Pendleton County, West Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Brandywine
Pendleton 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. Pendleton County is home to Franklin. Unemployment was 2.8% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. Monongahela Power Co is the largest utility serving Pendleton 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. Employers here counted 1,505 jobs in 2025, up 1.3% from 2019. 5,826 people live here, down 4.9% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Pendleton County
Pendleton County is home to Franklin.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Brandywine.
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 Pendleton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in West Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,129 | 5,826 | ▼ 4.9% | 54th of 55 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,486 | 1,505 | ▲ 1.3% | 27th of 55 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $31,276 | $43,572 | ▲ 39.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 2.8% | ▼ 1.3pts | — |
Who powers Pendleton County
Utilities with service territory in Pendleton 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% |
| The Potomac Edison Company | Investor Owned | Bundled | 135,266 | 12.59¢ | 22% |
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 Pendleton County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Pendleton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,505 | $43,572 | 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 Pendleton County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Pendleton County. West Virginia has 0 local measures on record statewide.
Pendleton County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Pendleton County, Grant 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pendleton County | 5,826 | ▲ 1.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Augusta County VA | 78,940 | ▲ 9.6% | 8 MW | 11 MW | — | — |
| Grant County | 11,041 | ▲ 12.0% | 2,048 MW | — | — | — |
| Hardy County | 14,337 | ▲ 5.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Highland County VA | 2,318 | ▲ 32.7% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Pocahontas County | 7,602 | ▼ 5.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Randolph County | 26,882 | ▼ 7.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Rockingham County VA | 89,316 | ▲ 3.2% | 243 MW | 50 MW | — | — |
More of West Virginia
Pendleton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pendleton County, West Virginia?
2 utilities have service territory in Pendleton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Monongahela Power Co, The Potomac Edison Company. The largest, Monongahela Power Co, charged residential customers 13.97¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Pendleton County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Pendleton County.
Is Pendleton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,505 jobs in 2025 against 1,486 in 2019 (+1.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Pendleton County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Pendleton County. West Virginia has 0 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.