Gallatin County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Gold Hill Township
Gallatin 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. Gallatin County is home to Gold Hill Township, Shawneetown, Ridgway and Ridgway Township. Employers here counted 902 jobs in 2025, down 22.1% from 2019. Next door, White County has 303 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 3.9% in August 2026, against 5.1% in 2019. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Gallatin County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024.
Cities and towns in Gallatin County
Gallatin County is home to Gold Hill Township, Shawneetown, Ridgway and Ridgway 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 Gallatin County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 4,933 | 4,616 | ▼ 6.4% | 98th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,158 | 902 | ▼ 22.1% | 99th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $47,760 | $51,497 | ▲ 7.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.1% | 3.9% | ▼ 1.2pts | — |
4,616 people live here, down 6.4% since 2020.
Who powers Gallatin County
Utilities with service territory in Gallatin 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% |
| Southeastern IL Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 22,731 | 14.47¢ | 12% |
| Wayne-White Counties Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,957 | 16.58¢ | 21% |
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 Gallatin County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Gallatin County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 902 | $51,497 | 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 Gallatin County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Gallatin County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide.
Gallatin County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Gallatin County, Posey 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gallatin County | 4,616 | ▼ 22.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Hamilton County | 7,859 | ▲ 3.0% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Hardin County | 3,588 | ▲ 21.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Posey County IN | 24,988 | ▼ 2.5% | 946 MW | 250 MW | — | — |
| Saline County | 22,772 | ▲ 7.0% | 270 MW | 4 MW | — | — |
| Union County KY | 12,839 | ▲ 5.0% | — | — | — | — |
| White County | 13,250 | ▼ 4.0% | 312 MW | 303 MW | — | — |
More of Illinois
Gallatin County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Gallatin County, Illinois?
3 utilities have service territory in Gallatin County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Southeastern IL Elec Coop, Inc, Wayne-White Counties Elec Coop. The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Gallatin County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Gallatin County. The nearest activity on record is next door in White County.
Is Gallatin County adding jobs?
Employers counted 902 jobs in 2025 against 1,158 in 2019 (-22.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Gallatin County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Gallatin County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.