Monroe County, Indiana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Bloomington, Perry Township and Bloomington Township
Monroe County is one of the places the data center build-out is physically happening. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Monroe County. Monroe County is home to Bloomington, Perry Township, Bloomington Township and Richland Township. Construction employs 3,010, up 22.5% since 2019. Employers here counted 67,767 jobs in 2025, up 5.3% from 2019. Unemployment was 3.8% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Monroe County
Monroe County is home to Bloomington, Perry Township, Bloomington Township and Richland Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Harrodsburg, Smithville-Sanders.
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 Monroe County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Indiana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 140,629 | 143,345 | ▲ 1.9% | 12th of 92 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 64,351 | 67,767 | ▲ 5.3% | 22nd of 92 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $45,835 | $61,402 | ▲ 34.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,458 | 3,010 | ▲ 22.5% | 28th of 68 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 3.8% | ▲ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Its power plants have 1 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Duke Energy Indiana, LLC is the largest utility serving Monroe County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.75¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.63¢ median for Indiana utilities. 143,345 people live here, up 1.9% since 2020.
Who powers Monroe County
Utilities with service territory in Monroe 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% |
| South Central Indiana REMC | Cooperative | Bundled | 34,901 | 17.73¢ | 10% |
| Jackson County Rural E M C - (IN) | Cooperative | Bundled | 24,215 | 15.32¢ | 11% |
| Utilities Dist-Western IN REMC | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,898 | 16.10¢ | 13% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 1 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ellettsville Solar RES | Hoosier Energy R E C, Inc | Solar | 1 MW | 2016 |
The Monroe County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 67,767 | $61,402 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 3,010 | $74,300 | 0.84 |
| Power and communication line construction | 69 | $71,004 | 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 Monroe County
2 data centers in Monroe County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Monroe County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Monroe 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe County | 143,345 | ▲ 5.3% | 1 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Brown County | 15,777 | ▲ 12.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Greene County | 31,165 | ▲ 0.8% | 248 MW | — | — | — |
| Jackson County | 47,370 | ▲ 0.7% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Lawrence County | 45,568 | ▲ 1.6% | 403 MW | — | — | — |
| Morgan County | 74,967 | ▼ 0.1% | 644 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Owen County | 21,886 | ▲ 2.4% | — | — | — | 1 |
More of Indiana
Monroe County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Monroe County, Indiana?
5 utilities have service territory in Monroe County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, AES Indiana, South Central Indiana REMC, Jackson County Rural E M C - (IN). The largest, Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, charged residential customers 12.75¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Bloomington, IN in?
Bloomington is in Monroe County, Indiana. About 83,307 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Perry Township, IN in?
Perry Township is in Monroe County, Indiana. About 52,290 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Bloomington Township, IN in?
Bloomington Township is in Monroe County, Indiana. About 46,702 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Monroe County?
1 operating plant with 1 MW of capacity. The largest is Ellettsville Solar RES (1 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Monroe County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 2 data centers in Monroe County.
Is Monroe County adding jobs?
Employers counted 67,767 jobs in 2025 against 64,351 in 2019 (+5.3%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 2,458 to 3,010.
Does Monroe County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Monroe County. Indiana has 40 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.