Walker County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to LaFayette, Rossville and Chickamauga
Walker County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Walker County is home to LaFayette, Rossville, Chickamauga and Lookout Mountain. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Local moratorium on data centers through February 3, 2027”. Employers here counted 14,867 jobs in 2025, up 12.2% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 3.7% in 2019. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Walker County, one of 6 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 Walker County
Walker County is home to LaFayette, Rossville, Chickamauga and Lookout Mountain.
- Fort Oglethorpe also extends into Catoosa County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Chattanooga Valley, Fairview, Lakeview, Rock Spring.
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 Walker County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 67,756 | 70,250 | ▲ 3.7% | 38th of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,245 | 14,867 | ▲ 12.2% | 46th of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,505 | $47,452 | ▲ 33.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.7% | 3.2% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
70,250 people live here, up 3.7% since 2020.
Who powers Walker County
Utilities with service territory in Walker 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% |
| North Georgia Elec Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 90,182 | 12.18¢ | 33% |
| City of Chattanooga - (TN) | Municipal | Bundled | 10,366 | 12.29¢ | 20% |
| City of Chickamauga | Municipal | Bundled | 831 | 13.62¢ | 53% |
| City of LaFayette - (GA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Tennessee Valley Authority | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Walker County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Walker County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 14,867 | $47,452 | 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 Walker County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local moratorium on data centers through February 3, 2027 | In force | 2026-08 |
Walker County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Walker County, Hamilton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walker County | 70,250 | ▲ 12.2% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Catoosa County | 69,628 | ▲ 5.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Chattooga County | 25,300 | ▼ 14.7% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Dade County | 16,154 | ▲ 18.5% | — | — | — | — |
| DeKalb County AL | 74,085 | ▲ 6.6% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Floyd County | 101,378 | ▲ 11.3% | 918 MW | 58 MW | 3 | 1 |
| Gordon County | 61,701 | ▲ 6.2% | 5 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Hamilton County TN | 390,833 | ▲ 5.5% | 4,324 MW | — | 5 | 1 |
| Whitfield County | 106,212 | ▼ 0.2% | 1 MW | — | 4 | — |
More of Georgia
Walker County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Walker County, Georgia?
6 utilities have service territory in Walker County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, North Georgia Elec Member Corp, City of Chattanooga - (TN), City of Chickamauga. The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Walker County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Walker County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Hamilton County.
Is Walker County adding jobs?
Employers counted 14,867 jobs in 2025 against 13,245 in 2019 (+12.2%, BLS QCEW).
Does Walker County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Walker County, 1 in force.