Hillsborough County, New Hampshire: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Manchester, Nashua and Merrimack
Hillsborough County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 8 data centers in Hillsborough County, 47% of New Hampshire's total. Hillsborough County is home to Manchester, Nashua, Merrimack and Hudson. Construction employs 9,023, up 11.5% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 1,371, up 13.5% since 2019 against up 21.7% statewide, at an average $88,120 a year. 31 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind.
Cities and towns in Hillsborough County
Hillsborough County is home to Manchester, Nashua, Merrimack and Hudson.
And 7 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Amherst, Antrim, Bennington, East Merrimack, Francestown, Goffstown, Greenville, Hancock, Hillsborough, Hudson, Klondike Corner, Milford, New Boston, Peterborough, Pinardville, Wilton.
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 Hillsborough County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Hampshire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 422,902 | 433,415 | ▲ 2.5% | 1st of 10 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 205,982 | 199,383 | ▼ 3.2% | 9th of 10 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $63,427 | $83,655 | ▲ 31.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,090 | 9,023 | ▲ 11.5% | 4th of 5 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,208 | 1,371 | ▲ 13.5% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 454 | 525 | ▲ 15.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.6% | 3.0% | ▲ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 31 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 63 MW of capacity, 46% of it wind, the 5th largest fleet in New Hampshire. Employers here counted 199,383 jobs in 2025, down 3.2% from 2019 (the 9th fastest growth of 10 New Hampshire counties). Public Service Co of NH is the largest utility serving Hillsborough County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 22.65¢/kWh in 2024, below the 23.10¢ median for New Hampshire utilities. Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 2.6% in 2019. 433,415 people live here, up 2.5% since 2020, 1st of 10 New Hampshire counties by population.
Who powers Hillsborough County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +31 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Hillsborough 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% |
| Liberty Utilities (Granite State Electri | Investor Owned | Bundled | 39,667 | 22.87¢ | 33% |
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 9
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 29 MW | 46% |
| Hydro | 27 MW | 43% |
| Other technologies | 2 MW | 4% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 4% |
| Petroleum | 2 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Antrim Wind | Antrim Wind Energy LLC | Wind | 29 MW | 2019 |
| Amoskeag | Central Rivers Power NH, LLC | Hydro | 16 MW | 1922 |
| Gregg Falls | Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC | Hydro | 4 MW | 1985 |
| Jackman | Central Rivers Power NH, LLC | Hydro | 3 MW | 1926 |
| Mine Falls Generating Station | City of Nashua - (NH) | Hydro | 3 MW | 1985 |
| Nashua Plant | NextEra Renewable Fuels, LLC | Other technologies | 2 MW | 1996 |
The Hillsborough County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 199,383 | $83,655 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 9,023 | $90,626 | 0.85 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,371 | $88,120 | 0.95 |
| Power and communication line construction | 90 | $113,951 | 0.28 |
| Electric utilities | 235 | $146,996 | 0.44 |
| Data processing and hosting | 525 | $140,530 | 0.85 |
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 Hillsborough County
8 data centers in Hillsborough County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Hillsborough County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Hillsborough 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hillsborough County | 433,415 | ▼ 3.2% | 63 MW | — | 8 | — |
| Cheshire County | 78,269 | ▼ 3.1% | — | — | 2 | — |
| Essex County MA | 826,653 | ▼ 0.1% | 1,154 MW | 5 MW | 3 | — |
| Merrimack County | 158,078 | ▼ 1.7% | 550 MW | — | — | — |
| Middlesex County MA | 1,669,979 | ▼ 3.9% | 476 MW | 5 MW | 22 | 1 |
| Rockingham County | 324,077 | ▲ 3.8% | 3,078 MW | — | 4 | — |
| Sullivan County | 43,961 | ▲ 1.2% | 45 MW | 4 MW | — | — |
| Worcester County MA | 888,502 | ▲ 0.9% | 1,956 MW | 205 MW | 8 | — |
More of New Hampshire
Hillsborough County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire?
2 utilities have service territory in Hillsborough County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of NH, Liberty Utilities (Granite State Electri. The largest, Public Service Co of NH, charged residential customers 22.65¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Manchester, NH in?
Manchester is in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire. About 116,818 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Nashua, NH in?
Nashua is in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire. About 92,435 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Merrimack, NH in?
Merrimack is in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire. About 29,699 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Hillsborough County?
9 operating plants with 63 MW of capacity. The largest is Antrim Wind (29 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Hillsborough County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 8 data centers in Hillsborough County.
Is Hillsborough County adding jobs?
Employers counted 199,383 jobs in 2025 against 205,982 in 2019 (-3.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 8,090 to 9,023.
Does Hillsborough County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Hillsborough County. New Hampshire has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.