Scott County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Gate City and Weber City
Scott 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. Scott County is home to Gate City and Weber City. Next door, Wise County has 1 data center. Unemployment was 4.1% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. Employers here counted 4,929 jobs in 2025, down 2.4% from 2019. Appalachian Power Co is the largest utility serving Scott County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.02¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.39¢ median for Virginia utilities.
Cities and towns in Scott County
Scott County is home to Gate City and Weber City.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Hiltons.
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 Scott County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 21,595 | 21,200 | ▼ 1.8% | 80th of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,052 | 4,929 | ▼ 2.4% | 92nd of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,536 | $47,680 | ▲ 42.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 4.1% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
21,200 people live here, down 1.8% since 2020.
Who powers Scott County
Utilities with service territory in Scott 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% |
| Kentucky Utilities Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 22,669 | 14.28¢ | 37% |
| Bristol Virginia Utilities | Municipal | Bundled | 13,633 | 10.99¢ | 40% |
| Powell Valley Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 6,589 | 11.42¢ | 25% |
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 Scott County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Scott County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,929 | $47,680 | 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 Scott County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Scott County. Virginia has 13 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Hawkins County, Sullivan County.
Scott County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Scott County, Wise 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott County | 21,200 | ▼ 2.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Hancock County TN | 7,075 | ▲ 14.6% | 22 MW | — | — | — |
| Hawkins County TN | 59,559 | ▲ 6.0% | 997 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Lee County | 21,642 | ▲ 0.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Russell County | 25,332 | ▼ 9.0% | 475 MW | — | — | — |
| Sullivan County TN | 163,759 | ▲ 3.1% | 448 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Washington County | 53,898 | ▲ 5.2% | 285 MW | — | — | — |
| Wise County | 34,824 | ▼ 6.2% | 671 MW | 20 MW | 1 | — |
More of Virginia
Scott County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Scott County, Virginia?
4 utilities have service territory in Scott County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Appalachian Power Co, Kentucky Utilities Co, Bristol Virginia Utilities, Powell Valley Electric Coop. The largest, Appalachian Power Co, charged residential customers 17.02¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Scott County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Scott County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Wise County.
Is Scott County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,929 jobs in 2025 against 5,052 in 2019 (-2.4%, BLS QCEW).
Does Scott County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Scott County. Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.