Hancock County, West Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Weirton and Chester
Hancock 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. Hancock County is home to most of Weirton (14,487 of its 18,133 residents), Chester and New Cumberland. 28 MW of new generation is planned here across 3 units, led by Current Hydro Project 19, LLC (other technologies), the 6th largest pipeline among West Virginia's counties. Employers here counted 8,742 jobs in 2025, down 8.0% from 2019. Monongahela Power Co is the largest utility serving Hancock County. Its residential customers paid an average 13.97¢/kWh in 2024, below the 15.35¢ median for West Virginia utilities. Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, against 5.0% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Hancock County
Hancock County is home to most of Weirton (14,487 of its 18,133 residents), Chester and New Cumberland.
- Weirton also extends into Brooke County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Newell.
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 Hancock County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in West Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 29,040 | 27,729 | ▼ 4.5% | 19th of 55 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9,498 | 8,742 | ▼ 8.0% | 49th of 55 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,615 | $54,893 | ▲ 35.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.0% | 4.7% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
| Planned generation (Aug 2026) | — | 28 MW | no fleet today | 6th of 8 by size |
27,729 people live here, down 4.5% since 2020.
Who powers Hancock County
Utilities with service territory in Hancock 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% |
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 Hancock County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
Planned generation 3
| Plant | Technology | MW | Status | Year | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Cumberland Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 10 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | Current Hydro Project 19, LLC |
| New Cumberland Hydroelectric Project | Conventional Hydroelectric | 10 MW | Approvals pending | 2029 | Current Hydro Project 19, LLC |
| Wylie Ridge Solar | Solar Photovoltaic | 8 MW | Approvals pending | 2027 | Monongahela Power Co |
The Hancock County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 8,742 | $54,893 | 1.00 |
| Data processing and hosting | 11 | $62,517 | 0.40 |
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 Hancock County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Hancock County. West Virginia has 0 local measures on record statewide.
Hancock County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Hancock County, Beaver 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock County | 27,729 | ▼ 8.0% | — | 28 MW | — | — |
| Beaver County PA | 166,032 | ▼ 13.8% | 2,218 MW | 20 MW | — | — |
| Brooke County | 21,142 | ▼ 2.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Columbiana County OH | 99,377 | ▼ 4.6% | 1,210 MW | — | — | — |
| Jefferson County OH | 63,597 | ▼ 5.6% | 1,880 MW | 63 MW | — | — |
| Washington County PA | 210,802 | ▲ 1.1% | 5 MW | 12 MW | — | — |
More of West Virginia
Hancock County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hancock County, West Virginia?
1 utility has service territory in Hancock County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Monongahela Power Co. The largest, Monongahela Power Co, charged residential customers 13.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Weirton, WV in?
Most of Weirton is in Hancock County: 14,487 of its 18,133 residents, or 80%. The rest of the city lies in Brooke County.
How much new power is planned in Hancock County?
28 MW across 3 units in the August 2026 EIA-860M inventory, 0 MW of it under construction or built. The largest owner is Current Hydro Project 19, LLC.
Are there data centers in Hancock County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hancock County.
Is Hancock County adding jobs?
Employers counted 8,742 jobs in 2025 against 9,498 in 2019 (-8.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Hancock County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Hancock County. West Virginia has 0 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.