Belknap County, New Hampshire: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Laconia, Gilford and Belmont
No data center or power plant project is on record in Belknap County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Belknap County is home to Laconia, Gilford, Belmont and Meredith. Next door, Grafton County has 2 data centers. Electrical contractors employ 258, up 7.5% since 2019 against up 21.7% statewide, at an average $85,380 a year. Its power plants have 4 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro, the 9th largest fleet in New Hampshire. Public Service Co of NH is the largest utility serving Belknap County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 22.65¢/kWh in 2024, below the 23.10¢ median for New Hampshire utilities.
Cities and towns in Belknap County
Belknap County is home to Laconia, Gilford, Belmont and Meredith.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Alton, Belmont, Meredith, New Hampton, Tilton Northfield.
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 Belknap County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Hampshire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 63,779 | 65,147 | ▲ 2.1% | 7th of 10 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 26,081 | 25,915 | ▼ 0.6% | 4th of 10 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,411 | $57,397 | ▲ 29.2% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 240 | 258 | ▲ 7.5% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 89 | 104 | ▲ 16.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 2.5% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 25,915 jobs in 2025, down 0.6% from 2019 (the 4th fastest growth of 10 New Hampshire counties). Unemployment was 2.5% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019. 65,147 people live here, up 2.1% since 2020, 7th of 10 New Hampshire counties by population.
Who powers Belknap County
Utilities with service territory in Belknap County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Service Co of NH | Investor Owned | Bundled | 459,907 | 22.65¢ | 20% |
| New Hampshire Elec Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 74,144 | 23.83¢ | 20% |
| New Hampton Village Precinct | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Wolfeboro - (NH) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 4 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clement Dam Hydro LLC | Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC | Hydro | 2 MW | 1984 |
| Lochmere Hydroelectric Plant | Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC | Hydro | 1 MW | 1984 |
The Belknap County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 25,915 | $57,397 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 258 | $85,380 | 1.38 |
| Electric utilities | 104 | $120,870 | 1.48 |
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 Belknap County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Belknap County. New Hampshire has 5 local measures on record statewide.
Belknap County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Belknap County, Grafton 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belknap County | 65,147 | ▼ 0.6% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Carroll County | 52,784 | ▼ 0.7% | 44 MW | — | — | — |
| Grafton County | 93,225 | ▲ 0.4% | 475 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Merrimack County | 158,078 | ▼ 1.7% | 550 MW | — | — | — |
| Strafford County | 135,043 | ▼ 4.3% | 23 MW | 20 MW | 1 | — |
More of New Hampshire
Belknap County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Belknap County, New Hampshire?
4 utilities have service territory in Belknap County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of NH, New Hampshire Elec Coop Inc, New Hampton Village Precinct, Town of Wolfeboro - (NH). The largest, Public Service Co of NH, charged residential customers 22.65¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Laconia, NH in?
Laconia is in Belknap County, New Hampshire. About 17,246 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Belknap County?
2 operating plants with 4 MW of capacity. The largest is Clement Dam Hydro LLC (2 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Belknap County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Belknap County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Grafton County.
Is Belknap County adding jobs?
Employers counted 25,915 jobs in 2025 against 26,081 in 2019 (-0.6%, BLS QCEW).
Does Belknap County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Belknap County. New Hampshire has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.