Ware County, Georgia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Waycross
No data center or power plant project is on record in Ware County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Ware County is home to Waycross. Construction employs 614, up 28.2% since 2019. Next door, Bacon County has 300 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 14,273 jobs in 2025, down 9.5% from 2019. 85 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Ware County
Ware County is home to Waycross.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Deenwood, Dixie Union, Manor, Millwood, Sunnyside, Waresboro.
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 Ware County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Georgia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 36,237 | 36,906 | ▲ 1.8% | 55th of 159 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15,768 | 14,273 | ▼ 9.5% | 143rd of 159 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,295 | $47,683 | ▲ 35.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 479 | 614 | ▲ 28.2% | 55th of 97 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.3% | 4.2% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 85 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 85 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Georgia Power Co is the largest utility serving Ware County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.49¢/kWh in 2024, above the 13.61¢ median for Georgia utilities. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 4.3% in 2019. 36,906 people live here, up 1.8% since 2020.
Who powers Ware County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +85 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Ware 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% |
| Satilla Rural Elec Member Corporation | Cooperative | Bundled | 54,115 | 13.99¢ | 11% |
| Okefenoke Rural El Member Corp | Cooperative | Bundled | 27,736 | 14.24¢ | 9% |
| Slash Pine 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 85 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blackwater Solar | Blackwater Solar, LLC | Solar | 80 MW | 2024 |
| Ware Avra I | Safari Energy, LLC | Solar | 3 MW | 2020 |
| Ware Avra II | Safari Energy, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2020 |
The Ware County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 14,273 | $47,683 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 614 | $56,851 | 0.81 |
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 Ware County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Ware County. Georgia has 60 local measures on record statewide.
Ware County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Ware County, Bacon 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ware County | 36,906 | ▼ 9.5% | 85 MW | — | — | — |
| Atkinson County | 8,454 | ▼ 13.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Bacon County | 11,070 | ▼ 1.8% | — | 300 MW | — | — |
| Baker County FL | 29,737 | ▼ 1.5% | 298 MW | 74 MW | — | — |
| Brantley County | 18,936 | ▲ 9.1% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Charlton County | 13,121 | ▲ 12.8% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Clinch County | 6,847 | ▲ 5.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Coffee County | 44,407 | ● 0.0% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Pierce County | 20,764 | ▲ 11.2% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
More of Georgia
Ware County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Ware County, Georgia?
4 utilities have service territory in Ware County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Georgia Power Co, Satilla Rural Elec Member Corporation, Okefenoke Rural El Member Corp, Slash Pine Elec Member Corp. The largest, Georgia Power Co, charged residential customers 15.49¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Waycross, GA in?
Waycross is in Ware County, Georgia. About 13,928 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Ware County?
3 operating plants with 85 MW of capacity. The largest is Blackwater Solar (80 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Ware County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Ware County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Bacon County.
Is Ware County adding jobs?
Employers counted 14,273 jobs in 2025 against 15,768 in 2019 (-9.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 479 to 614.
Does Ware County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Ware County. Georgia has 60 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.