Upson County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Thomaston
Upson County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Upson County. Construction employs 268, up 46.4% since 2019. Upson County is home to Thomaston and Yatesville. Employers here counted 7,242 jobs in 2025, up 7.9% from 2019. Its power plants have 705 MW of capacity, 99% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Upson County
Upson County is home to Thomaston and Yatesville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Hannahs Mill, Lincoln Park, Salem, Sunset Village, The Rock.
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 Upson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 27,746 | 28,500 | ▲ 2.7% | 70th of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,712 | 7,242 | ▲ 7.9% | 64th of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,638 | $49,137 | ▲ 30.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 183 | 268 | ▲ 46.4% | 32nd of 97 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 3.6% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Upson 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. 28,500 people live here, up 2.7% since 2020. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019.
Who powers Upson County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Upson 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% |
| Southern Rivers Energy | Cooperative | Bundled | 20,411 | 16.41¢ | 11% |
| City of Thomaston - (GA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Upson 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.
Operating power plants 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 701 MW | 99% |
| Solar | 4 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Edward L. Addison Generating Plant | Southern Power Co | Natural gas | 701 MW | 2000 |
| Upson County GA S1 LLC | SolRiver Capital LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2023 |
| Upson Rocky Creek Solar Plant | Axium US Solar Holdings LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2012 |
The Upson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,242 | $49,137 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 268 | $75,235 | 0.70 |
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 Upson County
1 data center in Upson County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Upson County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Upson County, Monroe 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upson County | 28,500 | ▲ 7.9% | 705 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Crawford County | 12,206 | ▲ 3.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Lamar County | 20,941 | ▲ 22.4% | 60 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Meriwether County | 21,516 | ▲ 14.0% | 6 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Monroe County | 32,023 | ▲ 6.5% | 2,915 MW | 804 MW | 2 | 1 |
| Pike County | 20,932 | ▲ 19.3% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Talbot County | 5,709 | ▲ 24.1% | 791 MW | 262 MW | — | — |
| Taylor County | 7,818 | ▼ 13.6% | 414 MW | — | — | — |
More of Georgia
Upson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Upson County, Georgia?
5 utilities have service territory in Upson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, Flint Electric Membership Corp, Southern Rivers Energy, City of Thomaston - (GA). The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Upson County?
3 operating plants with 705 MW of capacity. The largest is Edward L. Addison Generating Plant (701 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Upson County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Upson County.
Is Upson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,242 jobs in 2025 against 6,712 in 2019 (+7.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 183 to 268.
Does Upson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Upson County. Georgia has 60 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.