Merrimack County, New Hampshire: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Concord, Hooksett and Franklin
The power plants that defined Merrimack County are changing. Merrimack County is home to Concord, Hooksett, Franklin and Bow. Next door, Hillsborough County has 8 data centers. Owners plan to retire 459 MW more by 2035, led by Merrimack in 2028. Construction employs 3,971, up 10.9% since 2019. Its power plants have 550 MW of capacity, 83% of it coal, the 2nd largest fleet in New Hampshire.
Cities and towns in Merrimack County
Merrimack County is home to Concord, Hooksett, Franklin and Bow.
And 3 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Blodgett Landing, Bradford, Contoocook, Henniker, Hooksett, Loudon, New London, Pittsfield, South Hooksett, Suncook, Tilton Northfield, Warner.
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 Merrimack County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Hampshire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 154,061 | 158,078 | ▲ 2.6% | 3rd of 10 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 77,824 | 76,521 | ▼ 1.7% | 6th of 10 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $53,989 | $71,003 | ▲ 31.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,581 | 3,971 | ▲ 10.9% | 5th of 5 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 388 | 373 | ▼ 3.9% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 133 | 201 | ▲ 51.1% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 279 | 289 | ▲ 3.6% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 18 | 22 | ▲ 22.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.3% | 2.5% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 76,521 jobs in 2025, down 1.7% from 2019 (the 6th fastest growth of 10 New Hampshire counties). Electrical contractors employ 373, down 3.9% since 2019 against up 21.7% statewide, at an average $79,285 a year. Public Service Co of NH is the largest utility serving Merrimack County, one of 3 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 2.5% in August 2026, against 2.3% in 2019. 158,078 people live here, up 2.6% since 2020, 3rd of 10 New Hampshire counties by population.
Who powers Merrimack County
Utilities with service territory in Merrimack 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% |
| Unitil Energy Systems | Investor Owned | Bundled | 68,602 | 23.33¢ | 24% |
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 12
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 459 MW | 83% |
| Hydro | 40 MW | 7% |
| Petroleum | 37 MW | 7% |
| Other technologies | 14 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrimack | Granite Shore Power | Coal | 496 MW | 1960 |
| Wheelabrator Concord Facility | Wheelabrator Environmental Systems | Other technologies | 14 MW | 1989 |
| Garvins Falls | Central Rivers Power NH, LLC | Hydro | 12 MW | 1925 |
| Eastman Falls | Central Rivers Power NH, LLC | Hydro | 6 MW | 1937 |
| Penacook Lower Falls | Briar-Hydro Associates | Hydro | 5 MW | 1983 |
| Rolfe Canal Hydro | Briar-Hydro Associates | Hydro | 4 MW | 1987 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merrimack | Coal | 346 MW | 2028 |
| Merrimack | Coal | 114 MW | 2027 |
The Merrimack County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 76,521 | $71,003 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,971 | $86,568 | 0.98 |
| Electrical contractors | 373 | $79,285 | 0.68 |
| Power and communication line construction | 201 | $83,794 | 1.63 |
| Electric utilities | 289 | $147,331 | 1.40 |
| Data processing and hosting | 22 | $223,043 | 0.09 |
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 Merrimack County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Merrimack County. New Hampshire has 5 local measures on record statewide.
Merrimack County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Merrimack County, Rockingham 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrimack County | 158,078 | ▼ 1.7% | 550 MW | — | — | — |
| Belknap County | 65,147 | ▼ 0.6% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Grafton County | 93,225 | ▲ 0.4% | 475 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Hillsborough County | 433,415 | ▼ 3.2% | 63 MW | — | 8 | — |
| Rockingham County | 324,077 | ▲ 3.8% | 3,078 MW | — | 4 | — |
| Strafford County | 135,043 | ▼ 4.3% | 23 MW | 20 MW | 1 | — |
| Sullivan County | 43,961 | ▲ 1.2% | 45 MW | 4 MW | — | — |
More of New Hampshire
Merrimack County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Merrimack County, New Hampshire?
3 utilities have service territory in Merrimack County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of NH, New Hampshire Elec Coop Inc, Unitil Energy Systems. The largest, Public Service Co of NH, charged residential customers 22.65¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Concord, NH in?
Concord is in Merrimack County, New Hampshire. About 44,597 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Hooksett, NH in?
Hooksett is in Merrimack County, New Hampshire. About 15,346 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Merrimack County?
12 operating plants with 550 MW of capacity. The largest is Merrimack (496 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Merrimack County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Merrimack County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Hillsborough County.
Is Merrimack County adding jobs?
Employers counted 76,521 jobs in 2025 against 77,824 in 2019 (-1.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 3,581 to 3,971.
Does Merrimack County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Merrimack County. New Hampshire has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.