Hamilton County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to McLeansboro Township, McLeansboro and Dahlgren Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Hamilton County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Hamilton County is home to McLeansboro Township, McLeansboro, Dahlgren Township and Knight Prairie Township. Next door, White County has 303 MW of planned generation. 3 MW has retired here since 2019, including McLeansboro (petroleum, 3 MW, 2020). Its power plants have 6 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum. Employers here counted 2,071 jobs in 2025, up 3.0% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Hamilton County
Hamilton County is home to McLeansboro Township, McLeansboro, Dahlgren Township and Knight Prairie 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 Hamilton County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,996 | 7,859 | ▼ 1.7% | 89th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,011 | 2,071 | ▲ 3.0% | 32nd of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,857 | $54,838 | ▲ 25.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 101 | 64 | ▼ 36.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.5% | 4.0% | ▼ 0.5pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — |
Unemployment was 4.0% in August 2026, against 4.5% in 2019. Southeastern IL Elec Coop, Inc is the largest utility serving Hamilton County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.47¢/kWh in 2024, below the 15.22¢ median for Illinois utilities. 7,859 people live here, down 1.7% since 2020.
Who powers Hamilton County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Hamilton County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southeastern IL Elec Coop, Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 22,731 | 14.47¢ | 12% |
| Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (IL) | Cooperative | Bundled | 16,197 | 16.04¢ | 9% |
| Wayne-White Counties Elec Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,957 | 16.58¢ | 21% |
| City of McLeansboro - (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 | 6 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| McLeansboro | City of McLeansboro - (IL) | Petroleum | 6 MW | 1950 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| McLeansboro | Petroleum | 3 MW | 2020 |
The Hamilton County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,071 | $54,838 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 64 | $54,970 | 0.58 |
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 Hamilton County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Hamilton County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide.
Hamilton County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Hamilton County, White 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamilton County | 7,859 | ▲ 3.0% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Franklin County | 36,916 | ▲ 0.6% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Gallatin County | 4,616 | ▼ 22.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Jefferson County | 36,147 | ▼ 2.4% | 2 MW | 155 MW | — | — |
| Saline County | 22,772 | ▲ 7.0% | 270 MW | 4 MW | — | — |
| Wayne County | 15,882 | ▲ 2.4% | — | — | — | — |
| White County | 13,250 | ▼ 4.0% | 312 MW | 303 MW | — | — |
More of Illinois
Hamilton County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Hamilton County, Illinois?
4 utilities have service territory in Hamilton County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southeastern IL Elec Coop, Inc, Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (IL), Wayne-White Counties Elec Coop, City of McLeansboro - (IL). The largest, Southeastern IL Elec Coop, Inc, charged residential customers 14.47¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Hamilton County?
1 operating plant with 6 MW of capacity. The largest is McLeansboro (6 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Hamilton County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Hamilton County. The nearest activity on record is next door in White County.
Is Hamilton County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,071 jobs in 2025 against 2,011 in 2019 (+3.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 101 to 64.
Does Hamilton County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Hamilton County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.