Washington County, Vermont: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Barre, Montpelier and Northfield
The build-out shows up in Washington County as work for the electrical trades. Washington County is home to Barre, Montpelier, Northfield and Waterbury. Next door, Chittenden County has 6 data centers. Electrical contractors employ 200, at an average $72,015 a year. Construction employs 1,443, up 13.0% since 2019. 2 MW has retired here since 2019, including Moretown (other technologies, 2 MW, 2023).
Cities and towns in Washington County
Washington County is home to Barre, Montpelier, Northfield and Waterbury.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Cabot, East Barre, East Montpelier, Graniteville, Northfield, Plainfield, South Barre, Waitsfield, Waterbury, Waterbury Center, Websterville, Worcester.
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 Washington County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Vermont |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 59,766 | 59,652 | ▼ 0.2% | 3rd of 14 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 33,695 | 33,302 | ▼ 1.2% | 8th of 14 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,042 | $70,664 | ▲ 35.8% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,277 | 1,443 | ▲ 13.0% | 2nd of 6 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 159 | 200 | ▲ 25.8% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7 | 25 | ▲ 257.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.1% | 2.4% | ▲ 0.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 1 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — |
1 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 66 MW of capacity, 63% of it petroleum, the 7th largest fleet in Vermont. Green Mountain Power Corp is the largest utility serving Washington County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 22.09¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 33,302 jobs in 2025, down 1.2% from 2019 (the 8th fastest growth of 14 Vermont counties). Unemployment was 2.4% in August 2026, against 2.1% in 2019. 59,652 people live here, down 0.2% since 2020, 3rd of 14 Vermont counties by population.
Who powers Washington County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −0 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Washington County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green Mountain Power Corp | Investor Owned | Bundled | 226,675 | 22.09¢ | 36% |
| Town of Hardwick | — | — | — | — | — |
| Village of Northfield - (VT) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Washington Electric Coop - (VT) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 42 MW | 63% |
| Hydro | 24 MW | 35% |
| Solar | 1 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin 5 | Green Mountain Power Corp | Petroleum | 42 MW | 1972 |
| Bolton Falls | Green Mountain Power Corp | Hydro | 9 MW | 1986 |
| Waterbury 22 | Green Mountain Power Corp | Hydro | 6 MW | 1953 |
| Marshfield 6 | Green Mountain Power Corp | Hydro | 5 MW | 1927 |
| Middlesex 2 | Green Mountain Power Corp | Hydro | 3 MW | 1928 |
| ER Bone Hill Solar, LLC | Altus Power America Management, LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2022 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moretown | Other technologies | 2 MW | 2023 |
The Washington County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 33,302 | $70,664 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,443 | $74,714 | 0.82 |
| Electrical contractors | 200 | $72,015 | 0.83 |
| Power and communication line construction | 61 | $112,164 | 1.13 |
| Data processing and hosting | 25 | $180,489 | 0.24 |
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 Washington County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Washington County. Vermont has 3 local measures on record statewide.
Washington County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Washington County, Chittenden 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County | 59,652 | ▼ 1.2% | 66 MW | — | — | — |
| Addison County | 38,048 | ▲ 4.3% | 46 MW | 50 MW | — | — |
| Caledonia County | 30,414 | ▲ 5.1% | 83 MW | — | — | — |
| Chittenden County | 169,115 | ▲ 0.5% | 196 MW | 16 MW | 6 | — |
| Lamoille County | 26,294 | ▲ 4.7% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
| Orange County | 30,002 | ▼ 0.9% | 15 MW | — | — | — |
More of Vermont
Washington County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Washington County, Vermont?
4 utilities have service territory in Washington County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Green Mountain Power Corp, Town of Hardwick, Village of Northfield - (VT), Washington Electric Coop - (VT). The largest, Green Mountain Power Corp, charged residential customers 22.09¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Washington County?
7 operating plants with 66 MW of capacity. The largest is Berlin 5 (42 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Washington County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Washington County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Chittenden County.
Is Washington County adding jobs?
Employers counted 33,302 jobs in 2025 against 33,695 in 2019 (-1.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,277 to 1,443.
Does Washington County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Washington County. Vermont has 3 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.