Madison County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Brightwood
No data center or power plant project is on record in Madison County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Madison County is home to Madison. Construction employs 285, up 19.2% since 2019, and construction is 1.7 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Next door, Culpeper County has 5 data centers. Electrical contractors employ 47, at an average $62,429 a year. Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 2.4% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Madison County
Madison County is home to Madison.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Brightwood.
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 Madison County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 13,862 | 14,237 | ▲ 2.7% | 102nd of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,114 | 3,099 | ▼ 0.5% | 77th of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,802 | $53,091 | ▲ 44.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 239 | 285 | ▲ 19.2% | 28th of 83 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.4% | 3.0% | ▲ 0.6pts | — |
Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Madison 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. Employers here counted 3,099 jobs in 2025, down 0.5% from 2019. 14,237 people live here, up 2.7% since 2020.
Who powers Madison County
Utilities with service territory in Madison 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.
No operating power plant is located in Madison County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Madison County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,099 | $53,091 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 285 | $61,248 | 1.74 |
| Electrical contractors | 47 | $62,429 | 2.10 |
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 Madison County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Madison County. Virginia has 13 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Culpeper County.
Madison County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Madison County, Culpeper 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Madison County | 14,237 | ▼ 0.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Culpeper County | 57,666 | ▲ 2.2% | 7 MW | 100 MW | 5 | 1 |
| Greene County | 21,958 | ▲ 6.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Orange County | 40,083 | ▼ 5.8% | 62 MW | — | — | — |
| Page County | 23,762 | ▲ 0.7% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Rappahannock County | 7,439 | ▲ 10.5% | — | — | — | — |
More of Virginia
Madison County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Madison County, Virginia?
2 utilities have service territory in Madison 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.
Are there data centers in Madison County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Madison County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Culpeper County.
Is Madison County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,099 jobs in 2025 against 3,114 in 2019 (-0.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 239 to 285.
Does Madison County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Madison County. Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.