Pocahontas County, West Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Arbovale and Bartow
Pocahontas 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. Pocahontas County is home to Marlinton. Unemployment was 4.2% in August 2026, against 6.2% in 2019. Employers here counted 2,999 jobs in 2025, down 5.5% from 2019. Monongahela Power Co is the largest utility serving Pocahontas County. Its residential customers paid an average 13.97¢/kWh in 2024, below the 15.35¢ median for West Virginia utilities. 7,602 people live here, down 3.3% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Pocahontas County
Pocahontas County is home to Marlinton.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Arbovale, Bartow, Cass, Frank, Green Bank, Huntersville.
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 Pocahontas County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in West Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,861 | 7,602 | ▼ 3.3% | 48th of 55 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,175 | 2,999 | ▼ 5.5% | 43rd of 55 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,360 | $42,197 | ▲ 30.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 69 | 90 | ▲ 30.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 6.2% | 4.2% | ▼ 2.0pts | — |
Who powers Pocahontas County
Utilities with service territory in Pocahontas 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 Pocahontas County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Pocahontas County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,999 | $42,197 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 90 | $43,205 | 0.57 |
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 Pocahontas County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Pocahontas County. West Virginia has 0 local measures on record statewide.
Pocahontas County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Pocahontas County, Bath 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pocahontas County | 7,602 | ▼ 5.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Bath County VA | 4,076 | ▲ 2.9% | 2,867 MW | — | — | — |
| Greenbrier County | 31,578 | ▼ 6.9% | 188 MW | — | — | — |
| Highland County VA | 2,318 | ▲ 32.7% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Pendleton County | 5,826 | ▲ 1.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Randolph County | 26,882 | ▼ 7.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Webster County | 7,760 | ▼ 11.7% | — | — | — | — |
More of West Virginia
Pocahontas County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Pocahontas County, West Virginia?
1 utility has service territory in Pocahontas 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.
Are there data centers in Pocahontas County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Pocahontas County.
Is Pocahontas County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,999 jobs in 2025 against 3,175 in 2019 (-5.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 69 to 90.
Does Pocahontas County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Pocahontas County. West Virginia has 0 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.