Wayne County, Mississippi: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Waynesboro
Wayne County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Wayne County is home to Waynesboro. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 5.9% in 2019. Next door, Washington County, Alabama, has 438 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 4,865 jobs in 2025, down 2.1% from 2019. Mississippi Power Co is the largest utility serving Wayne County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.47¢/kWh in 2024, above the 12.78¢ median for Mississippi utilities.
Cities and towns in Wayne County
Wayne County is home to Waynesboro.
- State Line also extends into Greene County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Buckatunna, Clara.
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 Wayne County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Mississippi |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 19,809 | 19,807 | ● 0.0% | 46th of 82 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,971 | 4,865 | ▼ 2.1% | 48th of 82 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,414 | $44,553 | ▲ 22.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.9% | 3.4% | ▼ 2.5pts | — |
19,807 people live here, down 0.0% since 2020.
Who powers Wayne County
Utilities with service territory in Wayne 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% |
| Singing River Elec Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 72,343 | 13.46¢ | 24% |
| Dixie Electric Power Assn - (MS) | Cooperative | Bundled | 37,803 | 13.44¢ | 24% |
| East Mississippi Elec Pwr Assn | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,885 | 14.26¢ | 42% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in Wayne County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Wayne County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,865 | $44,553 | 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 Wayne County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Wayne County. Mississippi has 1 local measure on record statewide.
Wayne County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Wayne County, Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County | 19,807 | ▼ 2.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Choctaw County AL | 11,904 | ▼ 7.9% | 88 MW | — | — | — |
| Clarke County | 15,102 | ▼ 3.9% | 78 MW | — | — | — |
| Greene County | 13,707 | ▲ 3.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Jasper County | 15,785 | ▼ 4.3% | — | 150 MW | — | — |
| Jones County | 66,496 | ▲ 2.9% | 510 MW | — | — | — |
| Perry County | 11,577 | ▲ 0.3% | 50 MW | — | — | — |
| Washington County AL | 14,822 | ▲ 49.0% | 1,531 MW | 438 MW | — | — |
More of Mississippi
Wayne County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wayne County, Mississippi?
4 utilities have service territory in Wayne County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Mississippi Power Co, Singing River Elec Cooperative, Dixie Electric Power Assn - (MS), East Mississippi Elec Pwr Assn. The largest, Mississippi Power Co, charged residential customers 14.47¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Wayne County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Wayne County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Washington County.
Is Wayne County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,865 jobs in 2025 against 4,971 in 2019 (-2.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Wayne County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Wayne County. Mississippi has 1 local measure statewide, listed on the state page.