Sumter County, Florida: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Wildwood, Bushnell and Center Hill
Sumter County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Employers here counted 41,918 jobs in 2025, up 33.8% from 2019 (the 2nd fastest growth of 67 Florida counties). Sumter County is home to Wildwood, Bushnell, Center Hill and Webster. Construction employs 4,407, up 25.0% since 2019, and construction is 2.0 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Unemployment was 7.9% in August 2026, against 5.4% in 2019. Next door, Pasco County has 629 MW of planned generation.
Cities and towns in Sumter County
Sumter County is home to Wildwood, Bushnell, Center Hill and Webster.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lake Panasoffkee, 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 Sumter County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Florida |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 130,293 | 157,772 | ▲ 21.1% | 34th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 31,322 | 41,918 | ▲ 33.8% | 2nd of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,787 | $60,726 | ▲ 41.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,526 | 4,407 | ▲ 25.0% | 20th of 59 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.4% | 7.9% | ▲ 2.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 150 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
157,772 people live here, up 21.1% since 2020. 150 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 150 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Electrical contractors employ 448, at an average $55,447 a year. Duke Energy Florida, LLC is the largest utility serving Sumter 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 Sumter County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +150 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Sumter 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% |
| Withlacoochee River Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 229,375 | 12.35¢ | 23% |
| Sumter Electric Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 228,855 | 13.09¢ | 7% |
| City of Leesburg - (FL) | Municipal | Bundled | 24,482 | 12.93¢ | 43% |
| City of Bushnell - (FL) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 150 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Half Moon Solar Plant | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Solar | 75 MW | 2025 |
| Jumper Creek Solar Plant | Duke Energy Florida, LLC | Solar | 75 MW | 2026 |
The Sumter County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 41,918 | $60,726 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 4,407 | $76,745 | 1.98 |
| Electrical contractors | 448 | $55,447 | 1.48 |
| Data processing and hosting | 8 | $137,972 | 0.06 |
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 Sumter County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Sumter County. Florida has 45 local measures on record statewide, and 5 neighboring counties have one: Citrus County, Hernando County, Lake County, Marion County.
Sumter County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Sumter County, Polk 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sumter County | 157,772 | ▲ 33.8% | 150 MW | — | — | — |
| Citrus County | 171,666 | ▲ 8.7% | 3,524 MW | 100 MW | — | 1 |
| Hernando County | 221,701 | ▲ 12.2% | 75 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Lake County | 456,068 | ▲ 17.1% | 24 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Marion County | 442,660 | ▲ 15.2% | 1 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Pasco County | 674,516 | ▲ 23.5% | 1,809 MW | 629 MW | — | 1 |
| Polk County | 874,790 | ▲ 16.1% | 6,676 MW | 112 MW | 5 | — |
More of Florida
Sumter County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Sumter County, Florida?
5 utilities have service territory in Sumter County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Florida, LLC, Withlacoochee River Elec Coop, Sumter Electric Coop, Inc, City of Leesburg - (FL). The largest, Duke Energy Florida, LLC, charged residential customers 16.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Wildwood, FL in?
Wildwood is in Sumter County, Florida. About 19,436 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Sumter County?
2 operating plants with 150 MW of capacity. The largest is Half Moon Solar Plant (75 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Sumter County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Sumter County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Pasco County.
Is Sumter County adding jobs?
Employers counted 41,918 jobs in 2025 against 31,322 in 2019 (+33.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 3,526 to 4,407.
Does Sumter County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Sumter County. Florida has 45 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.