Marion County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Buena Vista
No data center or power plant project is on record in Marion County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Marion County is home to Buena Vista. Employers here counted 1,290 jobs in 2025, up 17.8% from 2019. Next door, Talbot County has 262 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Marion 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.
Cities and towns in Marion County
Marion County is home to Buena Vista.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Tazewell.
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 Marion County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,529 | 7,676 | ▲ 2.0% | 141st of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,095 | 1,290 | ▲ 17.8% | 26th of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,297 | $41,348 | ▲ 28.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 3.6% | ▼ 0.7pts | — |
7,676 people live here, up 2.0% since 2020.
Who powers Marion County
Utilities with service territory in Marion 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% |
| Flint Electric Membership Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 83,739 | 13.57¢ | 26% |
| Sumter Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 15,049 | 14.14¢ | 29% |
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 Marion County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Marion County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,290 | $41,348 | 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 Marion County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Marion County. Georgia has 60 local measures on record statewide.
Marion County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Marion County, Talbot 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County | 7,676 | ▲ 17.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Chattahoochee County | 8,465 | ▼ 12.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Schley County | 4,593 | ▲ 22.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Stewart County | 4,631 | ▲ 21.3% | 101 MW | — | — | — |
| Sumter County | 28,801 | ▼ 12.0% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Talbot County | 5,709 | ▲ 24.1% | 791 MW | 262 MW | — | — |
| Taylor County | 7,818 | ▼ 13.6% | 414 MW | — | — | — |
| Webster County | 2,369 | ▼ 10.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of Georgia
Marion County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Marion County, Georgia?
3 utilities have service territory in Marion County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, Flint Electric Membership Corp, Sumter Electric Member Corp. The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Marion County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Marion County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Talbot County.
Is Marion County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,290 jobs in 2025 against 1,095 in 2019 (+17.8%, BLS QCEW).
Does Marion County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Marion County. Georgia has 60 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.