Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Philadelphia
Philadelphia County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 17 data centers in Philadelphia County, 18% of Pennsylvania's total. Philadelphia County and the city of Philadelphia share the same boundaries. 30 MW has retired here since 2019, including Philadelphia Refinery (other technologies, 30 MW, 2019). 9 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly battery storage. Its power plants have 560 MW of capacity, 58% of it petroleum.
Cities and towns in Philadelphia County
Philadelphia County and the city of Philadelphia share the same boundaries.
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 Philadelphia County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,600,737 | 1,574,281 | ▼ 1.7% | 1st of 67 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 699,722 | 725,357 | ▲ 3.7% | 10th of 67 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $69,138 | $85,846 | ▲ 24.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,834 | 11,876 | ▲ 0.4% | 37th of 62 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,197 | 1,163 | ▼ 2.8% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 403 | 614 | ▲ 52.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.1% | 5.2% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 9 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 30 MW | — |
Employers here counted 725,357 jobs in 2025, up 3.7% from 2019 (the 10th fastest growth of 67 Pennsylvania counties). Construction employs 11,876, up 0.4% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 1,163, down 2.8% since 2019 against up 5.3% statewide, at an average $104,291 a year. PECO Energy Co is the largest utility serving Philadelphia County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 16.16¢/kWh in 2024. Unemployment was 5.2% in August 2026, against 5.1% in 2019. 1,574,281 people live here, down 1.7% since 2020, 1st of 67 Pennsylvania counties by population.
Who powers Philadelphia County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −21 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Philadelphia County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PECO Energy Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,535,818 | 16.16¢ | 19% |
| Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development | Municipal | Bundled | — | — | 47% |
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 13
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 323 MW | 58% |
| Natural gas | 222 MW | 40% |
| Battery storage | 6 MW | 1% |
| Other technologies | 6 MW | 1% |
| Solar | 3 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grays Ferry Cogeneration | Grays Ferry Cogen Partnership | Natural gas | 193 MW | 1997 |
| Richmond Generating Station | Constellation Power, Inc | Petroleum | 132 MW | 1973 |
| Delaware Generating Station | Constellation Power, Inc | Petroleum | 77 MW | 1969 |
| Southwark | Constellation Power, Inc | Petroleum | 74 MW | 1967 |
| Schuylkill Generating Station | Constellation Power, Inc | Petroleum | 40 MW | 1969 |
| Temple SEGF | Temple University | Natural gas | 16 MW | 1993 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Refinery | Other technologies | 30 MW | 2019 |
The Philadelphia County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 725,357 | $85,846 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 11,876 | $100,889 | 0.31 |
| Electrical contractors | 1,163 | $104,291 | 0.22 |
| Data processing and hosting | 614 | $168,292 | 0.27 |
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 Philadelphia County
17 data centers in Philadelphia County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Philadelphia County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Philadelphia County, Montgomery 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia County | 1,574,281 | ▲ 3.7% | 560 MW | — | 17 | — |
| Bucks County | 647,828 | ▲ 3.0% | 2,027 MW | — | 2 | 1 |
| Burlington County NJ | 481,439 | ▲ 6.4% | 429 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Camden County NJ | 535,799 | ▲ 1.0% | 268 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Delaware County | 580,937 | ▼ 3.4% | 2,471 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Gloucester County NJ | 312,638 | ▲ 12.3% | 1,166 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Montgomery County | 877,643 | ▼ 0.2% | 2,473 MW | 2 MW | 9 | 1 |
More of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania?
2 utilities have service territory in Philadelphia County in the EIA-861 2024 report: PECO Energy Co, Philadelphia Authority for Industrial Development. The largest, PECO Energy Co, charged residential customers 16.16¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Philadelphia, PA in?
Philadelphia is in Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. About 1,574,281 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Philadelphia County?
13 operating plants with 560 MW of capacity. The largest is Grays Ferry Cogeneration (193 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Philadelphia County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 17 data centers in Philadelphia County.
Is Philadelphia County adding jobs?
Employers counted 725,357 jobs in 2025 against 699,722 in 2019 (+3.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 11,834 to 11,876.
Does Philadelphia County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Philadelphia County. Pennsylvania has 36 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.