Atkinson County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Pearson and Willacoochee
Atkinson 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. Atkinson County is home to Pearson and Willacoochee. Employers here counted 2,166 jobs in 2025, down 13.7% from 2019. Next door, Coffee County has 1 data center. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Atkinson 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. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Atkinson County
Atkinson County is home to Pearson and Willacoochee.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Axson.
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 Atkinson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 8,307 | 8,454 | ▲ 1.8% | 138th of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,509 | 2,166 | ▼ 13.7% | 149th of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,920 | $49,724 | ▲ 13.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 3.4% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
8,454 people live here, up 1.8% since 2020.
Who powers Atkinson County
Utilities with service territory in Atkinson 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.
No operating power plant is located in Atkinson County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Atkinson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,166 | $49,724 | 1.00 |
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 Atkinson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Atkinson County. Georgia has 60 local measures on record statewide.
Atkinson County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Atkinson County, Coffee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atkinson County | 8,454 | ▼ 13.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Berrien County | 18,932 | ▲ 6.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Clinch County | 6,847 | ▲ 5.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Coffee County | 44,407 | ● 0.0% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Lanier County | 10,623 | ▼ 3.2% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Ware County | 36,906 | ▼ 9.5% | 85 MW | — | — | — |
More of Georgia
Atkinson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Atkinson County, Georgia?
2 utilities have service territory in Atkinson 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.
Are there data centers in Atkinson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Atkinson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Coffee County.
Is Atkinson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,166 jobs in 2025 against 2,509 in 2019 (-13.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Atkinson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Atkinson County. Georgia has 60 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.