Orange County, Indiana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Paoli Township, French Lick Township and Paoli
Orange 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. Orange County is home to Paoli Township, French Lick Township, Paoli and Orleans Township. Construction employs 842, up 6.2% since 2019, and construction is 2.1 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Next door, Dubois County has 200 MW of planned generation. Electrical contractors employ 29, up 26.1% since 2019 against up 34.8% statewide, at an average $56,435 a year. Employers here counted 7,386 jobs in 2025, down 2.7% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Orange County
Orange County is home to Paoli Township, French Lick Township, Paoli and Orleans Township.
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 Orange County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Indiana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 19,845 | 19,834 | ▼ 0.1% | 74th of 92 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 7,588 | 7,386 | ▼ 2.7% | 70th of 92 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,257 | $46,755 | ▲ 36.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 793 | 842 | ▲ 6.2% | 56th of 68 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 23 | 29 | ▲ 26.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 3.2% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
Duke Energy Indiana, LLC is the largest utility serving Orange 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 3.0% in 2019. 19,834 people live here, down 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers Orange County
Utilities with service territory in Orange 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% |
| Dubois Rural Electric Coop Inc | Cooperative | Bundled | 13,419 | 14.38¢ | 7% |
| Orange County Rural E M C | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Paoli - (IN) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Orange County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Orange County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 7,386 | $46,755 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 842 | $78,284 | 2.15 |
| Electrical contractors | 29 | $56,435 | 0.54 |
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 Orange County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Orange County. Indiana has 40 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Washington County.
Orange County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Orange County, Dubois 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange County | 19,834 | ▼ 2.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Crawford County | 10,509 | ▲ 6.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Dubois County | 44,016 | ▼ 3.7% | 2 MW | 200 MW | — | — |
| Lawrence County | 45,568 | ▲ 1.6% | 403 MW | — | — | — |
| Martin County | 9,856 | ▲ 4.9% | 22 MW | — | — | — |
| Washington County | 28,383 | ▼ 8.2% | — | — | — | 1 |
More of Indiana
Orange County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Orange County, Indiana?
4 utilities have service territory in Orange County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, Dubois Rural Electric Coop Inc, Orange County Rural E M C, Town of Paoli - (IN). The largest, Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, charged residential customers 12.75¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Orange County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Orange County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Dubois County.
Is Orange County adding jobs?
Employers counted 7,386 jobs in 2025 against 7,588 in 2019 (-2.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 793 to 842.
Does Orange County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Orange County. Indiana has 40 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.