Brown County, Indiana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Washington Township, Hamblen Township and Jackson Township
Brown County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Electrical contractors employ 53, up 152.4% since 2019 against up 34.8% statewide, at an average $49,302 a year. Construction employs 191, up 48.1% since 2019. Brown County is home to Washington Township, Hamblen Township, Jackson Township and Van Buren Township. Next door, Bartholomew County has 2 data centers. Employers here counted 3,291 jobs in 2025, up 12.4% from 2019 (the 7th fastest growth of 92 Indiana counties).
Cities and towns in Brown County
Brown County is home to Washington Township, Hamblen Township, Jackson Township and Van Buren Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Cordry Sweetwater Lakes.
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 Brown County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Indiana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 15,481 | 15,777 | ▲ 1.9% | 79th of 92 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,929 | 3,291 | ▲ 12.4% | 7th of 92 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $27,944 | $40,510 | ▲ 45.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 129 | 191 | ▲ 48.1% | 9th of 68 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 21 | 53 | ▲ 152.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.1% | 3.2% | ▲ 0.1pts | — |
Duke Energy Indiana, LLC is the largest utility serving Brown County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.75¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.63¢ median for Indiana utilities. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 3.1% in 2019. 15,777 people live here, up 1.9% since 2020.
Who powers Brown County
Utilities with service territory in Brown 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% |
| South Central Indiana REMC | Cooperative | Bundled | 34,901 | 17.73¢ | 10% |
| Johnson County Rural E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 28,279 | 13.79¢ | 20% |
| Jackson County Rural E M C - (IN) | Cooperative | Bundled | 24,215 | 15.32¢ | 11% |
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 Brown County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Brown County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,291 | $40,510 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 191 | $52,930 | 1.10 |
| Electrical contractors | 53 | $49,302 | 2.23 |
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 Brown County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Brown County. Indiana has 40 local measures on record statewide.
Brown County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Brown 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brown County | 15,777 | ▲ 12.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Bartholomew County | 85,729 | ▼ 3.4% | — | — | 2 | — |
| Jackson County | 47,370 | ▲ 0.7% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Johnson County | 174,262 | ▲ 16.6% | 10 MW | — | — | — |
| Monroe County | 143,345 | ▲ 5.3% | 1 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Morgan County | 74,967 | ▼ 0.1% | 644 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Indiana
Brown County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Brown County, Indiana?
4 utilities have service territory in Brown County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, South Central Indiana REMC, Johnson County Rural E M C, Jackson County Rural E M C - (IN). The largest, Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, charged residential customers 12.75¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Brown County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Brown County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Bartholomew County.
Is Brown County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,291 jobs in 2025 against 2,929 in 2019 (+12.4%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 129 to 191.
Does Brown County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Brown County. Indiana has 40 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.