 | ▲ 27.4% | 74 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Clay County | 239,593 | ▲ 7.6% | 224 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Duval County | 1,062,963 | ▲ 7.0% | 3,054 MW | 174 MW | 14 | — |
| Flagler County | 140,360 | ▲ 18.5% | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| Putnam County | 77,734 | ▲ 7.5% | 2,500 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Florida
St. Johns County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in St. Johns County, Florida?
3 utilities have service territory in St. Johns County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Florida Power & Light Co, JEA, Beaches Energy Services. The largest, Florida Power & Light Co, charged residential customers 13.71¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is St. Augustine, FL in?
St. Augustine is in St. Johns County, Florida. About 16,141 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in St. Johns County?
1 operating plant with 74 MW of capacity. The largest is Trailside Solar Center (74 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in St. Johns County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in St. Johns County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Duval County.
Is St. Johns County adding jobs?
Employers counted 100,949 jobs in 2025 against 79,214 in 2019 (+27.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 4,971 to 5,868.
Does St. Johns County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for St. Johns County, 0 in force.