Wayne County, Illinois: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Fairfield, Grover Township and Jasper Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Wayne County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Wayne County is home to Fairfield, Grover Township, Jasper Township and Big Mound Township. Next door, White County has 303 MW of planned generation. 8 MW has retired here since 2019, including Fairfield (petroleum, 8 MW, 2020). Employers here counted 3,958 jobs in 2025, up 2.4% from 2019. Ameren Illinois Company is the largest utility serving Wayne County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 15.26¢/kWh in 2024.
Cities and towns in Wayne County
Wayne County is home to Fairfield, Grover Township, Jasper Township and Big Mound Township.
And 4 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 Wayne County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Illinois |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 16,143 | 15,882 | ▼ 1.6% | 66th of 102 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,865 | 3,958 | ▲ 2.4% | 34th of 102 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $32,929 | $44,141 | ▲ 34.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.2% | 4.3% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 8 MW | — |
Unemployment was 4.3% in August 2026, against 4.2% in 2019. 15,882 people live here, down 1.6% since 2020.
Who powers Wayne County
Utilities with service territory in Wayne 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% |
| 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% |
| Clay Electric Coop Inc - (IL) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Fairfield- (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.
No operating power plant is located in Wayne County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfield | Petroleum | 8 MW | 2020 |
The Wayne County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,958 | $44,141 | 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 Wayne County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Wayne County. Illinois has 28 local measures on record statewide.
Wayne County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Wayne 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County | 15,882 | ▲ 2.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Clay County | 12,793 | ▼ 9.9% | 726 MW | 127 MW | — | — |
| Edwards County | 5,898 | ▼ 27.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Hamilton County | 7,859 | ▲ 3.0% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Jefferson County | 36,147 | ▼ 2.4% | 2 MW | 155 MW | — | — |
| Marion County | 36,382 | ▼ 4.3% | 372 MW | — | — | — |
| Richland County | 15,219 | ▼ 1.7% | 2 MW | 5 MW | — | — |
| White County | 13,250 | ▼ 4.0% | 312 MW | 303 MW | — | — |
More of Illinois
Wayne County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wayne County, Illinois?
5 utilities have service territory in Wayne County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Ameren Illinois Company, Tri-County Electric Coop, Inc (IL), Wayne-White Counties Elec Coop, Clay Electric Coop Inc - (IL). The largest, Ameren Illinois Company, charged residential customers 15.26¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Wayne County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Wayne County. The nearest activity on record is next door in White County.
Is Wayne County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,958 jobs in 2025 against 3,865 in 2019 (+2.4%, BLS QCEW).
Does Wayne County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Wayne County. Illinois has 28 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.