Thomas County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Thomasville and Boston
Thomas County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Thomas County is home to Thomasville, Boston, most of Meigs (919 of its 956 residents) and Ochlocknee. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Thomas County data center moratorium”. Construction employs 570, up 16.1% since 2019. 1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 20,901 jobs in 2025, up 5.1% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Thomas County
Thomas County is home to Thomasville, Boston, most of Meigs (919 of its 956 residents) and Ochlocknee.
- Pavo also extends into Brooks County.
- Barwick also extends into Brooks County.
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 Thomas County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 45,784 | 46,368 | ▲ 1.3% | 46th of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 19,887 | 20,901 | ▲ 5.1% | 82nd of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,865 | $55,935 | ▲ 27.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 491 | 570 | ▲ 16.1% | 68th of 97 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 3.4% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 1 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Thomas County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.49¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.61¢ median for Georgia utilities. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. 46,368 people live here, up 1.3% since 2020.
Who powers Thomas County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +1 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Thomas 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% |
| Mitchell Electric Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 21,293 | 16.01¢ | 35% |
| Grady Electric Membership Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 19,283 | 14.84¢ | 16% |
| City of Thomasville - (GA) | Municipal | Bundled | 14,025 | 13.55¢ | 61% |
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 | 1 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oil Dri 2 Solar | Westbound Solar LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2019 |
The Thomas County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 20,901 | $55,935 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 570 | $58,987 | 0.51 |
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 Thomas County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas County data center moratorium | In force | 2026-01 |
Thomas County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Thomas County, Mitchell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thomas County | 46,368 | ▲ 5.1% | 1 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Brooks County | 16,101 | ● 0.0% | 300 MW | — | — | — |
| Colquitt County | 47,438 | ▲ 6.2% | 21 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Grady County | 26,590 | ▼ 2.4% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Jefferson County FL | 16,007 | ▲ 19.3% | — | 75 MW | — | — |
| Leon County FL | 299,048 | ▲ 8.0% | 754 MW | — | 2 | 1 |
| Mitchell County | 20,467 | ▼ 4.9% | 701 MW | 261 MW | — | — |
More of Georgia
Thomas County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Thomas County, Georgia?
5 utilities have service territory in Thomas County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, Colquitt Electric Membership Corp, Mitchell Electric Member Corp, Grady Electric Membership Corp. The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Thomasville, GA in?
Thomasville is in Thomas County, Georgia. About 18,667 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Thomas County?
1 operating plant with 1 MW of capacity. The largest is Oil Dri 2 Solar (1 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Thomas County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Thomas County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Mitchell County.
Is Thomas County adding jobs?
Employers counted 20,901 jobs in 2025 against 19,887 in 2019 (+5.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 491 to 570.
Does Thomas County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Thomas County, 1 in force.