Carroll County, Maryland: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Westminster, Taneytown and Mount Airy
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Carroll County. Carroll County is home to Westminster, Taneytown, most of Mount Airy (6,299 of its 9,857 residents) and Hampstead. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “One-year data center moratorium”. Construction employs 6,544, up 5.7% since 2019, and construction is 2.1 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Electrical contractors employ 1,039, up 28.9% since 2019 against up 0.7% statewide, at an average $78,992 a year. 16 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Carroll County
Carroll County is home to Westminster, Taneytown, most of Mount Airy (6,299 of its 9,857 residents) and Hampstead.
- Mount Airy also extends into Frederick County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Eldersburg.
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 Carroll County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Maryland |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 172,923 | 176,677 | ▲ 2.2% | 9th of 24 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 58,660 | 59,443 | ▲ 1.3% | 13th of 24 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,813 | $59,307 | ▲ 32.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 6,191 | 6,544 | ▲ 5.7% | 5th of 15 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 806 | 1,039 | ▲ 28.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 3.0% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 16 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 16 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Baltimore Gas & Electric Co is the largest utility serving Carroll County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.91¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.84¢ median for Maryland utilities. Employers here counted 59,443 jobs in 2025, up 1.3% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. 176,677 people live here, up 2.2% since 2020, 9th of 24 Maryland counties by population.
Who powers Carroll County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +16 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Carroll County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Gas & Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,214,100 | 17.91¢ | 21% |
| The Potomac Edison Company | Investor Owned | Bundled | 256,568 | 13.83¢ | 15% |
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 | 16 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Union Bridge Solar | Citizens Enterprises Corporation | Solar | 8 MW | 2022 |
| Bomber CSG | Hampstead Solar, LLC | Solar | 6 MW | 2021 |
| Shepherds Mill CSG | Standard Solar | Solar | 2 MW | 2021 |
The Carroll County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 59,443 | $59,307 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 6,544 | $74,647 | 2.08 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,039 | $78,992 | 2.42 |
| Data processing and hosting | 40 | $141,200 | 0.22 |
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 Carroll County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year data center moratorium | In force | 2026-02 |
Carroll County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Carroll County, York 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll County | 176,677 | ▲ 1.3% | 16 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Adams County PA | 107,594 | ▼ 5.4% | 1,088 MW | — | — | — |
| Baltimore County | 847,650 | ▼ 2.9% | 47 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Frederick County | 302,883 | ▲ 1.7% | 87 MW | — | 4 | 1 |
| Howard County | 339,183 | ▼ 0.9% | 47 MW | — | 5 | 2 |
| Montgomery County | 1,074,582 | ▼ 3.4% | 500 MW | — | 10 | 3 |
| York County PA | 473,197 | ▲ 1.3% | 6,218 MW | 157 MW | 1 | — |
More of Maryland
Carroll County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Carroll County, Maryland?
2 utilities have service territory in Carroll County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Baltimore Gas & Electric Co, The Potomac Edison Company. The largest, Baltimore Gas & Electric Co, charged residential customers 17.91¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Westminster, MD in?
Westminster is in Carroll County, Maryland. About 20,589 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Carroll County?
3 operating plants with 16 MW of capacity. The largest is Union Bridge Solar (8 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Carroll County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Carroll County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Montgomery County.
Is Carroll County adding jobs?
Employers counted 59,443 jobs in 2025 against 58,660 in 2019 (+1.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 6,191 to 6,544.
Does Carroll County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Carroll County, 1 in force.