Mercer County, West Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bluefield, Princeton and Athens
Mercer 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. Mercer County is home to Bluefield, Princeton and Athens. Next door, Giles County, Virginia, has 1 data center. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 5.2% in 2019. Employers here counted 19,507 jobs in 2025, up 4.5% from 2019. Appalachian Power Co is the largest utility serving Mercer County. Its residential customers paid an average 16.77¢/kWh in 2024, above the 15.35¢ median for West Virginia utilities.
Cities and towns in Mercer County
Mercer County is home to Bluefield, Princeton and Athens.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Bluewell, Brush Fork, Lashmeet, Montcalm.
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 Mercer County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in West Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 59,528 | 57,503 | ▼ 3.4% | 9th of 55 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 18,675 | 19,507 | ▲ 4.5% | 21st of 55 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,941 | $51,374 | ▲ 31.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.2% | 4.3% | ▼ 0.9pts | — |
57,503 people live here, down 3.4% since 2020, 9th of 55 West Virginia counties by population.
Who powers Mercer County
Utilities with service territory in Mercer County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 348,946 | 16.77¢ | 27% |
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 Mercer County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Mercer County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 19,507 | $51,374 | 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 Mercer County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Mercer County. West Virginia has 0 local measures on record statewide.
Mercer County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Mercer County, Giles 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercer County | 57,503 | ▲ 4.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Bland County VA | 6,151 | ▲ 7.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Giles County VA | 16,564 | ▲ 16.1% | 27 MW | — | 1 | — |
| McDowell County | 16,878 | ▼ 12.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Raleigh County | 71,775 | ▲ 0.3% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Summers County | 11,532 | ▼ 0.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Tazewell County VA | 38,635 | ▼ 7.4% | — | 13 MW | — | — |
| Wyoming County | 19,801 | ▲ 6.4% | — | — | — | — |
More of West Virginia
Mercer County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Mercer County, West Virginia?
1 utility has service territory in Mercer County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Appalachian Power Co. The largest, Appalachian Power Co, charged residential customers 16.77¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Mercer County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Mercer County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Giles County.
Is Mercer County adding jobs?
Employers counted 19,507 jobs in 2025 against 18,675 in 2019 (+4.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Mercer County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Mercer County. West Virginia has 0 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.