Preston County, West Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Kingwood and Terra Alta
Preston County has more of its workforce in data processing and hosting than the country as a whole. Preston County is home to Kingwood, Terra Alta, Reedsville and Masontown. Construction employs 1,046, up 8.4% since 2019, and construction is 2.7 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 4.9% in 2019. Employers here counted 7,365 jobs in 2025, up 1.7% from 2019. Monongahela Power Co is the largest utility serving Preston County. Its residential customers paid an average 13.97¢/kWh in 2024, below the 15.35¢ median for West Virginia utilities.
Cities and towns in Preston County
Preston County is home to Kingwood, Terra Alta, Reedsville and Masontown.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Arthurdale, Aurora.
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 Preston County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in West Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 34,201 | 34,004 | ▼ 0.6% | 15th of 55 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,245 | 7,365 | ▲ 1.7% | 25th of 55 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,130 | $57,547 | ▲ 39.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 965 | 1,046 | ▲ 8.4% | 12th of 26 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.9% | 3.9% | ▼ 1.0pts | — |
34,004 people live here, down 0.6% since 2020.
Who powers Preston County
Utilities with service territory in Preston 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 Preston County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Preston County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,365 | $57,547 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,046 | $68,100 | 2.68 |
| Data processing and hosting | 47 | $64,033 | 2.05 |
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 Preston County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Preston County. West Virginia has 0 local measures on record statewide.
Preston County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Preston County, Monongalia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preston County | 34,004 | ▲ 1.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Barbour County | 15,414 | ▲ 10.4% | 98 MW | — | — | — |
| Fayette County PA | 123,021 | ▼ 4.7% | 932 MW | 17 MW | — | — |
| Garrett County MD | 28,370 | ● 0.0% | 414 MW | — | — | — |
| Grant County | 11,041 | ▲ 12.0% | 2,048 MW | — | — | — |
| Monongalia County | 107,991 | ▲ 5.2% | 2,047 MW | 11 MW | — | — |
| Taylor County | 16,287 | ▲ 9.5% | — | 30 MW | — | — |
| Tucker County | 6,540 | ▲ 7.6% | 66 MW | 12 MW | — | — |
More of West Virginia
Preston County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Preston County, West Virginia?
1 utility has service territory in Preston 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 Preston County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Preston County.
Is Preston County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,365 jobs in 2025 against 7,245 in 2019 (+1.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 965 to 1,046.
Does Preston County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Preston County. West Virginia has 0 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.