Mason County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Havana Township, Havana and Mason City Township
Mason County is living through the turnover of the U.S. power fleet. Mason County is home to Havana Township, Havana, Mason City Township and Manito Township. 488 MW has retired here since 2019, including Havana (coal, 488 MW, 2019). Next door, Logan County has 204 MW of planned generation. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 5.1% in 2019. 412 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind.
Cities and towns in Mason County
Mason County is home to Havana Township, Havana, Mason City Township and Manito Township.
- San Jose also extends into Logan County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Goofy Ridge.
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 Mason County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 13,050 | 12,411 | ▼ 4.9% | 82nd of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,016 | 2,829 | ▼ 6.2% | 78th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,788 | $43,851 | ▲ 16.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 85 | 67 | ▼ 21.2% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.1% | 3.7% | ▼ 1.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 412 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 488 MW | — |
Employers here counted 2,829 jobs in 2025, down 6.2% from 2019. Its power plants have 412 MW of capacity, 86% of it wind. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Mason County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024. 12,411 people live here, down 4.9% since 2020.
Who powers Mason County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −76 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Mason 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% |
| Menard Electric Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 9,048 | 18.05¢ | 18% |
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 6
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 356 MW | 86% |
| Solar | 56 MW | 14% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glacier Sands Wind Power, LLC | Glacier Sands Wind Power, LLC | Wind | 185 MW | 2021 |
| Moraine Sands Wind Power | Moraine Sands Wind Power, LLC | Wind | 171 MW | 2023 |
| Salt Creek Township Solar, LLC | Birch Creek Power, LLC | Solar | 50 MW | 2025 |
| Clark Solar 1 | SRC Partnership 14 LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2024 |
| Clark Solar 1A | SRC Partnership 14 LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2024 |
| Clark Solar 2, LLC | SREOG IL Partnership 2, LLC | Solar | 2 MW | 2023 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Havana | Coal | 488 MW | 2019 |
The Mason County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,829 | $43,851 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 67 | $59,009 | 0.45 |
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 Mason County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Mason County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Logan County, Tazewell County.
Mason County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Mason County, Tazewell 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason County | 12,411 | ▼ 6.2% | 412 MW | — | — | — |
| Cass County | 12,463 | ▼ 17.8% | 156 MW | — | — | — |
| Fulton County | 32,901 | ▲ 4.6% | 156 MW | — | — | — |
| Logan County | 27,182 | ▼ 15.3% | 726 MW | 204 MW | — | 1 |
| Menard County | 11,863 | ▲ 9.9% | — | 3 MW | — | — |
| Schuyler County | 6,657 | ▲ 11.9% | — | 2 MW | — | — |
| Tazewell County | 130,049 | ▼ 2.5% | 1,897 MW | 20 MW | — | 2 |
More of Illinois
Mason County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Mason County, Illinois?
2 utilities have service territory in Mason County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Menard Electric Coop. The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Mason County?
6 operating plants with 412 MW of capacity. The largest is Glacier Sands Wind Power, LLC (185 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Mason County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Mason County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Logan County.
Is Mason County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,829 jobs in 2025 against 3,016 in 2019 (-6.2%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 85 to 67.
Does Mason County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Mason County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.