Baker County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Baker 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. Baker County is home to Newton. Next door, Mitchell County has 261 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 4.4% in August 2026, against 5.9% in 2019. Employers here counted 454 jobs in 2025, up 3.7% from 2019. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Baker County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.49¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.61¢ median for Georgia utilities.
Cities and towns in Baker County
Baker County is home to Newton.
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 Baker County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 2,848 | 2,725 | ▼ 4.3% | 156th of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 438 | 454 | ▲ 3.7% | 91st of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,495 | $47,484 | ▲ 30.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.9% | 4.4% | ▼ 1.5pts | — |
2,725 people live here, down 4.3% since 2020.
Who powers Baker County
Utilities with service territory in Baker 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% |
| Mitchell Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,293 | 16.01¢ | 35% |
| Three Notch Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,695 | 16.94¢ | 14% |
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 Baker County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Baker County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 454 | $47,484 | 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 Baker County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Baker County. Georgia has 60 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Decatur County, Dougherty County.
Baker County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Baker County, Mitchell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker County | 2,725 | ▲ 3.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Calhoun County | 5,413 | ▲ 18.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Decatur County | 29,432 | ▼ 1.9% | 637 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Dougherty County | 82,616 | ▼ 6.4% | 223 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Early County | 10,455 | ▼ 15.8% | 194 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Miller County | 5,812 | ▲ 14.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Mitchell County | 20,467 | ▼ 4.9% | 701 MW | 261 MW | — | — |
More of Georgia
Baker County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Baker County, Georgia?
3 utilities have service territory in Baker County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, Mitchell Electric Member Corp, Three Notch Elec Member Corp. The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Baker County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Baker County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Mitchell County.
Is Baker County adding jobs?
Employers counted 454 jobs in 2025 against 438 in 2019 (+3.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Baker County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Baker County. Georgia has 60 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.