Habersham County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Cornelia, Baldwin and Demorest
The data center boom is not abstract in Habersham County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Habersham County. Habersham County is home to Cornelia, most of Baldwin (3,486 of its 4,240 residents), Demorest and Clarkesville. Employers here counted 15,755 jobs in 2025, up 9.6% from 2019. Construction employs 402, down 5.4% since 2019. Its power plants have 117 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro.
Cities and towns in Habersham County
Habersham County is home to Cornelia, most of Baldwin (3,486 of its 4,240 residents), Demorest and Clarkesville.
- Baldwin also extends into Banks County.
- Alto also extends into Banks County.
- Tallulah Falls also extends into Rabun County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Raoul.
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 Habersham County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 46,112 | 50,416 | ▲ 9.3% | 44th of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14,376 | 15,755 | ▲ 9.6% | 56th of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,172 | $51,620 | ▲ 35.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 425 | 402 | ▼ 5.4% | 87th of 97 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 2.9% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
50,416 people live here, up 9.3% since 2020. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Habersham County, one of 2 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 3.3% in 2019.
Who powers Habersham County
Utilities with service territory in Habersham 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% |
| Habersham Electric Membership Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 35,011 | 14.02¢ | 17% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 117 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tallulah Falls | Georgia Power Co | Hydro | 72 MW | 1913 |
| Tugalo | Georgia Power Co | Hydro | 45 MW | 1923 |
The Habersham County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 15,755 | $51,620 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 402 | $56,946 | 0.48 |
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 Habersham County
1 data center in Habersham County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Habersham County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Habersham County, Oconee 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Habersham County | 50,416 | ▲ 9.6% | 117 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Banks County | 21,273 | ▲ 9.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Hall County | 226,568 | ▲ 15.3% | — | — | 1 | 1 |
| Oconee County SC | 83,775 | ▲ 6.7% | 4,360 MW | — | — | — |
| Rabun County | 17,764 | ▲ 6.7% | 27 MW | — | — | — |
| Stephens County | 27,854 | ▼ 9.0% | 22 MW | — | — | — |
| Towns County | 13,285 | ● 0.0% | — | — | — | — |
| White County | 29,802 | ▲ 3.4% | — | — | — | — |
More of Georgia
Habersham County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Habersham County, Georgia?
2 utilities have service territory in Habersham County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, Habersham Electric Membership Corp. The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Habersham County?
2 operating plants with 117 MW of capacity. The largest is Tallulah Falls (72 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Habersham County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Habersham County.
Is Habersham County adding jobs?
Employers counted 15,755 jobs in 2025 against 14,376 in 2019 (+9.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 425 to 402.
Does Habersham County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Habersham County. Georgia has 60 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.