Monroe County, Pennsylvania: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Coolbaugh Township, Stroud Township and Chestnuthill Township
Local rules on data centers are on the record in Monroe County. Monroe County is home to Coolbaugh Township, Stroud Township, Chestnuthill Township and Middle Smithfield Township. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Smithfield Gateway. Construction employs 1,811, up 3.4% since 2019. Its power plants have 23 MW of capacity, 88% of it petroleum. Electrical contractors employ 239, at an average $55,322 a year.
Cities and towns in Monroe County
Monroe County is home to Coolbaugh Township, Stroud Township, Chestnuthill Township and Middle Smithfield Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Arlington Heights, Brodheadsville, Effort, Emerald Lakes, Gouldsboro, Indian Mountain Lake, Mountainhome, Penn Estates, Pocono Pines, Saw Creek, Saylorsburg, Sierra View, Sun Valley.
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 Monroe County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 168,310 | 167,179 | ▼ 0.7% | 20th of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 57,359 | 57,138 | ▼ 0.4% | 28th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,319 | $55,417 | ▲ 25.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,752 | 1,811 | ▲ 3.4% | 31st of 62 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.2% | 4.8% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co is the largest utility serving Monroe County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.37¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.30¢ median for Pennsylvania utilities. Unemployment was 4.8% in August 2026, against 5.2% in 2019. Employers here counted 57,138 jobs in 2025, down 0.4% from 2019. 167,179 people live here, down 0.7% since 2020.
Who powers Monroe County
Utilities with service territory in Monroe 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% |
| PPL Electric Utilities Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,295,883 | 16.99¢ | 19% |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 20 MW | 88% |
| Solar | 3 MW | 12% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shawnee (PA) | Shawnee Power, LLC | Petroleum | 20 MW | 1972 |
| Pocono Solar Project | Pocono International Raceway Inc | Solar | 3 MW | 2010 |
The Monroe County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 57,138 | $55,417 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,811 | $60,517 | 0.60 |
| Electrical contractors | 239 | $55,322 | 0.58 |
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 Monroe County
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smithfield Gateway | postponed | — |
Monroe County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Monroe County, Luzerne 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County | 167,179 | ▼ 0.4% | 23 MW | — | — | — |
| Carbon County | 65,868 | ▲ 1.3% | 120 MW | 60 MW | — | — |
| Lackawanna County | 216,502 | ▲ 1.7% | 1,598 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Luzerne County | 332,126 | ▼ 0.4% | 4,044 MW | 21 MW | 5 | 1 |
| Northampton County | 324,411 | ▲ 3.5% | 3,852 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Pike County | 62,808 | ▲ 7.2% | — | — | 1 | — |
| Sussex County NJ | 148,063 | ▲ 2.0% | 74 MW | 6 MW | 3 | 3 |
| Warren County NJ | 112,953 | ▲ 3.5% | 576 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Wayne County | 51,703 | ▲ 4.3% | 104 MW | 3 MW | — | 1 |
More of Pennsylvania
Monroe County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Monroe County, Pennsylvania?
2 utilities have service territory in Monroe County in the EIA-861 2024 report: FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, PPL Electric Utilities Corp. The largest, FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Electric Co, charged residential customers 17.37¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Coolbaugh Township, PA in?
Coolbaugh Township is in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. About 20,681 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Stroud Township, PA in?
Stroud Township is in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. About 19,629 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Chestnuthill Township, PA in?
Chestnuthill Township is in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. About 16,555 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Monroe County?
2 operating plants with 23 MW of capacity. The largest is Shawnee (PA) (20 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Monroe County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Monroe County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Luzerne County.
Is Monroe County adding jobs?
Employers counted 57,138 jobs in 2025 against 57,359 in 2019 (-0.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,752 to 1,811.
Does Monroe County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Monroe County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.