Hunterdon County, New Jersey: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Raritan Township, Readington Township and Clinton Township
Hunterdon County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Hunterdon County is home to Raritan Township, Readington Township, Clinton Township and Union Township. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “Raritan Township ordinance adding data centers to prohibited uses”. Construction employs 3,562, up 18.9% since 2019, and construction is 1.4 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. 44 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Hunterdon County
Hunterdon County is home to Raritan Township, Readington Township, Clinton Township and Union Township.
And 2 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Annandale, Neshanic Station, Oldwick, Pottersville, Ringoes, Three Bridges, White House Station.
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 Hunterdon County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Jersey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 128,773 | 131,781 | ▲ 2.3% | 18th of 21 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 48,067 | 47,458 | ▼ 1.3% | 19th of 21 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $65,810 | $76,157 | ▲ 15.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,995 | 3,562 | ▲ 18.9% | 2nd of 16 by growth |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 37 | 15 | ▼ 59.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.7% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 44 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 614 MW of capacity, 83% of it natural gas, the 9th largest fleet in New Jersey. Jersey Central Power & Lt Co is the largest utility serving Hunterdon County. Its residential customers paid an average 15.65¢/kWh in 2024, below the 20.42¢ median for New Jersey utilities. Employers here counted 47,458 jobs in 2025, down 1.3% from 2019. 131,781 people live here, up 2.3% since 2020.
Who powers Hunterdon County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +44 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Hunterdon County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jersey Central Power & Lt Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,038,258 | 15.65¢ | 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 17
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 512 MW | 83% |
| Solar | 82 MW | 13% |
| Battery storage | 20 MW | 3% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gilbert | Gilbert Power, LLC | Natural gas | 512 MW | 1974 |
| Justin Court Energy Storage | VESI 23 LLC | Battery storage | 20 MW | 2024 |
| Quakertown Solar Farm II | NJR Clean Energy Ventures Corporation | Solar | 9 MW | 2025 |
| Quakertown Solar Farm, LLC | NJR Clean Energy Ventures Corporation | Solar | 9 MW | 2018 |
| Raritan Solar - 53 Highway | NJR Clean Energy Ventures Corporation | Solar | 8 MW | 2018 |
| Flemington Solar | RWE Clean Energy | Solar | 8 MW | 2011 |
The Hunterdon County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 47,458 | $76,157 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,562 | $97,405 | 1.42 |
| Electric utilities | 66 | $219,464 | 0.51 |
| Data processing and hosting | 15 | $124,178 | 0.10 |
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 Hunterdon County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Raritan Township ordinance adding data centers to prohibited uses | In force | 2026-09 |
Hunterdon County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Hunterdon County, Somerset 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hunterdon County | 131,781 | ▼ 1.3% | 614 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Bucks County PA | 647,828 | ▲ 3.0% | 2,027 MW | — | 2 | 1 |
| Mercer County | 399,289 | ▲ 0.6% | 121 MW | 1 MW | 3 | — |
| Morris County | 524,251 | ▲ 2.5% | 71 MW | — | 3 | 2 |
| Somerset County | 356,486 | ▲ 1.4% | 67 MW | 3 MW | 21 | — |
| Warren County | 112,953 | ▲ 3.5% | 576 MW | — | — | 2 |
More of New Jersey
Hunterdon County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hunterdon County, New Jersey?
1 utility has service territory in Hunterdon County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Jersey Central Power & Lt Co. The largest, Jersey Central Power & Lt Co, charged residential customers 15.65¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Raritan Township, NJ in?
Raritan Township is in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. About 25,281 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Readington Township, NJ in?
Readington Township is in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. About 16,406 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Clinton Township, NJ in?
Clinton Township is in Hunterdon County, New Jersey. About 13,412 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Hunterdon County?
17 operating plants with 614 MW of capacity. The largest is Gilbert (512 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Hunterdon County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hunterdon County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Somerset County.
Is Hunterdon County adding jobs?
Employers counted 47,458 jobs in 2025 against 48,067 in 2019 (-1.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,995 to 3,562.
Does Hunterdon County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Hunterdon County, 1 in force.