Ben Hill County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Fitzgerald
No data center or power plant project is on record in Ben Hill County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Ben Hill County is home to Fitzgerald. Electrical contractors employ 20, up 33.3% since 2019 against up 21.5% statewide, at an average $46,686 a year. Next door, Coffee County has 1 data center. Employers here counted 5,665 jobs in 2025, up 3.9% from 2019. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Ben Hill County, one of 5 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 Ben Hill County
Ben Hill County is home to Fitzgerald.
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 Ben Hill County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 17,166 | 17,099 | ▼ 0.4% | 104th of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,453 | 5,665 | ▲ 3.9% | 88th of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,348 | $46,438 | ▲ 39.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 56 | 61 | ▲ 8.9% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15 | 20 | ▲ 33.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.5% | 4.2% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 4.5% in 2019. 17,099 people live here, down 0.4% since 2020.
Who powers Ben Hill County
Utilities with service territory in Ben Hill 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% |
| Fitzgerald Wtr Lgt & Bond Comm | — | — | — | — | — |
| Irwin Electric Membership Corp | — | — | — | — | — |
| Middle Georgia El Member Corp | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Ben Hill County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Ben Hill County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,665 | $46,438 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 61 | $63,914 | 0.20 |
| Electrical contractors | 20 | $46,686 | 0.49 |
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 Ben Hill County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Ben Hill County. Georgia has 60 local measures on record statewide.
Ben Hill County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Ben Hill County, Wilcox 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Hill County | 17,099 | ▲ 3.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Coffee County | 44,407 | ● 0.0% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Irwin County | 9,020 | ▼ 3.2% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Telfair County | 11,195 | ▼ 20.0% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Turner County | 8,983 | ▼ 7.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Wilcox County | 8,797 | ▲ 8.7% | 80 MW | 140 MW | — | — |
More of Georgia
Ben Hill County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Ben Hill County, Georgia?
5 utilities have service territory in Ben Hill County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, Satilla Rural Elec Member Corporation, Fitzgerald Wtr Lgt & Bond Comm, Irwin Electric Membership Corp. The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Ben Hill County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Ben Hill County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Coffee County.
Is Ben Hill County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,665 jobs in 2025 against 5,453 in 2019 (+3.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 56 to 61.
Does Ben Hill County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Ben Hill County. Georgia has 60 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.