Echols County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Echols County
No data center or power plant project is on record in Echols County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Echols County and the city of Echols County share the same boundaries. Next door, Lowndes County has 1 data center. Employers here counted 603 jobs in 2025, down 6.9% from 2019. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Echols 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. Unemployment was 2.9% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Echols County
Echols County and the city of Echols County share the same boundaries.
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 Echols County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 3,716 | 3,685 | ▼ 0.8% | 153rd of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 648 | 603 | ▼ 6.9% | 138th of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,022 | $51,254 | ▲ 28.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 2.9% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
3,685 people live here, down 0.8% since 2020.
Who powers Echols County
Utilities with service territory in Echols 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% |
| Colquitt Electric Membership Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 65,743 | 13.20¢ | 6% |
| 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.
No operating power plant is located in Echols County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Echols County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 603 | $51,254 | 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 Echols County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Echols County. Georgia has 60 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Lowndes County.
Echols County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Echols County, Lowndes 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Echols County | 3,685 | ▼ 6.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Clinch County | 6,847 | ▲ 5.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Columbia County FL | 74,094 | ▲ 0.3% | 403 MW | — | — | — |
| Hamilton County FL | 14,180 | ▲ 2.8% | 174 MW | — | — | — |
| Lanier County | 10,623 | ▼ 3.2% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Lowndes County | 122,867 | ▼ 0.5% | 193 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
More of Georgia
Echols County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Echols County, Georgia?
3 utilities have service territory in Echols County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, Colquitt Electric Membership Corp, Slash Pine Elec Member Corp. The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Echols County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Echols County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Lowndes County.
Is Echols County adding jobs?
Employers counted 603 jobs in 2025 against 648 in 2019 (-6.9%, BLS QCEW).
Does Echols County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Echols County. Georgia has 60 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.