Wythe County, Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Wytheville and Rural Retreat
No data center or power plant project is on record in Wythe County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Wythe County is home to Wytheville and Rural Retreat. Construction employs 324, down 22.7% since 2019. 95 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 95 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Employers here counted 11,567 jobs in 2025, up 2.6% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Wythe County
Wythe County is home to Wytheville and Rural Retreat.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Austinville, Fort Chiswell, Ivanhoe, Max 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 Wythe County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 28,324 | 27,983 | ▼ 1.2% | 68th of 133 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,275 | 11,567 | ▲ 2.6% | 58th of 133 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,701 | $48,165 | ▲ 34.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 419 | 324 | ▼ 22.7% | 79th of 83 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 3.4% | ● 0.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 95 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Appalachian Power Co is the largest utility serving Wythe County. 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 3.4% in 2019. 27,983 people live here, down 1.2% since 2020.
Who powers Wythe County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +95 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Wythe 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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 95 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wythe County Solar | RWE Clean Energy | Solar | 75 MW | 2025 |
| Caden Energix Wytheville LLC | Caden Energix Wytheville LLC | Solar | 20 MW | 2022 |
The Wythe County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,567 | $48,165 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 324 | $60,976 | 0.53 |
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 Wythe County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Wythe County. Virginia has 13 local measures on record statewide.
Wythe County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Wythe County, Pulaski 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wythe County | 27,983 | ▲ 2.6% | 95 MW | — | — | — |
| Bland County | 6,151 | ▲ 7.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Carroll County | 29,299 | ▼ 6.7% | 50 MW | — | — | — |
| Grayson County | 15,230 | ▲ 1.2% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Pulaski County | 33,586 | ▼ 6.3% | 81 MW | 150 MW | — | — |
| Smyth County | 28,882 | ▼ 7.5% | — | — | — | — |
More of Virginia
Wythe County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wythe County, Virginia?
1 utility has service territory in Wythe 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 Wythe County?
2 operating plants with 95 MW of capacity. The largest is Wythe County Solar (75 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Wythe County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Wythe County.
Is Wythe County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,567 jobs in 2025 against 11,275 in 2019 (+2.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 419 to 324.
Does Wythe County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Wythe County. Virginia has 13 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.