Bartow County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Cartersville, Adairsville and Euharlee
Bartow County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Bartow County. Bartow County is home to Cartersville, Adairsville, Euharlee and Emerson. Construction employs 2,656, up 40.2% since 2019. 2 projects are on the Delay Watchlist, including Kingston data center (Thor Equities) (150 MW). Its power plants have 3,588 MW of capacity, 98% of it coal, the 3rd largest fleet in Georgia.
Cities and towns in Bartow County
Bartow County is home to Cartersville, Adairsville, Euharlee and Emerson.
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 Bartow County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 109,283 | 120,800 | ▲ 10.5% | 24th of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 40,880 | 47,654 | ▲ 16.6% | 28th of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,788 | $61,353 | ▲ 37.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,894 | 2,656 | ▲ 40.2% | 37th of 97 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 351 | 436 | ▲ 24.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 3.2% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 47,654 jobs in 2025, up 16.6% from 2019. Electrical contractors employ 436, up 24.2% since 2019 against up 21.5% statewide, at an average $78,942 a year. 3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. 120,800 people live here, up 10.5% since 2020. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Bartow County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.49¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.61¢ median for Georgia utilities. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019.
Who powers Bartow County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Bartow 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% |
| Cobb Electric Membership Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 200,601 | 11.41¢ | 30% |
| GreyStone Power Corporation | Cooperative | Bundled | 139,028 | 12.22¢ | 21% |
| Central Georgia El Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 61,155 | 12.24¢ | 14% |
| Amicalola Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 50,337 | 12.41¢ | 15% |
| City of Cartersville - (GA) | Municipal | Bundled | 6,711 | 14.56¢ | 40% |
| City of Acworth - (GA) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 3,499 MW | 98% |
| Hydro | 87 MW | 2% |
| Solar | 3 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bowen | Georgia Power Co | Coal | 3,499 MW | 1971 |
| Allatoona | USCE-Mobile District | Hydro | 87 MW | 1950 |
| Bartow Davidson | Madison Energy Holdings LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2023 |
The Bartow County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 47,654 | $61,353 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 2,656 | $79,071 | 1.05 |
| Electrical contractors | 436 | $78,942 | 1.27 |
| Power and communication line construction | 91 | $165,493 | 1.18 |
| Data processing and hosting | 5 | $158,251 | 0.03 |
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 Bartow County
2 data centers in Bartow County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Delay Watchlist 2
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kingston data center (Thor Equities) | proposed | 150 MW | ||
| Atlas Development LLC Adairsville area (Bartow County) | cancelled | — |
Bartow County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Bartow County, Cobb 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bartow County | 120,800 | ▲ 16.6% | 3,588 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Cherokee County | 299,273 | ▲ 13.5% | 530 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Cobb County | 793,345 | ▲ 2.1% | 2,863 MW | 6 MW | 15 | 1 |
| Floyd County | 101,378 | ▲ 11.3% | 918 MW | 58 MW | 3 | 1 |
| Gordon County | 61,701 | ▲ 6.2% | 5 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Paulding County | 190,996 | ▲ 22.4% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Pickens County | 37,167 | ▲ 21.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Polk County | 45,514 | ▼ 2.0% | 580 MW | — | — | — |
More of Georgia
Bartow County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Bartow County, Georgia?
7 utilities have service territory in Bartow County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, Cobb Electric Membership Corp, GreyStone Power Corporation, Central Georgia El Member Corp. The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Cartersville, GA in?
Cartersville is in Bartow County, Georgia. About 25,349 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Bartow County?
3 operating plants with 3,588 MW of capacity. The largest is Bowen (3,499 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Bartow County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Bartow County.
Is Bartow County adding jobs?
Employers counted 47,654 jobs in 2025 against 40,880 in 2019 (+16.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,894 to 2,656.
Does Bartow County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Bartow County. Georgia has 60 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.