Wirt County, West Virginia: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Newark
No data center or power plant project is on record in Wirt County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Wirt County is home to Elizabeth. Unemployment was 5.3% in August 2026, against 8.1% in 2019. Employers here counted 697 jobs in 2025, up 24.7% from 2019 (the 3rd fastest growth of 55 West Virginia counties). Monongahela Power Co is the largest utility serving Wirt County. Its residential customers paid an average 13.97¢/kWh in 2024, below the 15.35¢ median for West Virginia utilities. 4,879 people live here, down 5.9% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Wirt County
Wirt County is home to Elizabeth.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Newark.
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 Wirt County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in West Virginia |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,187 | 4,879 | ▼ 5.9% | 55th of 55 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 559 | 697 | ▲ 24.7% | 3rd of 55 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,072 | $43,792 | ▲ 32.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 8.1% | 5.3% | ▼ 2.8pts | — |
Who powers Wirt County
Utilities with service territory in Wirt 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 Wirt County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Wirt County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 697 | $43,792 | 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 Wirt County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Wirt County. West Virginia has 0 local measures on record statewide.
Wirt County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Wirt County, Jackson 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wirt County | 4,879 | ▲ 24.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Calhoun County | 5,978 | ▲ 8.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Jackson County | 27,450 | ▼ 13.1% | 192 MW | — | — | — |
| Ritchie County | 8,034 | ▼ 5.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Roane County | 13,317 | ▼ 4.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Wood County | 82,385 | ▼ 0.8% | 42 MW | — | — | — |
More of West Virginia
Wirt County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wirt County, West Virginia?
1 utility has service territory in Wirt 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 Wirt County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Wirt County.
Is Wirt County adding jobs?
Employers counted 697 jobs in 2025 against 559 in 2019 (+24.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Wirt County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Wirt County. West Virginia has 0 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.