Brooke County, West Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Weirton, Follansbee and Wellsburg
Brooke 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. Brooke County is home to part of Weirton (3,646 of its 18,133 residents), Follansbee, Wellsburg and Bethany. Employers here counted 7,440 jobs in 2025, down 2.5% from 2019. Monongahela Power Co is the largest utility serving Brooke County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 13.97¢/kWh in 2024, below the 15.35¢ median for West Virginia utilities. Unemployment was 4.6% in August 2026, against 5.0% in 2019. 21,142 people live here, down 6.0% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Brooke County
Brooke County is home to part of Weirton (3,646 of its 18,133 residents), Follansbee, Wellsburg and Bethany.
- Weirton also extends into Hancock County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Colliers, Hooverson Heights.
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 Brooke County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in West Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 22,481 | 21,142 | ▼ 6.0% | 28th of 55 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,630 | 7,440 | ▼ 2.5% | 38th of 55 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,052 | $57,049 | ▲ 32.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.0% | 4.6% | ▼ 0.4pts | — |
Who powers Brooke County
Utilities with service territory in Brooke County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monongahela Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 334,588 | 13.97¢ | 26% |
| Wheeling Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 34,392 | 17.41¢ | 8% |
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 Brooke County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Brooke County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,440 | $57,049 | 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 Brooke County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Brooke County. West Virginia has 0 local measures on record statewide.
Brooke County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Brooke County, Jefferson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brooke County | 21,142 | ▼ 2.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Hancock County | 27,729 | ▼ 8.0% | — | 28 MW | — | — |
| Jefferson County OH | 63,597 | ▼ 5.6% | 1,880 MW | 63 MW | — | — |
| Ohio County | 40,496 | ▼ 4.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Washington County PA | 210,802 | ▲ 1.1% | 5 MW | 12 MW | — | — |
More of West Virginia
Brooke County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Brooke County, West Virginia?
2 utilities have service territory in Brooke County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Monongahela Power Co, Wheeling Power Co. The largest, Monongahela Power Co, charged residential customers 13.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Brooke County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Brooke County.
Is Brooke County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,440 jobs in 2025 against 7,630 in 2019 (-2.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Brooke County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Brooke County. West Virginia has 0 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.