Scott County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Winchester
No data center or power plant project is on record in Scott County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Scott County is home to Winchester and Bluffs. Unemployment was 3.0% in August 2026, against 4.7% in 2019. Employers here counted 927 jobs in 2025, down 7.5% from 2019. Its power plants have 173 MW of capacity, 100% of it natural gas. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Scott County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024.
Cities and towns in Scott County
Scott County is home to Winchester and Bluffs.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Merritt, Oxville, Riggston.
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 Scott County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,070 | 4,866 | ▼ 4.0% | 96th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,002 | 927 | ▼ 7.5% | 87th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $36,695 | $54,048 | ▲ 47.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 27 | 31 | ▲ 14.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.7% | 3.0% | ▼ 1.7pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
4,866 people live here, down 4.0% since 2020.
Who powers Scott County
Utilities with service territory in Scott 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% |
| Illinois Rural Electric Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 173 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alsey | Prairie Power, Inc | Natural gas | 173 MW | 1999 |
The Scott County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 927 | $54,048 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 31 | $70,782 | 0.63 |
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 Scott County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Scott County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide.
Scott County and its neighbors
Of the 3 counties that border Scott County, Morgan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scott County | 4,866 | ▼ 7.5% | 173 MW | — | — | — |
| Greene County | 11,313 | ▼ 4.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Morgan County | 32,515 | ▲ 0.1% | 183 MW | — | — | — |
| Pike County | 14,231 | ▼ 3.9% | 78 MW | 1 MW | — | — |
More of Illinois
Scott County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Scott County, Illinois?
2 utilities have service territory in Scott County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Illinois Rural Electric Coop. The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Scott County?
1 operating plant with 173 MW of capacity. The largest is Alsey (173 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Scott County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Scott County.
Is Scott County adding jobs?
Employers counted 927 jobs in 2025 against 1,002 in 2019 (-7.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 27 to 31.
Does Scott County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Scott County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.