Fannin County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Blue Ridge and McCaysville
Fannin County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Fannin County is home to Blue Ridge and McCaysville. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Data center moratorium extended through Dec. 31, 2026”. Employers here counted 7,675 jobs in 2025, up 14.9% from 2019. Construction employs 407, up 16.0% since 2019. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Fannin County
Fannin County is home to Blue Ridge and McCaysville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Epworth, Mineral Bluff.
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 Fannin County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 25,451 | 26,111 | ▲ 2.6% | 76th of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,677 | 7,675 | ▲ 14.9% | 34th of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,402 | $45,821 | ▲ 33.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 351 | 407 | ▲ 16.0% | 69th of 97 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 3.2% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 24 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro. Amicalola Electric Member Corp is the largest utility serving Fannin County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.41¢/kWh in 2024, below the 13.61¢ median for Georgia utilities. 26,111 people live here, up 2.6% since 2020.
Who powers Fannin County
Utilities with service territory in Fannin County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amicalola Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 50,337 | 12.41¢ | 15% |
| Blue Ridge Mountain EMC - (GA) | Cooperative | Bundled | 30,599 | 14.02¢ | 35% |
| Tri-State Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,123 | 14.03¢ | 36% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 24 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Ridge | Tennessee Valley Authority | Hydro | 24 MW | 1931 |
The Fannin County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,675 | $45,821 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 407 | $74,745 | 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 Fannin County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data center moratorium extended through Dec. 31, 2026 | In force | 2026-09 |
Fannin County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Fannin County, Murray 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fannin County | 26,111 | ▲ 14.9% | 24 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Cherokee County NC | 30,830 | ▼ 1.8% | 168 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Dawson County | 35,365 | ▲ 21.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Gilmer County | 33,894 | ▲ 20.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Lumpkin County | 36,178 | ▲ 15.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Murray County | 41,607 | ▼ 1.1% | 1,702 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Polk County TN | 18,592 | ▲ 15.1% | 164 MW | — | — | — |
| Union County | 27,859 | ▲ 13.3% | 16 MW | — | — | — |
More of Georgia
Fannin County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Fannin County, Georgia?
3 utilities have service territory in Fannin County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Amicalola Electric Member Corp, Blue Ridge Mountain EMC - (GA), Tri-State Electric Member Corp. The largest, Amicalola Electric Member Corp, charged residential customers 12.41¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Fannin County?
1 operating plant with 24 MW of capacity. The largest is Blue Ridge (24 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Fannin County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Fannin County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Cherokee County.
Is Fannin County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,675 jobs in 2025 against 6,677 in 2019 (+14.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 351 to 407.
Does Fannin County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Fannin County, 1 in force.