Wayne County, Indiana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Wayne Township, Richmond and Center Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Wayne County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Wayne County is home to Wayne Township, Richmond, Center Township and Jackson Township. Construction employs 903, up 9.6% since 2019. 40 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 225 MW of capacity, 42% of it coal. Employers here counted 29,380 jobs in 2025, down 3.1% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Wayne County
Wayne County is home to Wayne Township, Richmond, Center Township and Jackson Township.
And 5 smaller places.
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 Wayne County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Indiana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 66,517 | 66,169 | ▼ 0.5% | 27th of 92 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 30,330 | 29,380 | ▼ 3.1% | 74th of 92 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,915 | $52,873 | ▲ 32.5% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 824 | 903 | ▲ 9.6% | 51st of 68 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.5% | 3.7% | ▲ 0.2pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 40 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Duke Energy Indiana, LLC is the largest utility serving Wayne County, one of 7 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.75¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.63¢ median for Indiana utilities. Unemployment was 3.7% in August 2026, against 3.5% in 2019. 66,169 people live here, down 0.5% since 2020.
Who powers Wayne County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +40 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Wayne 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% |
| City of Richmond - (IN) | Municipal | Bundled | 16,310 | 13.12¢ | 19% |
| Whitewater Valley Rural EMC | Cooperative | Bundled | 11,998 | 15.83¢ | 15% |
| Town of Centerville - (IN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Dublin Municipal Electric Util | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Hagerstown - (IN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Henry County Rural E M C | — | — | — | — | — |
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 11
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Coal | 94 MW | 42% |
| Natural gas | 83 MW | 37% |
| Solar | 48 MW | 21% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitewater Valley | City of Richmond - (IN) | Coal | 94 MW | 1955 |
| Richmond | Indiana Municipal Power Agency | Natural gas | 83 MW | 1992 |
| Richmond 5 | Indiana Municipal Power Agency | Solar | 9 MW | 2021 |
| Richmond Solar Site 2 | Indiana Municipal Power Agency | Solar | 7 MW | 2018 |
| Richmond Solar Park 4 | Indiana Municipal Power Agency | Solar | 7 MW | 2020 |
| Richmond Solar Park 3 | Indiana Municipal Power Agency | Solar | 6 MW | 2019 |
The Wayne County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 29,380 | $52,873 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 903 | $56,779 | 0.58 |
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 Wayne County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Wayne County. Indiana has 40 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Fayette County.
Wayne County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Wayne County, Randolph 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wayne County | 66,169 | ▼ 3.1% | 225 MW | — | — | — |
| Darke County OH | 51,520 | ▲ 0.3% | 248 MW | — | — | — |
| Fayette County | 23,533 | ▼ 5.7% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Henry County | 49,137 | ▲ 5.3% | 338 MW | — | — | — |
| Preble County OH | 40,664 | ▲ 8.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Randolph County | 24,438 | ▲ 10.5% | 850 MW | — | — | — |
| Union County | 6,863 | ▲ 23.8% | — | — | — | — |
More of Indiana
Wayne County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Wayne County, Indiana?
7 utilities have service territory in Wayne County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, City of Richmond - (IN), Whitewater Valley Rural EMC, Town of Centerville - (IN). The largest, Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, charged residential customers 12.75¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Wayne Township, IN in?
Wayne Township is in Wayne County, Indiana. About 39,551 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Richmond, IN in?
Richmond is in Wayne County, Indiana. About 35,376 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Wayne County?
11 operating plants with 225 MW of capacity. The largest is Whitewater Valley (94 MW, coal).
Are there data centers in Wayne County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Wayne County.
Is Wayne County adding jobs?
Employers counted 29,380 jobs in 2025 against 30,330 in 2019 (-3.1%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 824 to 903.
Does Wayne County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Wayne County. Indiana has 40 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.