Rush County, Indiana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Rushville Township, Rushville and Ripley Township
Rush 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. Rush County is home to Rushville Township, Rushville, Ripley Township and Anderson Township. Construction employs 270, up 31.7% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 36, up 44.0% since 2019 against up 34.8% statewide, at an average $64,515 a year. Next door, Hancock County has 1 data center. Employers here counted 4,885 jobs in 2025, down 2.0% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Rush County
Rush County is home to Rushville Township, Rushville, Ripley Township and Anderson Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Arlington, Manilla, Milroy.
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 Rush County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Indiana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 16,765 | 16,767 | ● 0.0% | 77th of 92 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,986 | 4,885 | ▼ 2.0% | 61st of 92 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,538 | $52,714 | ▲ 30.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 205 | 270 | ▲ 31.7% | 17th of 68 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 25 | 36 | ▲ 44.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 3.2% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
Duke Energy Indiana, LLC is the largest utility serving Rush County, one of 6 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. 16,767 people live here, up 0.0% since 2020.
Who powers Rush County
Utilities with service territory in Rush 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% |
| NineStar Connect | Cooperative | Bundled | 17,770 | 15.68¢ | 15% |
| RushShelby Energy | Cooperative | Bundled | 14,761 | 16.89¢ | 11% |
| Decatur County Rural E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 8,088 | 15.83¢ | 11% |
| Henry County Rural E M C | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of Knightstown - (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 Rush County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Rush County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,885 | $52,714 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 270 | $62,408 | 1.04 |
| Electrical contractors | 36 | $64,515 | 1.02 |
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 Rush County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Rush County. Indiana has 40 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Fayette County, Franklin County.
Rush County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Rush County, Shelby 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rush County | 16,767 | ▼ 2.0% | — | — | — | — |
| Decatur County | 26,576 | ▼ 7.8% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Fayette County | 23,533 | ▼ 5.7% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Franklin County | 23,286 | ▲ 2.1% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Hancock County | 90,969 | ▲ 16.8% | 3 MW | — | 1 | — |
| Henry County | 49,137 | ▲ 5.3% | 338 MW | — | — | — |
| Shelby County | 45,882 | ▲ 3.7% | 205 MW | — | 1 | — |
More of Indiana
Rush County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Rush County, Indiana?
6 utilities have service territory in Rush County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, NineStar Connect, RushShelby Energy, Decatur County Rural E M C. The largest, Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, charged residential customers 12.75¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Rush County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Rush County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Hancock County.
Is Rush County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,885 jobs in 2025 against 4,986 in 2019 (-2.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 205 to 270.
Does Rush County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Rush County. Indiana has 40 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.