Brown County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Mount Sterling Township and Mount Sterling
No data center or power plant project is on record in Brown County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Brown County is home to Mount Sterling Township, Mount Sterling and Versailles Township. Employers here counted 4,825 jobs in 2025, up 10.2% from 2019 (the 9th fastest growth of 102 Illinois counties). Its power plants have 2 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind. Unemployment was 2.6% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Brown County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024.
Cities and towns in Brown County
Brown County is home to Mount Sterling Township, Mount Sterling and Versailles Township.
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 Brown County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,232 | 6,401 | ▲ 2.7% | 91st of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,377 | 4,825 | ▲ 10.2% | 9th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $51,069 | $69,099 | ▲ 35.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 172 | 41 | ▼ 76.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 2.6% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
6,401 people live here, up 2.7% since 2020.
Who powers Brown County
Utilities with service territory in Brown County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ameren Illinois Company | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,060,894 | 15.26¢ | 28% |
| Adams Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
| Illinois Rural Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
Operating power plants 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 2 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown County Wind Turbine | Adams Electric Cooperative | Wind | 2 MW | 2011 |
The Brown County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,825 | $69,099 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 41 | $50,058 | 0.16 |
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 Brown County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Brown County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide.
Brown County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Brown County, Adams 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown County | 6,401 | ▲ 10.2% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Adams County | 64,267 | ▼ 1.2% | 12 MW | 140 MW | — | — |
| Cass County | 12,463 | ▼ 17.8% | 156 MW | — | — | — |
| Morgan County | 32,515 | ▲ 0.1% | 183 MW | — | — | — |
| Pike County | 14,231 | ▼ 3.9% | 78 MW | 1 MW | — | — |
| Schuyler County | 6,657 | ▲ 11.9% | — | 2 MW | — | — |
More of Illinois
Brown County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Brown County, Illinois?
3 utilities have service territory in Brown County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Adams Electric Coop, Illinois Rural Electric Coop. The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Brown County?
1 operating plant with 2 MW of capacity. The largest is Brown County Wind Turbine (2 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Brown County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Brown County.
Is Brown County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,825 jobs in 2025 against 4,377 in 2019 (+10.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 172 to 41.
Does Brown County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Brown County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.