Owen County, Indiana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Washington Township, Clay Township and Spencer
Owen County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Electrical contractors employ 32, up 113.3% since 2019 against up 34.8% statewide, at an average $54,734 a year. Owen County is home to Washington Township, Clay Township, Spencer and Jackson Township. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (1 in force); the latest is “One-year data center moratorium”. Employers here counted 5,192 jobs in 2025, up 2.4% from 2019. Duke Energy Indiana, LLC is the largest utility serving Owen 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.
Cities and towns in Owen County
Owen County is home to Washington Township, Clay Township, Spencer and Jackson 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 Owen County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Indiana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 21,325 | 21,886 | ▲ 2.6% | 68th of 92 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,069 | 5,192 | ▲ 2.4% | 36th of 92 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $42,252 | $60,124 | ▲ 42.3% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15 | 32 | ▲ 113.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 3.5% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. 21,886 people live here, up 2.6% since 2020.
Who powers Owen County
Utilities with service territory in Owen 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% |
| 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.
No operating power plant is located in Owen County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Owen County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 5,192 | $60,124 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 32 | $54,734 | 0.85 |
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 Owen County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-year data center moratorium | In force | 2026-09 |
Owen County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Owen 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Owen County | 21,886 | ▲ 2.4% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Clay County | 26,410 | ▼ 0.3% | 9 MW | — | — | — |
| Greene County | 31,165 | ▲ 0.8% | 248 MW | — | — | — |
| Monroe County | 143,345 | ▲ 5.3% | 1 MW | — | 2 | — |
| Morgan County | 74,967 | ▼ 0.1% | 644 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Putnam County | 37,876 | ▼ 7.1% | — | — | — | 1 |
More of Indiana
Owen County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Owen County, Indiana?
4 utilities have service territory in Owen County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, AES Indiana, South Central Indiana REMC, Utilities Dist-Western IN REMC. The largest, Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, charged residential customers 12.75¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Owen County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Owen County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Monroe County.
Is Owen County adding jobs?
Employers counted 5,192 jobs in 2025 against 5,069 in 2019 (+2.4%, BLS QCEW).
Does Owen County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Owen County, 1 in force.