Essex County, Massachusetts: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lynn, Lawrence and Haverhill
Essex County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Essex County, 6% of Massachusetts's total. Essex County is home to Lynn, Lawrence, Haverhill and Peabody. 5 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Ipswich MA BESS 1 LLC (battery storage), the 7th largest pipeline among Massachusetts's counties. 5 MW of it is already under construction or built. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. Construction employs 16,415, up 5.9% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Essex County
Essex County is home to Lynn, Lawrence, Haverhill and Peabody.
And 10 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Andover, Boxford, Danvers, Essex, Ipswich, Lynnfield, Marblehead, Nahant, Rockport, Rowley, Salisbury, Saugus, Swampscott, Topsfield.
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 Essex County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 807,799 | 826,653 | ▲ 2.3% | 3rd of 14 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 327,009 | 326,688 | ▼ 0.1% | 6th of 14 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $61,844 | $78,072 | ▲ 26.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15,507 | 16,415 | ▲ 5.9% | 4th of 8 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,030 | 2,175 | ▲ 7.1% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 544 | 506 | ▼ 7.0% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 343 | 275 | ▼ 19.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 4.6% | ▲ 1.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 89 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 62 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 5 MW | 0% of today's fleet | 7th of 8 by size |
Its power plants have 1,154 MW of capacity, 80% of it natural gas, the 6th largest fleet in Massachusetts. 62 MW has retired here since 2019, including General Electric Aircraft Engines (natural gas, 32 MW, 2020). 89 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly natural gas. Electrical contractors employ 2,175, up 7.1% since 2019 against up 3.4% statewide, at an average $97,663 a year. Massachusetts Electric Co is the largest utility serving Essex County, one of 10 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 33.60¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.18¢ median for Massachusetts utilities. Employers here counted 326,688 jobs in 2025, down 0.1% from 2019 (the 6th fastest growth of 14 Massachusetts counties). 826,653 people live here, up 2.3% since 2020, 3rd of 14 Massachusetts counties by population.
Who powers Essex County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +26 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Essex County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,210,113 | 33.60¢ | 24% |
| City of Peabody - (MA) | Municipal | Bundled | 22,546 | 15.71¢ | 7% |
| Town of Danvers | Municipal | Bundled | 11,594 | 16.45¢ | 11% |
| Town of Georgetown - (MA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Groveland - (MA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Ipswich - (MA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Marblehead - (MA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Merrimac - (MA) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 33
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 917 MW | 80% |
| Other technologies | 144 MW | 12% |
| Solar | 55 MW | 5% |
| Hydro | 15 MW | 1% |
| Battery storage | 8 MW | 1% |
| Petroleum | 8 MW | 1% |
| Wind | 6 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salem Harbor Power Development LP | Salem Harbor Power Development LP | Natural gas | 798 MW | 2018 |
| MMWEC Simple Cycle Gas Turbine | Massachusetts Mun Wholes Electric Co | Natural gas | 65 MW | 2024 |
| Wheelabrator Saugus | Wheelabrator Environmental Systems | Other technologies | 58 MW | 1985 |
| Covanta Haverhill | Ogden Projects Inc-Haverhill | Other technologies | 46 MW | 1989 |
| Waters River | City of Peabody - (MA) | Natural gas | 44 MW | 1990 |
| Wheelabrator North Andover | Wheelabrator Environmental Systems | Other technologies | 40 MW | 1985 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ipswich MA BESS 1 | Batteries | 5 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Ipswich MA BESS 1 LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Electric Aircraft Engines | Natural gas | 32 MW | 2020 |
| Waters River | Natural gas | 21 MW | 2026 |
| Rousselot Inc | Natural gas | 7 MW | 2023 |
| Ipswich Wind Independence | Wind | 2 MW | 2019 |
The Essex County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 326,688 | $78,072 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 16,415 | $97,946 | 0.95 |
| Electrical contractors | 2,175 | $97,663 | 0.92 |
| Electric utilities | 506 | $162,696 | 0.57 |
| Data processing and hosting | 275 | $147,424 | 0.27 |
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 Essex County
3 data centers in Essex County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Essex County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Essex County, Middlesex 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County | 826,653 | ▼ 0.1% | 1,154 MW | 5 MW | 3 | — |
| Hillsborough County NH | 433,415 | ▼ 3.2% | 63 MW | — | 8 | — |
| Middlesex County | 1,669,979 | ▼ 3.9% | 476 MW | 5 MW | 22 | 1 |
| Rockingham County NH | 324,077 | ▲ 3.8% | 3,078 MW | — | 4 | — |
| Suffolk County | 791,891 | ▲ 1.3% | 269 MW | 250 MW | 6 | — |
More of Massachusetts
Essex County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Essex County, Massachusetts?
10 utilities have service territory in Essex County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Massachusetts Electric Co, City of Peabody - (MA), Town of Danvers, Town of Georgetown - (MA). The largest, Massachusetts Electric Co, charged residential customers 33.60¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Lynn, MA in?
Lynn is in Essex County, Massachusetts. About 104,236 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Lawrence, MA in?
Lawrence is in Essex County, Massachusetts. About 89,320 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Haverhill, MA in?
Haverhill is in Essex County, Massachusetts. About 68,361 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Essex County?
33 operating plants with 1,154 MW of capacity. The largest is Salem Harbor Power Development LP (798 MW, natural gas).
How much new power is planned in Essex County?
5 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 5 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Ipswich MA BESS 1 LLC.
Are there data centers in Essex County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in Essex County.
Is Essex County adding jobs?
Employers counted 326,688 jobs in 2025 against 327,009 in 2019 (-0.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 15,507 to 16,415.
Does Essex County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Essex County. Massachusetts has 17 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.