Appling County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Baxley
Appling County is a power-producing county: the plants here serve load well beyond its borders. Construction employs 1,101, up 147.4% since 2019, and construction is 2.7 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Appling County is home to Baxley. Next door, Wayne County has 2,500 MW of planned generation. Its power plants have 1,873 MW of capacity, 99% of it nuclear, the 7th largest fleet in Georgia. Employers here counted 7,777 jobs in 2025, up 10.9% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Appling County
Appling County is home to Baxley.
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 Appling County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 18,376 | 19,100 | ▲ 3.9% | 98th of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,013 | 7,777 | ▲ 10.9% | 52nd of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $48,655 | $63,804 | ▲ 31.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 445 | 1,101 | ▲ 147.4% | 4th of 97 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 112 | 125 | ▲ 11.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.7% | 4.0% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 25 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 125, up 11.6% since 2019 against up 21.5% statewide, at an average $64,604 a year. 25 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 4.7% in 2019. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Appling County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.49¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.61¢ median for Georgia utilities. 19,100 people live here, up 3.9% since 2020.
Who powers Appling County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +25 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Appling County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 2,452,488 | 15.49¢ | 39% |
| Satilla Rural Elec Member Corporation | Cooperative | Bundled | 54,115 | 13.99¢ | 11% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 1,848 MW | 99% |
| Solar | 25 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edwin I Hatch | Georgia Power Co | Nuclear | 1,848 MW | 1975 |
| Baxley | SR Baxley, LLC | Solar | 25 MW | 2020 |
The Appling County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,777 | $63,804 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,101 | $83,823 | 2.67 |
| Electrical contractors | 125 | $64,604 | 2.23 |
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 Appling County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Appling County. Georgia has 60 local measures on record statewide.
Appling County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Appling County, Wayne 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appling County | 19,100 | ▲ 10.9% | 1,873 MW | — | — | — |
| Bacon County | 11,070 | ▼ 1.8% | — | 300 MW | — | — |
| Jeff Davis County | 15,219 | ▲ 2.8% | 412 MW | — | — | — |
| Pierce County | 20,764 | ▲ 11.2% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Tattnall County | 24,376 | ▼ 3.4% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Toombs County | 27,545 | ▲ 0.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Wayne County | 32,481 | ▲ 10.8% | 72 MW | 2,500 MW | — | — |
More of Georgia
Appling County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Appling County, Georgia?
2 utilities have service territory in Appling County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, Satilla Rural Elec Member Corporation. The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Appling County?
2 operating plants with 1,873 MW of capacity. The largest is Edwin I Hatch (1,848 MW, nuclear).
Are there data centers in Appling County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Appling County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Wayne County.
Is Appling County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,777 jobs in 2025 against 7,013 in 2019 (+10.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 445 to 1,101.
Does Appling County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Appling County. Georgia has 60 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.