Caroline County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bowling Green
Caroline County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Caroline County. Construction employs 371, up 43.2% since 2019. Caroline County is home to Bowling Green. 1 project is on the Delay Watchlist, including Mt. Airy Planned Innovation, Research and Technology data center campus. Employers here counted 7,022 jobs in 2025, up 18.7% from 2019 (the 8th fastest growth of 133 Virginia counties).
Cities and towns in Caroline County
Caroline County is home to Bowling Green.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lake Caroline, Lake Land'Or.
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 Caroline County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 30,922 | 34,413 | ▲ 11.3% | 50th of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,915 | 7,022 | ▲ 18.7% | 8th of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,146 | $49,785 | ▲ 27.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 259 | 371 | ▲ 43.2% | 13th of 83 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12 | 14 | ▲ 16.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 3.6% | ▲ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Electrical contractors employ 14, up 16.7% since 2019 against up 33.4% statewide, at an average $47,335 a year. Its power plants have 892 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas. 34,413 people live here, up 11.3% since 2020. Unemployment was 3.6% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Caroline County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.09¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.39¢ median for Virginia utilities.
Who powers Caroline County
Utilities with service territory in Caroline County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Virginia Electric & Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 2,383,548 | 14.09¢ | 63% |
| Rappahannock Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 169,489 | 14.89¢ | 11% |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 892 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ladysmith | Virginia Electric & Power Co | Natural gas | 892 MW | 2001 |
The Caroline County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,022 | $49,785 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 371 | $63,769 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 14 | $47,335 | 0.28 |
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 Caroline County
2 data centers in Caroline County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map: see them by city and operator.
Delay Watchlist 1
| Project | Status | Cause | MW | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mt. Airy Planned Innovation, Research and Technology data center campus | withdrawn | — |
Caroline County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Caroline County, Stafford 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caroline County | 34,413 | ▲ 18.7% | 892 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Essex County | 10,654 | ▼ 2.2% | 20 MW | — | — | — |
| Hanover County | 116,423 | ▲ 5.7% | 1,343 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| King George County | 29,646 | ▲ 13.8% | 13 MW | — | — | — |
| King William County | 19,617 | ▲ 6.8% | 131 MW | 75 MW | — | — |
| King and Queen County | 6,743 | ▲ 8.3% | 11 MW | — | — | — |
| Spotsylvania County | 155,388 | ▲ 5.7% | 500 MW | — | 3 | 1 |
| Stafford County | 170,803 | ▲ 13.2% | 4 MW | 5 MW | 18 | 1 |
More of Virginia
Caroline County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Caroline County, Virginia?
2 utilities have service territory in Caroline County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Virginia Electric & Power Co, Rappahannock Electric Coop. The largest, Virginia Electric & Power Co, charged residential customers 14.09¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Caroline County?
1 operating plant with 892 MW of capacity. The largest is Ladysmith (892 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Caroline County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Caroline County.
Is Caroline County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,022 jobs in 2025 against 5,915 in 2019 (+18.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 259 to 371.
Does Caroline County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Caroline County. Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.