Upshur County, West Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Buckhannon
Upshur 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. Upshur County is home to Buckhannon. Electrical contractors employ 26, up 52.9% since 2019 against up 37.1% statewide, at an average $50,554 a year. Next door, Harrison County has 1 data center and 579 MW of planned generation. Construction employs 506, down 4.7% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 5.5% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Upshur County
Upshur County is home to Buckhannon.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Adrian, Hinkleville, Rock Cave.
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 Upshur County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in West Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 23,820 | 23,758 | ▼ 0.3% | 26th of 55 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,349 | 7,637 | ▲ 3.9% | 22nd of 55 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,984 | $50,124 | ▲ 22.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 531 | 506 | ▼ 4.7% | 17th of 26 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 17 | 26 | ▲ 52.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.5% | 4.3% | ▼ 1.2pts | — |
Employers here counted 7,637 jobs in 2025, up 3.9% from 2019. Monongahela Power Co is the largest utility serving Upshur 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. 23,758 people live here, down 0.3% since 2020.
Who powers Upshur County
Utilities with service territory in Upshur 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.
No operating power plant is located in Upshur County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Upshur County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,637 | $50,124 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 506 | $61,264 | 1.25 |
| Electrical contractors | 26 | $50,554 | 0.47 |
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 Upshur County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Upshur County. West Virginia has 0 local measures on record statewide.
Upshur County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Upshur 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upshur County | 23,758 | ▲ 3.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Barbour County | 15,414 | ▲ 10.4% | 98 MW | — | — | — |
| Harrison County | 64,221 | ▲ 1.5% | 2,052 MW | 579 MW | 1 | — |
| Lewis County | 16,394 | ▼ 7.6% | — | — | — | — |
| Randolph County | 26,882 | ▼ 7.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Webster County | 7,760 | ▼ 11.7% | — | — | — | — |
More of West Virginia
Upshur County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Upshur County, West Virginia?
2 utilities have service territory in Upshur 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.
Are there data centers in Upshur County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Upshur County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Harrison County.
Is Upshur County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,637 jobs in 2025 against 7,349 in 2019 (+3.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 531 to 506.
Does Upshur County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Upshur County. West Virginia has 0 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.