Marion County, West Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Fairmont, Pleasant Valley and Mannington
No data center or power plant project is on record in Marion County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Marion County is home to Fairmont, Pleasant Valley, Mannington and Barrackville. Next door, Harrison County has 1 data center and 579 MW of planned generation. Electrical contractors employ 153, up 10.1% since 2019 against up 37.1% statewide, at an average $86,211 a year. 6 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Unemployment was 4.1% in August 2026, against 4.9% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Marion County
Marion County is home to Fairmont, Pleasant Valley, Mannington and Barrackville.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Baxter, Carolina, Idamay, Rachel.
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 Marion County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in West Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 56,240 | 55,584 | ▼ 1.2% | 11th of 55 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17,735 | 17,374 | ▼ 2.0% | 37th of 55 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,983 | $56,960 | ▲ 29.5% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 139 | 153 | ▲ 10.1% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 447 | 648 | ▲ 45.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.9% | 4.1% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 6 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 101 MW of capacity, 95% of it coal. Employers here counted 17,374 jobs in 2025, down 2.0% from 2019. Monongahela Power Co is the largest utility serving Marion 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. 55,584 people live here, down 1.2% since 2020.
Who powers Marion County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +6 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Marion 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% |
| Harrison Rural Elec Assn, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 96 MW | 95% |
| Solar | 6 MW | 5% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grant Town Power Plant | American Bituminous Power LP | Coal | 96 MW | 1992 |
| Rivesville Solar | Monongahela Power Co | Solar | 6 MW | 2024 |
The Marion County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 17,374 | $56,960 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 153 | $86,211 | 1.22 |
| Electric utilities | 648 | $124,859 | 13.78 |
| Data processing and hosting | 8 | $159,643 | 0.15 |
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 Marion County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Marion County. West Virginia has 0 local measures on record statewide.
Marion County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Marion County, Harrison 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion County | 55,584 | ▼ 2.0% | 101 MW | — | — | — |
| Harrison County | 64,221 | ▲ 1.5% | 2,052 MW | 579 MW | 1 | — |
| Monongalia County | 107,991 | ▲ 5.2% | 2,047 MW | 11 MW | — | — |
| Taylor County | 16,287 | ▲ 9.5% | — | 30 MW | — | — |
| Wetzel County | 13,734 | ▲ 0.4% | 37 MW | — | — | — |
More of West Virginia
Marion County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Marion County, West Virginia?
2 utilities have service territory in Marion County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Monongahela Power Co, Harrison Rural Elec Assn, Inc. The largest, Monongahela Power Co, charged residential customers 13.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Fairmont, WV in?
Fairmont is in Marion County, West Virginia. About 18,035 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Marion County?
2 operating plants with 101 MW of capacity. The largest is Grant Town Power Plant (96 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Marion County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Marion County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Harrison County.
Is Marion County adding jobs?
Employers counted 17,374 jobs in 2025 against 17,735 in 2019 (-2.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Marion County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Marion County. West Virginia has 0 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.