Passaic County, New Jersey: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Paterson, Clifton and Passaic
The data center boom is not abstract in Passaic County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 6 data centers in Passaic County, 5% of New Jersey's total. Passaic County is home to Paterson, Clifton, Passaic and Wayne Township. Unemployment was 5.5% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. Construction employs 7,785, down 3.9% since 2019. 2 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in Passaic County
Passaic County is home to Paterson, Clifton, Passaic and Wayne Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Great Notch, Hewitt, Macopin, Montclair State University, Newfoundland, Oak Ridge, Packanack Lake, Pines Lake, Preakness, Singac, Upper Greenwood Lake, William Paterson University of New Jersey.
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 Passaic County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in New Jersey |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 523,156 | 531,624 | ▲ 1.6% | 9th of 21 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 165,696 | 174,268 | ▲ 5.2% | 6th of 21 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $54,169 | $64,775 | ▲ 19.6% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 8,104 | 7,785 | ▼ 3.9% | 13th of 16 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,548 | 1,314 | ▼ 15.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 5.5% | ▲ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Employers here counted 174,268 jobs in 2025, up 5.2% from 2019 (the 6th fastest growth of 21 New Jersey counties). Its power plants have 39 MW of capacity, 38% of it hydro. Public Service Elec & Gas Co is the largest utility serving Passaic County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 20.42¢/kWh in 2024. Electrical contractors employ 1,314, down 15.1% since 2019 against up 8.8% statewide, at an average $93,030 a year. 531,624 people live here, up 1.6% since 2020, 9th of 21 New Jersey counties by population.
Who powers Passaic County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Passaic 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% |
| Rockland Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 66,360 | 21.04¢ | 31% |
| Borough of Butler - (NJ) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 7
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 15 MW | 38% |
| Natural gas | 12 MW | 30% |
| Solar | 6 MW | 16% |
| Petroleum | 6 MW | 16% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Falls Hydro Project | Eagle Creek Renewable Energy, LLC | Hydro | 12 MW | 1985 |
| Montclair State University Cogen | Cartier Energy, LLC | Natural gas | 12 MW | 2013 |
| St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center (NJ) | St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center (NJ) | Petroleum | 6 MW | 2001 |
| St. Josephs Wayne | Madison Energy Investments LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2026 |
| Passaic Valley Water Commission | Passaic Valley Water Comm | Hydro | 2 MW | 1935 |
| William Paterson University | Nautilus Solar WPU LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2010 |
The Passaic County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 174,268 | $64,775 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 7,785 | $87,186 | 0.84 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,314 | $93,030 | 1.05 |
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 Passaic County
6 data centers in Passaic County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Passaic County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Passaic County, Orange 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passaic County | 531,624 | ▲ 5.2% | 39 MW | — | 6 | — |
| Bergen County | 977,026 | ▼ 1.6% | 1,432 MW | — | 7 | 1 |
| Essex County | 896,379 | ▲ 2.2% | 865 MW | — | 11 | 1 |
| Morris County | 524,251 | ▲ 2.5% | 71 MW | — | 3 | 2 |
| Orange County NY | 417,669 | ▲ 4.5% | 2,754 MW | 178 MW | — | — |
| Rockland County NY | 357,397 | ▲ 6.5% | 1,324 MW | — | 9 | — |
| Sussex County | 148,063 | ▲ 2.0% | 74 MW | 6 MW | 3 | 3 |
More of New Jersey
Passaic County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Passaic County, New Jersey?
4 utilities have service territory in Passaic County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Public Service Elec & Gas Co, Jersey Central Power & Lt Co, Rockland Electric Co, Borough of Butler - (NJ). The largest, Public Service Elec & Gas Co, charged residential customers 20.42¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Paterson, NJ in?
Paterson is in Passaic County, New Jersey. About 161,793 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Clifton, NJ in?
Clifton is in Passaic County, New Jersey. About 91,127 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Passaic, NJ in?
Passaic is in Passaic County, New Jersey. About 71,337 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Passaic County?
7 operating plants with 39 MW of capacity. The largest is Great Falls Hydro Project (12 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Passaic County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 6 data centers in Passaic County.
Is Passaic County adding jobs?
Employers counted 174,268 jobs in 2025 against 165,696 in 2019 (+5.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 8,104 to 7,785.
Does Passaic County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Passaic County. New Jersey has 108 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.