Effingham County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Douglas Township, Effingham and Summit Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Effingham County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Effingham County is home to Douglas Township, Effingham, Summit Township and Mound Township. Construction employs 1,467, up 26.6% since 2019. Next door, Shelby County has 250 MW of planned generation. Electrical contractors employ 177, up 10.6% since 2019 against up 3.9% statewide, at an average $72,006 a year. Employers here counted 23,401 jobs in 2025, up 5.3% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Effingham County
Effingham County is home to Douglas Township, Effingham, Summit Township and Mound Township.
And 1 smaller places.
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 Effingham County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 34,695 | 34,519 | ▼ 0.5% | 41st of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 22,226 | 23,401 | ▲ 5.3% | 19th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,582 | $55,283 | ▲ 36.2% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,159 | 1,467 | ▲ 26.6% | 14th of 56 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 160 | 177 | ▲ 10.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 2.9% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 7 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum. Unemployment was 2.9% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Effingham County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024. 34,519 people live here, down 0.5% since 2020.
Who powers Effingham County
Utilities with service territory in Effingham 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% |
| Southwestern Electric Coop Inc - (IL) | Cooperative | Bundled | 24,822 | 13.68¢ | 17% |
| Norris Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,074 | 15.08¢ | 26% |
| Shelby Electric Coop, Inc - (IL) | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,871 | 18.63¢ | 11% |
| City of Altamont - (IL) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Clay Electric Coop Inc - (IL) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 7 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Altamont | City of Altamont - (IL) | Petroleum | 7 MW | 2002 |
The Effingham County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 23,401 | $55,283 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,467 | $71,797 | 1.18 |
| Electrical contractors | 177 | $72,006 | 1.05 |
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 Effingham County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Effingham County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide.
Effingham County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Effingham County, Shelby 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Effingham County | 34,519 | ▲ 5.3% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Clay County | 12,793 | ▼ 9.9% | 726 MW | 127 MW | — | — |
| Cumberland County | 10,208 | ▲ 1.3% | 274 MW | — | — | — |
| Fayette County | 20,790 | ▼ 9.7% | 101 MW | 119 MW | — | — |
| Jasper County | 9,032 | ▲ 5.2% | 671 MW | — | — | — |
| Shelby County | 20,576 | ▼ 3.9% | 1,185 MW | 250 MW | — | — |
More of Illinois
Effingham County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Effingham County, Illinois?
6 utilities have service territory in Effingham County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Southwestern Electric Coop Inc - (IL), Norris Electric Coop, Shelby Electric Coop, Inc - (IL). The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Douglas Township, IL in?
Douglas Township is in Effingham County, Illinois. About 12,693 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Effingham, IL in?
Effingham is in Effingham County, Illinois. About 12,406 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Effingham County?
1 operating plant with 7 MW of capacity. The largest is Altamont (7 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Effingham County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Effingham County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Shelby County.
Is Effingham County adding jobs?
Employers counted 23,401 jobs in 2025 against 22,226 in 2019 (+5.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,159 to 1,467.
Does Effingham County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Effingham County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.