Grayson County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Independence
Grayson County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Grayson County is home to Independence. Its power plants have 5 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro. Appalachian Power Co is the largest utility serving Grayson County. Its residential customers paid an average 17.02¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.39¢ median for Virginia utilities. Employers here counted 3,254 jobs in 2025, up 1.2% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Grayson County
Grayson County is home to Independence.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Baywood, Hilltown, Stevens Creek.
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 Grayson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 15,282 | 15,230 | ▼ 0.3% | 98th of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,217 | 3,254 | ▲ 1.2% | 66th of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $29,222 | $40,571 | ▲ 38.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 3.4% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
15,230 people live here, down 0.3% since 2020.
Who powers Grayson County
Utilities with service territory in Grayson County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 465,283 | 17.02¢ | 26% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 5 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fries Hydroelectric Project | Central Rivers Power US, LLC | Hydro | 5 MW | 1933 |
The Grayson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,254 | $40,571 | 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 Grayson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Grayson County. Virginia has 13 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Surry County.
Grayson County and its neighbors
Of the 9 counties that border Grayson County, Washington 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grayson County | 15,230 | ▲ 1.2% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Alleghany County NC | 11,479 | ▲ 4.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Ashe County NC | 27,514 | ▲ 3.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Carroll County | 29,299 | ▼ 6.7% | 50 MW | — | — | — |
| Galax (city) | 6,670 | ▼ 3.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Johnson County TN | 18,718 | ▼ 1.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Smyth County | 28,882 | ▼ 7.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Surry County NC | 72,287 | ▼ 0.8% | 92 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Washington County | 53,898 | ▲ 5.2% | 285 MW | — | — | — |
| Wythe County | 27,983 | ▲ 2.6% | 95 MW | — | — | — |
More of Virginia
Grayson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Grayson County, Virginia?
1 utility has service territory in Grayson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Appalachian Power Co. The largest, Appalachian Power Co, charged residential customers 17.02¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Grayson County?
1 operating plant with 5 MW of capacity. The largest is Fries Hydroelectric Project (5 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Grayson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Grayson County.
Is Grayson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,254 jobs in 2025 against 3,217 in 2019 (+1.2%, BLS QCEW).
Does Grayson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Grayson County. Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.