Essex County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Tappahannock
No data center or power plant project is on record in Essex County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Essex County is home to Tappahannock. Next door, Caroline County has 2 data centers. Its power plants have 20 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Employers here counted 3,570 jobs in 2025, down 2.2% from 2019. Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Essex 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.
Cities and towns in Essex County
Essex County is home to Tappahannock.
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 Essex County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 10,597 | 10,654 | ▲ 0.5% | 115th of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,652 | 3,570 | ▼ 2.2% | 90th of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,072 | $48,704 | ▲ 38.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 4.0% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019. 10,654 people live here, up 0.5% since 2020.
Who powers Essex County
Utilities with service territory in Essex 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 20 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex Solar Center | Arevon Energy, Inc. | Solar | 20 MW | 2017 |
The Essex County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,570 | $48,704 | 1.00 |
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 Essex County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Essex County. Virginia has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Essex County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Essex County, Caroline 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essex County | 10,654 | ▼ 2.2% | 20 MW | — | — | — |
| Caroline County | 34,413 | ▲ 18.7% | 892 MW | — | 2 | — |
| King George County | 29,646 | ▲ 13.8% | 13 MW | — | — | — |
| King and Queen County | 6,743 | ▲ 8.3% | 11 MW | — | — | — |
| Middlesex County | 10,841 | ▼ 3.1% | 21 MW | — | — | — |
| Richmond County | 9,294 | ▲ 3.1% | 215 MW | 122 MW | — | — |
| Westmoreland County | 19,715 | ▼ 6.4% | 56 MW | — | — | — |
More of Virginia
Essex County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Essex County, Virginia?
2 utilities have service territory in Essex 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 Essex County?
1 operating plant with 20 MW of capacity. The largest is Essex Solar Center (20 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Essex County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Essex County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Caroline County.
Is Essex County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,570 jobs in 2025 against 3,652 in 2019 (-2.2%, BLS QCEW).
Does Essex County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Essex County. Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.