Bartholomew County, Indiana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Columbus Township, Columbus and German Township
The data center boom is not abstract in Bartholomew County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Bartholomew County. Bartholomew County is home to Columbus Township, Columbus, German Township and Harrison Township. Construction employs 1,729, up 4.0% since 2019. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 2.7% in 2019. Employers here counted 49,493 jobs in 2025, down 3.4% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Bartholomew County
Bartholomew County is home to Columbus Township, Columbus, German Township and Harrison Township.
- Edinburgh also extends into Johnson County, Shelby County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Taylorsville.
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 Bartholomew County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Indiana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 82,213 | 85,729 | ▲ 4.3% | 19th of 92 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 51,231 | 49,493 | ▼ 3.4% | 75th of 92 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $57,237 | $75,028 | ▲ 31.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,662 | 1,729 | ▲ 4.0% | 59th of 68 by growth |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 113 | 102 | ▼ 9.7% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.7% | 3.5% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
Duke Energy Indiana, LLC is the largest utility serving Bartholomew County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.75¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.63¢ median for Indiana utilities. 85,729 people live here, up 4.3% since 2020.
Who powers Bartholomew County
Utilities with service territory in Bartholomew County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duke Energy Indiana, LLC | Investor Owned | Bundled | 796,265 | 12.75¢ | 31% |
| AES Indiana | Investor Owned | Bundled | 469,499 | 13.75¢ | 14% |
| Jackson County Rural E M C - (IN) | Cooperative | Bundled | 24,215 | 15.32¢ | 11% |
| RushShelby Energy | Cooperative | Bundled | 14,761 | 16.89¢ | 11% |
| Bartholomew County Rural E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,427 | 14.71¢ | 11% |
| Decatur County Rural E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,088 | 15.83¢ | 11% |
| Edinburgh Municipal Utilities | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Bartholomew County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Bartholomew County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 49,493 | $75,028 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,729 | $70,326 | 0.66 |
| Electric utilities | 102 | $121,507 | 0.76 |
| Data processing and hosting | 12 | $131,734 | 0.08 |
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 Bartholomew County
2 data centers in Bartholomew County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Bartholomew County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Bartholomew County, Shelby 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bartholomew County | 85,729 | ▼ 3.4% | — | — | 2 | — |
| Brown County | 15,777 | ▲ 12.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Decatur County | 26,576 | ▼ 7.8% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Jackson County | 47,370 | ▲ 0.7% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Jennings County | 27,622 | ▲ 4.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Johnson County | 174,262 | ▲ 16.6% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
| Shelby County | 45,882 | ▲ 3.7% | 205 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Indiana
Bartholomew County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Bartholomew County, Indiana?
7 utilities have service territory in Bartholomew County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, AES Indiana, Jackson County Rural E M C - (IN), RushShelby Energy. The largest, Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, charged residential customers 12.75¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Columbus Township, IN in?
Columbus Township is in Bartholomew County, Indiana. About 53,359 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Columbus, IN in?
Columbus is in Bartholomew County, Indiana. About 52,655 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
Are there data centers in Bartholomew County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Bartholomew County.
Is Bartholomew County adding jobs?
Employers counted 49,493 jobs in 2025 against 51,231 in 2019 (-3.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,662 to 1,729.
Does Bartholomew County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Bartholomew County. Indiana has 40 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.