Rockingham County, New Hampshire: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Derry and Salem, and the communities of Exeter
The data center boom is not abstract in Rockingham County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 4 data centers in Rockingham County, 24% of New Hampshire's total. Rockingham County is home to Derry, Salem, Londonderry and Portsmouth, plus the unincorporated community of Exeter. Its power plants have 3,078 MW of capacity, 46% of it natural gas, the largest fleet in New Hampshire. Construction employs 8,615, up 18.4% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 951, up 24.5% since 2019 against up 21.7% statewide, at an average $81,186 a year.
Cities and towns in Rockingham County
Rockingham County is home to Derry, Salem, Londonderry and Portsmouth, plus the unincorporated community of Exeter.
And 13 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Exeter, Derry, Epping, Hampton, Hampton Beach, Londonderry, Newfields, Newmarket, Raymond, Seabrook Beach.
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 Rockingham County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Hampshire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 314,633 | 324,077 | ▲ 3.0% | 2nd of 10 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 151,683 | 157,506 | ▲ 3.8% | 1st of 10 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $57,738 | $76,187 | ▲ 32.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,274 | 8,615 | ▲ 18.4% | 2nd of 5 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 764 | 951 | ▲ 24.5% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 252 | 338 | ▲ 34.1% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 626 | 525 | ▼ 16.1% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 232 | 729 | ▲ 214.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.8% | 2.9% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 150 MW | — |
150 MW has retired here since 2019, including Schiller (coal, 100 MW, 2025). Employers here counted 157,506 jobs in 2025, up 3.8% from 2019 (the fastest growth of 10 New Hampshire counties). Public Service Co of NH is the largest utility serving Rockingham 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. Unemployment was 2.9% in August 2026, against 2.8% in 2019. 324,077 people live here, up 3.0% since 2020, 2nd of 10 New Hampshire counties by population.
Who powers Rockingham County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −150 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Rockingham 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% |
| 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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 1,400 MW | 46% |
| Nuclear | 1,242 MW | 40% |
| Petroleum | 435 MW | 14% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seabrook | NextEra Energy Seabrook LLC | Nuclear | 1,242 MW | 1990 |
| Granite Ridge | Granite Ridge Energy LLC | Natural gas | 790 MW | 2003 |
| Newington Energy Center | Essential Power Operating Services, LLC | Natural gas | 606 MW | 2002 |
| Newington | Granite Shore Power | Petroleum | 414 MW | 1974 |
| Schiller | Granite Shore Power | Petroleum | 21 MW | 1970 |
| Hampton Facility | Foss Manufacturing Company LLC | Natural gas | 5 MW | 2000 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Schiller | Coal | 100 MW | 2025 |
| Schiller | Other technologies | 50 MW | 2025 |
The Rockingham County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 157,506 | $76,187 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 8,615 | $89,040 | 1.03 |
| Electrical contractors | 951 | $81,186 | 0.84 |
| Power and communication line construction | 338 | $137,693 | 1.33 |
| Electric utilities | 525 | $160,747 | 1.23 |
| Data processing and hosting | 729 | $71,862 | 1.49 |
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 Rockingham County
4 data centers in Rockingham County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Rockingham County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Rockingham County, Hillsborough 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rockingham County | 324,077 | ▲ 3.8% | 3,078 MW | — | 4 | — |
| Essex County MA | 826,653 | ▼ 0.1% | 1,154 MW | 5 MW | 3 | — |
| Hillsborough County | 433,415 | ▼ 3.2% | 63 MW | — | 8 | — |
| Merrimack County | 158,078 | ▼ 1.7% | 550 MW | — | — | — |
| Strafford County | 135,043 | ▼ 4.3% | 23 MW | 20 MW | 1 | — |
| York County ME | 222,434 | ▲ 6.8% | 158 MW | 271 MW | — | — |
More of New Hampshire
Rockingham County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Rockingham County, New Hampshire?
4 utilities have service territory in Rockingham County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of NH, New Hampshire Elec Coop Inc, Unitil Energy Systems, 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 Derry, NH in?
Derry is in Rockingham County, New Hampshire. About 33,990 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Salem, NH in?
Salem is in Rockingham County, New Hampshire. About 31,868 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Londonderry, NH in?
Londonderry is in Rockingham County, New Hampshire. About 27,844 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Rockingham County?
6 operating plants with 3,078 MW of capacity. The largest is Seabrook (1,242 MW, nuclear).
Are there data centers in Rockingham County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 4 data centers in Rockingham County.
Is Rockingham County adding jobs?
Employers counted 157,506 jobs in 2025 against 151,683 in 2019 (+3.8%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 7,274 to 8,615.
Does Rockingham County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Rockingham County. New Hampshire has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.