Bedford County, Pennsylvania: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bedford Township, West Providence Township and East St. Clair Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Bedford County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Bedford County is home to Bedford Township, West Providence Township, East St. Clair Township and Bedford. Construction employs 1,306, up 24.0% since 2019, and construction is 1.5 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 4.9% in 2019. Employers here counted 16,405 jobs in 2025, up 5.4% from 2019 (the 4th fastest growth of 67 Pennsylvania counties). FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co is the largest utility serving Bedford County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.37¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.30¢ median for Pennsylvania utilities.
Cities and towns in Bedford County
Bedford County is home to Bedford Township, West Providence Township, East St. Clair Township and Bedford.
And 14 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Defiance, Earlston, Stonerstown.
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 Bedford County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 47,569 | 47,480 | ▼ 0.2% | 45th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15,560 | 16,405 | ▲ 5.4% | 4th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,430 | $50,559 | ▲ 35.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,053 | 1,306 | ▲ 24.0% | 6th of 62 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.9% | 3.7% | ▼ 1.2pts | — |
47,480 people live here, down 0.2% since 2020.
Who powers Bedford County
Utilities with service territory in Bedford County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,802,612 | 17.37¢ | 16% |
| Valley Rural Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,180 | 14.87¢ | 27% |
| Somerset Rural Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 12,322 | 13.96¢ | 27% |
| Bedford Rural Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,837 | 14.55¢ | 14% |
| New Enterprise R E C, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in Bedford County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Bedford County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 16,405 | $50,559 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,306 | $77,411 | 1.50 |
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 Bedford County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Bedford County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures on record statewide.
Bedford County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Bedford County, Cambria 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford County | 47,480 | ▲ 5.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Allegany County MD | 66,848 | ▼ 8.2% | 75 MW | — | — | — |
| Blair County | 119,541 | ▼ 0.1% | 252 MW | — | — | — |
| Cambria County | 128,968 | ▼ 7.1% | 1,834 MW | — | — | — |
| Fulton County | 14,483 | ▼ 9.2% | 70 MW | — | — | — |
| Huntingdon County | 43,001 | ▲ 0.3% | 24 MW | — | — | — |
| Somerset County | 72,004 | ▼ 4.3% | 443 MW | 15 MW | — | — |
More of Pennsylvania
Bedford County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Bedford County, Pennsylvania?
5 utilities have service territory in Bedford County in the EIA-861 2024 report: FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, Valley Rural Electric Coop Inc, Somerset Rural Elec Coop, Inc, Bedford Rural Elec Coop, Inc. The largest, FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, charged residential customers 17.37¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Bedford County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Bedford County.
Is Bedford County adding jobs?
Employers counted 16,405 jobs in 2025 against 15,560 in 2019 (+5.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,053 to 1,306.
Does Bedford County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Bedford County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.