Strafford County, New Hampshire: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Dover, Rochester and Durham
Strafford County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Strafford County, 6% of New Hampshire's total. Strafford County is home to Dover, Rochester, Durham and Somersworth. 20 MW of new generation is planned here across 1 unit, led by Walden Renewables Development LLC (solar), the largest pipeline among New Hampshire's counties. 20 MW of it is already under construction or built. Electrical contractors employ 489, up 32.5% since 2019 against up 21.7% statewide, at an average $76,049 a year. Construction employs 1,761, up 18.1% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Strafford County
Strafford County is home to Dover, Rochester, Durham and Somersworth.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Durham, Farmington, Milton, Milton Mills.
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 Strafford County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Hampshire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 131,084 | 135,043 | ▲ 3.0% | 4th of 10 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 48,710 | 46,615 | ▼ 4.3% | 10th of 10 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $53,812 | $67,546 | ▲ 25.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,491 | 1,761 | ▲ 18.1% | 3rd of 5 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 369 | 489 | ▲ 32.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.3% | 2.6% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 20 MW | 86% of today's fleet | 1st of 2 by size |
2 MW has retired here since 2019, including General Electric Great Falls Upper Hydro (hydro, 2 MW, 2023). 2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Employers here counted 46,615 jobs in 2025, down 4.3% from 2019 (the 10th fastest growth of 10 New Hampshire counties). Its power plants have 23 MW of capacity, 74% of it other technologies, the 8th largest fleet in New Hampshire. Public Service Co of NH is the largest utility serving Strafford 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 2.6% in August 2026, against 2.3% in 2019. 135,043 people live here, up 3.0% since 2020, 4th of 10 New Hampshire counties by population.
Who powers Strafford County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −0 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Strafford 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% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 17 MW | 74% |
| Hydro | 4 MW | 18% |
| Solar | 2 MW | 9% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnkey Landfill Gas Recovery | WM Renewable Energy LLC | Other technologies | 9 MW | 1992 |
| UNH 7.9 MW Plant | Emcor Energy Services | Other technologies | 8 MW | 2006 |
| Blackwater Rd Solar | Blackwater Rd Solar LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2025 |
| Milton Hydro | SFR Hydro Cor | Hydro | 1 MW | 1914 |
| Rollinsford | Green Mountain Power Corp | Hydro | 1 MW | 1986 |
| Somersworth Lower Great Dam | Green Mountain Power Corp | Hydro | 1 MW | 1985 |
Planned generation 1
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nutes Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 20 MW | Under construction (≤50%) | 2026 | Walden Renewables Development LLC |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Electric Great Falls Upper Hydro | Hydro | 2 MW | 2023 |
The Strafford County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 46,615 | $67,546 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,761 | $77,872 | 0.71 |
| Electrical contractors | 489 | $76,049 | 1.45 |
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 Strafford County
1 data center in Strafford County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Strafford County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Strafford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strafford County | 135,043 | ▼ 4.3% | 23 MW | 20 MW | 1 | — |
| Belknap County | 65,147 | ▼ 0.6% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Carroll County | 52,784 | ▼ 0.7% | 44 MW | — | — | — |
| Merrimack County | 158,078 | ▼ 1.7% | 550 MW | — | — | — |
| Rockingham County | 324,077 | ▲ 3.8% | 3,078 MW | — | 4 | — |
| York County ME | 222,434 | ▲ 6.8% | 158 MW | 271 MW | — | — |
More of New Hampshire
Strafford County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Strafford County, New Hampshire?
2 utilities have service territory in Strafford County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Co of NH, New Hampshire Elec Coop Inc. The largest, Public Service Co of NH, charged residential customers 22.65¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Dover, NH in?
Dover is in Strafford County, New Hampshire. About 34,623 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Rochester, NH in?
Rochester is in Strafford County, New Hampshire. About 33,716 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Durham, NH in?
Durham is in Strafford County, New Hampshire. About 15,346 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Strafford County?
6 operating plants with 23 MW of capacity. The largest is Turnkey Landfill Gas Recovery (9 MW, other technologies).
How much new power is planned in Strafford County?
20 MW across 1 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 20 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Walden Renewables Development LLC.
Are there data centers in Strafford County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Strafford County.
Is Strafford County adding jobs?
Employers counted 46,615 jobs in 2025 against 48,710 in 2019 (-4.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,491 to 1,761.
Does Strafford County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Strafford County. New Hampshire has 5 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.