# Southampton County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy

Home to Courtland

The data center boom is not abstract in Southampton County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Southampton County. Southampton County is home to Courtland and Boykins. Construction employs 103, up 6.2% since 2019. Employers here counted 3,487 jobs in 2025, down 4.7% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019.

1
data centers on the SAVRN Data Center Map

-4.7%
total jobs since 2019, now 3,487

182 MW
of operating power plants, mostly solar

## Cities and towns in Southampton County

Southampton County is home to Courtland and Boykins.

Courtland1,299 residents
Boykins517 residents
Ivor314 residents
Newsoms284 residents
Capron138 residents
Branchville119 residents

Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Sedley, Southampton Meadows.

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 Southampton County

| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 17,950 | 18,110 | ▲ 0.9% | 85th of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,659 | 3,487 | ▼ 4.7% | 102nd of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,948 | $51,433 | ▲ 39.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 97 | 103 | ▲ 6.2% | 48th of 83 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 3.7% | ▲ 0.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW |  | — |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW |  | — |

Its power plants have 182 MW of capacity, 55% of it solar. Virginia Electric & Power Co is the largest utility serving Southampton County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.09¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.39¢ median for Virginia utilities. 18,110 people live here, up 0.9% since 2020.

## Who powers Southampton County

### Utilities with service territory in Southampton 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% |
| Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative | Cooperative | Bundled | 30,016 | 14.50¢ | 71% |
| Prince George Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,954 | 13.05¢ | 20% |
| Community Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Franklin - (VA) | — | — | — | — | — |

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 

| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 100 MW | 55% |
| Other technologies | 71 MW | 39% |
| Petroleum | 10 MW | 6% |

| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southampton Solar, LLC | Dominion Renewable Energy | Solar | 100 MW | 2017 |
| Southampton Power Station | Virginia Electric & Power Co | Other technologies | 71 MW | 1992 |
| Nottoway Diesel Generating Facility | Old Dominion Electric Coop | Petroleum | 4 MW | 2002 |
| Downtown | City of Franklin - (VA) | Petroleum | 3 MW | 1992 |
| Pretlow | City of Franklin - (VA) | Petroleum | 3 MW | 2001 |

## The Southampton County labor market

| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,487 | $51,433 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 103 | $62,315 | 0.56 |

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 Southampton County

1 data center in Southampton County is on the SAVRN Data Center Map.

## Southampton County and its neighbors

Of the 9 counties that border Southampton County, Surry 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southampton County | 18,110 | ▼ 4.7% | 182 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Franklin (city)](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/virginia/franklin-city) | 8,478 | ▼ 8.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Gates County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/north-carolina/gates-county) NC | 10,234 | ▼ 6.0% | 15 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Greensville County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/virginia/greensville-county) | 11,181 | ▼ 23.0% | 2,095 MW | — | — | — |
| Hertford County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/north-carolina/hertford-county) NC | 19,015 | ▼ 7.7% | 222 MW | — | — | — |
| Isle of Wight County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/virginia/isle-of-wight-county) | 41,321 | ▼ 8.8% | 337 MW | 258 MW | 2 | — |
| Northampton County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/north-carolina/northampton-county) NC | 16,491 | ▼ 14.3% | 363 MW | — | — | 2 |
| Suffolk (city)](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/virginia/suffolk-city) | 104,699 | ▲ 36.3% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Surry County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/virginia/surry-county) | 6,603 | ▲ 2.3% | 2,493 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Sussex County](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/virginia/sussex-county) | 10,755 | ▼ 12.9% | 138 MW | — | 2 | — |

## More of Virginia

[All Virginia countiesThe state power page and county mapOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/virginia)[Suffolk (city)104,699 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/virginia/suffolk-city)[Isle of Wight County41,321 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/virginia/isle-of-wight-county)[Greensville County11,181 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/virginia/greensville-county)[Sussex County10,755 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/virginia/sussex-county)[Franklin (city)8,478 peopleOpen →](https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/virginia/franklin-city)

## Southampton County, answered from the record

### Who provides electricity in Southampton County, Virginia?

5 utilities have service territory in Southampton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Virginia Electric & Power Co, Mecklenburg Electric Cooperative, Prince George Electric Coop, Community Electric Coop. The largest, Virginia Electric & Power Co, charged residential customers 14.09¢/kWh on average in 2024.

### What power plants are in Southampton County?

5 operating plants with 182 MW of capacity. The largest is Southampton Solar, LLC (100 MW, solar).

### Are there data centers in Southampton County?

Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 1 data center in Southampton County.

### Is Southampton County adding jobs?

Employers counted 3,487 jobs in 2025 against 3,659 in 2019 (-4.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 97 to 103.

### Does Southampton County have a data center moratorium?

No county-level measure is on record for Southampton County. Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.

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Canonical: https://savrn.com/power-supply-chain-map/virginia/southampton-county
Updated: 2026-10-08. Refreshed weekly by SAVRN from EIA, BLS, BEA, Census and the SAVRN trackers. License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).