Charlton County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Folkston
Charlton 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. Charlton County is home to Folkston and Homeland. Next door, Brantley County has 1 data center. Employers here counted 2,171 jobs in 2025, up 12.8% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019. 2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Charlton County
Charlton County is home to Folkston and Homeland.
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 Charlton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 12,527 | 13,121 | ▲ 4.7% | 112th of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,925 | 2,171 | ▲ 12.8% | 43rd of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,860 | $48,752 | ▲ 28.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 60 | 70 | ▲ 16.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 3.2% | ▼ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 2 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Charlton 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. 13,121 people live here, up 4.7% since 2020.
Who powers Charlton County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Charlton 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% |
| Okefenoke Rural El Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 27,736 | 14.24¢ | 9% |
| Slash Pine Elec 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.
Operating power plants 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 2 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fountain Folkston | Westbound Solar LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2019 |
The Charlton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,171 | $48,752 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 70 | $55,081 | 0.61 |
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 Charlton County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Charlton County. Georgia has 60 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Camden County, Nassau County.
Charlton County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Charlton County, Baker 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charlton County | 13,121 | ▲ 12.8% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Baker County FL | 29,737 | ▼ 1.5% | 298 MW | 74 MW | — | — |
| Brantley County | 18,936 | ▲ 9.1% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Camden County | 60,143 | ▲ 12.6% | 60 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Nassau County FL | 106,879 | ▲ 17.1% | 310 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Ware County | 36,906 | ▼ 9.5% | 85 MW | — | — | — |
More of Georgia
Charlton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Charlton County, Georgia?
3 utilities have service territory in Charlton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, Okefenoke Rural El Member Corp, Slash Pine Elec Member Corp. The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Charlton County?
1 operating plant with 2 MW of capacity. The largest is Fountain Folkston (2 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Charlton County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Charlton County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Brantley County.
Is Charlton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,171 jobs in 2025 against 1,925 in 2019 (+12.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 60 to 70.
Does Charlton County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Charlton County. Georgia has 60 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.