Monmouth County, New Jersey: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Middletown Township and Howell Township, and the communities of Allenwood and West Freehold
Monmouth County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 6 data centers in Monmouth County, 5% of New Jersey's total. Monmouth County is home to Middletown Township, Howell Township, Marlboro Township and Manalapan Township, plus the unincorporated communities of Allenwood and West Freehold. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “Proposed ordinance prohibiting data centers in all zones”. Electrical contractors employ 2,743, up 49.3% since 2019 against up 8.8% statewide, at an average $87,115 a year. Construction employs 16,583, up 12.6% since 2019.
Cities and towns in Monmouth County
Monmouth County is home to Middletown Township, Howell Township, Marlboro Township and Manalapan Township, plus the unincorporated communities of Allenwood and West Freehold.
And 16 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Allenwood, West Freehold, Belford, Cliffwood Beach, Cream Ridge, East Freehold, Fairview, Leonardo, Lincroft, Morganville, Navesink, North Middletown, Oakhurst, Ocean Grove, Port Monmouth, Ramtown, Robertsville, Shark River Hills, Strathmore, Wanamassa, West Belmar, Yorketown.
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 Monmouth County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Jersey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 642,385 | 651,035 | ▲ 1.3% | 6th of 21 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 264,831 | 279,012 | ▲ 5.4% | 5th of 21 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $56,701 | $74,435 | ▲ 31.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 14,728 | 16,583 | ▲ 12.6% | 5th of 16 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,837 | 2,743 | ▲ 49.3% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 34 | 60 | ▲ 76.5% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 567 | 733 | ▲ 29.3% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,014 | 590 | ▼ 41.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 4.2% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 45 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 10 MW | — |
10 MW has retired here since 2019, including Monmouth Landfill Gas to Energy (other technologies, 10 MW, 2019). Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. 45 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Owners plan to retire 3 MW more by 2035, led by IFF Hazlet in 2028. Employers here counted 279,012 jobs in 2025, up 5.4% from 2019 (the 5th fastest growth of 21 New Jersey counties). Its power plants have 135 MW of capacity, 93% of it solar. Public Service Elec & Gas Co is the largest utility serving Monmouth County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 20.42¢/kWh in 2024. 651,035 people live here, up 1.3% since 2020, 6th of 21 New Jersey counties by population.
Who powers Monmouth County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +35 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Monmouth County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Service Elec & Gas Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 2,056,231 | 20.42¢ | 41% |
| 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 26
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 126 MW | 93% |
| Battery storage | 7 MW | 5% |
| Natural gas | 2 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Moreell Solar Farm | MN8 Energy LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2020 |
| Tinton Falls Solar Farm | Tinton Falls Solar | Solar | 16 MW | 2012 |
| NorthPark Solar | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 11 MW | 2016 |
| New Road Solar, LLC | NJR Clean Energy Ventures Corporation | Solar | 10 MW | 2018 |
| Old Bridge Solar Farm | NJR Clean Energy Ventures Corporation | Solar | 9 MW | 2018 |
| Rock Solid | NJR Clean Energy Ventures Corporation | Solar | 8 MW | 2014 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monmouth Landfill Gas to Energy | Other technologies | 10 MW | 2019 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| IFF Hazlet | Solar | 3 MW | 2028 |
The Monmouth County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 279,012 | $74,435 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 16,583 | $94,277 | 1.12 |
| Electrical contractors | 2,743 | $87,115 | 1.36 |
| Power and communication line construction | 60 | $80,779 | 0.13 |
| Electric utilities | 733 | $158,032 | 0.97 |
| Data processing and hosting | 590 | $127,511 | 0.68 |
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 Monmouth County
6 data centers in Monmouth County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed ordinance prohibiting data centers in all zones | Proposed | 2026-09 |
Monmouth County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Monmouth 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monmouth County | 651,035 | ▲ 5.4% | 135 MW | — | 6 | 1 |
| Burlington County | 481,439 | ▲ 6.4% | 429 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Mercer County | 399,289 | ▲ 0.6% | 121 MW | 1 MW | 3 | — |
| Middlesex County | 883,335 | ▲ 0.4% | 3,067 MW | 16 MW | 20 | — |
| Ocean County | 673,746 | ▲ 12.1% | 872 MW | — | 4 | — |
More of New Jersey
Monmouth County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Monmouth County, New Jersey?
2 utilities have service territory in Monmouth County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Elec & Gas Co, Jersey Central Power & Lt Co. The largest, Public Service Elec & Gas Co, charged residential customers 20.42¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Middletown Township, NJ in?
Middletown Township is in Monmouth County, New Jersey. About 67,135 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Howell Township, NJ in?
Howell Township is in Monmouth County, New Jersey. About 55,156 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Marlboro Township, NJ in?
Marlboro Township is in Monmouth County, New Jersey. About 42,254 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Monmouth County?
26 operating plants with 135 MW of capacity. The largest is Ben Moreell Solar Farm (20 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Monmouth County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 6 data centers in Monmouth County.
Is Monmouth County adding jobs?
Employers counted 279,012 jobs in 2025 against 264,831 in 2019 (+5.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 14,728 to 16,583.
Does Monmouth County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Monmouth County, 0 in force.