Hancock County, Mississippi: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bay St. Louis, Diamondhead and Waveland
No data center or power plant project is on record in Hancock County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Hancock County is home to Bay St. Louis, Diamondhead and Waveland. Construction employs 616, up 40.0% since 2019. Unemployment was 2.6% in August 2026, against 4.8% in 2019. Next door, St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana, has 2 data centers. 78 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Hancock County
Hancock County is home to Bay St. Louis, Diamondhead and Waveland.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Kiln, Pearlington.
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 Hancock County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Mississippi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 46,121 | 46,873 | ▲ 1.6% | 16th of 82 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,596 | 14,474 | ▲ 6.5% | 19th of 82 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $50,119 | $61,887 | ▲ 23.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 440 | 616 | ▲ 40.0% | 13th of 45 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.8% | 2.6% | ▼ 2.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 78 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 14,474 jobs in 2025, up 6.5% from 2019. Its power plants have 78 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Mississippi Power Co is the largest utility serving Hancock County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.47¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.78¢ median for Mississippi utilities. 46,873 people live here, up 1.6% since 2020.
Who powers Hancock County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +78 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Hancock County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 157,437 | 14.47¢ | 30% |
| Coast Electric Power Assn - (MS) | Cooperative | Bundled | 82,510 | 13.81¢ | 23% |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 78 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moonshot | Moonshot Solar, LLC | Solar | 78 MW | 2024 |
The Hancock County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 14,474 | $61,887 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 616 | $69,268 | 0.80 |
| Data processing and hosting | 13 | $95,994 | 0.29 |
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 Hancock County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Hancock County. Mississippi has 1 local measure on record statewide.
Hancock County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Hancock County, Harrison 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock County | 46,873 | ▲ 6.5% | 78 MW | — | — | — |
| Harrison County | 217,136 | ▲ 4.0% | 923 MW | — | — | — |
| Pearl River County | 59,363 | ▲ 10.0% | — | — | — | — |
| St. Tammany Parish LA | 279,108 | ▲ 8.2% | — | — | 2 | — |
| Stone County | 19,654 | ▲ 11.6% | — | — | — | — |
More of Mississippi
Hancock County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hancock County, Mississippi?
2 utilities have service territory in Hancock County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Mississippi Power Co, Coast Electric Power Assn - (MS). The largest, Mississippi Power Co, charged residential customers 14.47¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Bay St. Louis, MS in?
Bay St. Louis is in Hancock County, Mississippi. About 10,634 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Hancock County?
1 operating plant with 78 MW of capacity. The largest is Moonshot (78 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Hancock County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hancock County. The nearest activity on record is next door in St. Tammany Parish.
Is Hancock County adding jobs?
Employers counted 14,474 jobs in 2025 against 13,596 in 2019 (+6.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 440 to 616.
Does Hancock County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Hancock County. Mississippi has 1 local measure statewide, listed on the state page.