Washington County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Abingdon and Glade Spring
Washington 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. Construction employs 884, up 57.0% since 2019. Washington County is home to Abingdon, Glade Spring and Damascus. Next door, Sullivan County, Tennessee, has 1 data center. Employers here counted 21,147 jobs in 2025, up 5.2% from 2019. Its power plants have 285 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas.
Cities and towns in Washington County
Washington County is home to Abingdon, Glade Spring and Damascus.
- Saltville also extends into Smyth County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Emory, Meadowview, Mendota.
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 Washington County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 53,910 | 53,898 | ● 0.0% | 35th of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 20,106 | 21,147 | ▲ 5.2% | 40th of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,228 | $50,292 | ▲ 35.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 563 | 884 | ▲ 57.0% | 7th of 83 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 3.4% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Appalachian Power Co is the largest utility serving Washington County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 17.02¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.39¢ median for Virginia utilities. Unemployment was 3.4% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. 53,898 people live here, down 0.0% since 2020.
Who powers Washington County
Utilities with service territory in Washington 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% |
| Bristol Virginia Utilities | Municipal | Bundled | 13,633 | 10.99¢ | 40% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 285 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wolf Hills Energy | Middle River Power II, LLC | Natural gas | 285 MW | 2001 |
The Washington County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 21,147 | $50,292 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 884 | $62,614 | 0.79 |
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 Washington County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Washington County. Virginia has 13 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Sullivan County.
Washington County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Washington County, Sullivan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington County | 53,898 | ▲ 5.2% | 285 MW | — | — | — |
| Bristol (city) | 16,418 | ▲ 20.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Grayson County | 15,230 | ▲ 1.2% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Johnson County TN | 18,718 | ▼ 1.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Russell County | 25,332 | ▼ 9.0% | 475 MW | — | — | — |
| Scott County | 21,200 | ▼ 2.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Smyth County | 28,882 | ▼ 7.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Sullivan County TN | 163,759 | ▲ 3.1% | 448 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
More of Virginia
Washington County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Washington County, Virginia?
2 utilities have service territory in Washington County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Appalachian Power Co, Bristol Virginia Utilities. The largest, Appalachian Power Co, charged residential customers 17.02¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Washington County?
1 operating plant with 285 MW of capacity. The largest is Wolf Hills Energy (285 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Washington County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Washington County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Sullivan County.
Is Washington County adding jobs?
Employers counted 21,147 jobs in 2025 against 20,106 in 2019 (+5.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 563 to 884.
Does Washington County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Washington County. Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.