Crawford County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Robinson Township, Robinson and Oblong Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Crawford County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Crawford County is home to Robinson Township, Robinson, Oblong Township and Lamotte Township. Construction employs 478, up 23.5% since 2019. Next door, Sullivan County, Indiana, has 964 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 7,629 jobs in 2025, up 8.2% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 4.5% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Crawford County
Crawford County is home to Robinson Township, Robinson, Oblong Township and Lamotte Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Annapolis, West York.
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 Crawford County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 18,631 | 18,648 | ▲ 0.1% | 59th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,052 | 7,629 | ▲ 8.2% | 12th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $52,515 | $66,794 | ▲ 27.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 387 | 478 | ▲ 23.5% | 15th of 56 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.5% | 3.5% | ▼ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 7 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
7 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 7 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Crawford County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024. 18,648 people live here, up 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers Crawford County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +7 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Crawford 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% |
| Norris Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,074 | 15.08¢ | 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.
Operating power plants 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 7 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marathon Petroleum - Robinson Refinery | Onyx Asset Services Group | Solar | 5 MW | 2025 |
| 950th Sun 2 | 950th Sun 2 LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2025 |
The Crawford County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,629 | $66,794 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 478 | $93,857 | 1.18 |
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 Crawford County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Crawford County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Lawrence County.
Crawford County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Crawford County, Sullivan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crawford County | 18,648 | ▲ 8.2% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Clark County | 15,114 | ▼ 6.5% | 189 MW | — | — | — |
| Jasper County | 9,032 | ▲ 5.2% | 671 MW | — | — | — |
| Knox County IN | 35,652 | ▼ 3.0% | 1,463 MW | — | — | — |
| Lawrence County | 13,790 | ▼ 11.7% | 9 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Richland County | 15,219 | ▼ 1.7% | 2 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| Sullivan County IN | 20,831 | ▼ 2.2% | 1,548 MW | 964 MW | — | — |
More of Illinois
Crawford County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Crawford County, Illinois?
2 utilities have service territory in Crawford County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Norris Electric Coop. The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Crawford County?
2 operating plants with 7 MW of capacity. The largest is Marathon Petroleum - Robinson Refinery (5 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Crawford County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Crawford County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Sullivan County.
Is Crawford County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,629 jobs in 2025 against 7,052 in 2019 (+8.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 387 to 478.
Does Crawford County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Crawford County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.