Hampshire County, Massachusetts: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Amherst Town, Northampton and South Hadley
No data center or power plant project is on record in Hampshire County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Hampshire County is home to Amherst Town, Northampton, South Hadley and Easthampton. Next door, Worcester County has 8 data centers and 205 MW of planned generation. 0 MW has retired here since 2019, including Amherst College Co Gen (natural gas, 0 MW, 2021). 100 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Hampshire County
Hampshire County is home to Amherst Town, Northampton, South Hadley and Easthampton.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Belchertown, Granby, Hatfield, Huntington, Ware.
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 Hampshire County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 148,597 | 164,065 | ▲ 10.4% | 10th of 14 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 66,408 | 64,889 | ▼ 2.3% | 10th of 14 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $50,746 | $62,831 | ▲ 23.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 3.9% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 100 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Owners plan to retire 1 MW more by 2035, led by Amherst College Co Gen in 2029. Its power plants have 160 MW of capacity, 64% of it solar. 164,065 people live here, up 10.4% since 2020, 10th of 14 Massachusetts counties by population. Employers here counted 64,889 jobs in 2025, down 2.3% from 2019 (the 10th fastest growth of 14 Massachusetts counties). NSTAR Electric Company is the largest utility serving Hampshire County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 29.91¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.18¢ median for Massachusetts utilities.
Who powers Hampshire County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +100 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Hampshire County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSTAR Electric Company | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,303,076 | 29.91¢ | 27% |
| Massachusetts Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,210,113 | 33.60¢ | 24% |
| Town of South Hadley - (MA) | — | — | — | — | — |
| University of Massachusetts Amherst | — | — | — | — | — |
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 38
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 102 MW | 64% |
| Battery storage | 31 MW | 19% |
| Natural gas | 24 MW | 15% |
| Other technologies | 3 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central Heating Plant | University of Massachusetts Amherst | Natural gas | 20 MW | 2007 |
| Beacon Solar, LLC | Agilitas Energy, Inc. | Battery storage | 10 MW | 2022 |
| West Haydenville PJ Community Solar | AES Distributed Energy | Battery storage | 9 MW | 2022 |
| CED Northampton Solar LLC Hybrid | RWE Clean Energy | Battery storage | 7 MW | 2019 |
| Montague Road Solar | Montague Road Solar, LLC | Solar | 6 MW | 2019 |
| Syncarpha Northampton Hybrid CSG | Syncarpha Northampton, LLC | Battery storage | 6 MW | 2020 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst College Co Gen | Natural gas | 0 MW | 2021 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst College Co Gen | Natural gas | 1 MW | 2029 |
The Hampshire County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 64,889 | $62,831 | 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 Hampshire County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Hampshire County. Massachusetts has 17 local measures on record statewide.
Hampshire County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Hampshire County, Worcester 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hampshire County | 164,065 | ▼ 2.3% | 160 MW | — | — | — |
| Berkshire County | 128,224 | ▼ 5.4% | 1,024 MW | — | — | — |
| Franklin County | 70,698 | ▼ 6.8% | 1,334 MW | — | — | — |
| Hampden County | 464,338 | ▼ 5.3% | 1,420 MW | 10 MW | 7 | — |
| Worcester County | 888,502 | ▲ 0.9% | 1,956 MW | 205 MW | 8 | — |
More of Massachusetts
Hampshire County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hampshire County, Massachusetts?
4 utilities have service territory in Hampshire County in the EIA-861 2024 report: NSTAR Electric Company, Massachusetts Electric Co, Town of South Hadley - (MA), University of Massachusetts Amherst. The largest, NSTAR Electric Company, charged residential customers 29.91¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Amherst Town, MA in?
Amherst Town is in Hampshire County, Massachusetts. About 40,920 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Northampton, MA in?
Northampton is in Hampshire County, Massachusetts. About 31,047 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is South Hadley, MA in?
South Hadley is in Hampshire County, Massachusetts. About 17,768 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Hampshire County?
38 operating plants with 160 MW of capacity. The largest is Central Heating Plant (20 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Hampshire County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hampshire County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Worcester County.
Is Hampshire County adding jobs?
Employers counted 64,889 jobs in 2025 against 66,408 in 2019 (-2.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Hampshire County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Hampshire County. Massachusetts has 17 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.