LaPorte County, Indiana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Michigan City, Michigan Township and Center Township
LaPorte County sits inside the data center build-out. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in LaPorte County, 4% of Indiana's total. LaPorte County is home to Michigan City, Michigan Township, Center Township and La Porte. Owners plan to retire 540 MW more by 2035, led by Michigan City in 2028. Its power plants have 546 MW of capacity, 99% of it coal. Electrical contractors employ 150, at an average $89,304 a year.
Cities and towns in LaPorte County
LaPorte County is home to Michigan City, Michigan Township, Center Township and La Porte.
And 8 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Fish Lake, Hanna, Hudson Lake, Rolling Prairie.
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 LaPorte County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Indiana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 112,279 | 111,294 | ▼ 0.9% | 16th of 92 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 40,362 | 40,196 | ▼ 0.4% | 52nd of 92 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $41,386 | $54,051 | ▲ 30.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 3.8% | ▼ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Northern Indiana Pub Serv Co is the largest utility serving LaPorte County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.09¢/kWh in 2024, above the 14.63¢ median for Indiana utilities. Employers here counted 40,196 jobs in 2025, down 0.4% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. 111,294 people live here, down 0.9% since 2020.
Who powers LaPorte County
Utilities with service territory in LaPorte County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Indiana Pub Serv Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 430,648 | 19.09¢ | 25% |
| Indiana Michigan Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 422,062 | 16.31¢ | 28% |
| Kankakee Valley Rural E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,994 | 15.20¢ | 18% |
| Town of Kingsford Heights | — | — | — | — | — |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 540 MW | 99% |
| Natural gas | 3 MW | 1% |
| Other technologies | 3 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan City | Northern Indiana Pub Serv Co | Coal | 540 MW | 1974 |
| Deercroft I & II LFGTE | Wabash Valley Power Assn, Inc | Natural gas | 6 MW | 1999 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan City | Coal | 540 MW | 2028 |
The LaPorte County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 40,196 | $54,051 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 150 | $89,304 | 0.52 |
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 LaPorte County
3 data centers in LaPorte County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
LaPorte County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border LaPorte County, St. Joseph 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LaPorte County | 111,294 | ▼ 0.4% | 546 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Berrien County MI | 152,444 | ▼ 0.9% | 2,312 MW | — | — | — |
| Jasper County | 33,894 | ▼ 3.0% | 1,637 MW | 448 MW | — | — |
| Porter County | 176,049 | ▲ 3.5% | 240 MW | — | 1 | — |
| St. Joseph County | 272,861 | ▼ 2.3% | 1,012 MW | — | 20 | 1 |
| Starke County | 23,425 | ▼ 2.1% | 891 MW | — | — | 1 |
More of Indiana
LaPorte County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in LaPorte County, Indiana?
4 utilities have service territory in LaPorte County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northern Indiana Pub Serv Co, Indiana Michigan Power Co, Kankakee Valley Rural E M C, Town of Kingsford Heights. The largest, Northern Indiana Pub Serv Co, charged residential customers 19.09¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Michigan City, IN in?
Michigan City is in LaPorte County, Indiana. About 31,338 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Michigan Township, IN in?
Michigan Township is in LaPorte County, Indiana. About 26,881 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Center Township, IN in?
Center Township is in LaPorte County, Indiana. About 25,168 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in LaPorte County?
2 operating plants with 546 MW of capacity. The largest is Michigan City (540 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in LaPorte County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 3 data centers in LaPorte County.
Is LaPorte County adding jobs?
Employers counted 40,196 jobs in 2025 against 40,362 in 2019 (-0.4%, BLS QCEW).
Does LaPorte County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for LaPorte County. Indiana has 40 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.