Whitley County, Indiana: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Columbia Township, Columbia City and Smith Township
Whitley 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. Whitley County is home to Columbia Township, Columbia City, Smith Township and Thorncreek Township. Construction employs 686, up 22.3% since 2019. Next door, Allen County has 6 data centers. Electrical contractors employ 91, up 26.4% since 2019 against up 34.8% statewide, at an average $62,620 a year. Employers here counted 14,183 jobs in 2025, up 8.7% from 2019.
Cities and towns in Whitley County
Whitley County is home to Columbia Township, Columbia City, Smith Township and Thorncreek Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Tri-Lakes.
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 Whitley County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Indiana |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 34,337 | 35,046 | ▲ 2.1% | 45th of 92 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 13,053 | 14,183 | ▲ 8.7% | 13th of 92 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $44,112 | $60,004 | ▲ 36.0% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 561 | 686 | ▲ 22.3% | 29th of 68 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 72 | 91 | ▲ 26.4% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 2.9% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 4 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — |
2 MW has retired here since 2019, including AEP Churubusco NaS (battery storage, 2 MW, 2021). 4 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 4 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Duke Energy Indiana, LLC is the largest utility serving Whitley County, one of 8 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.75¢/kWh in 2024, below the 14.63¢ median for Indiana utilities. Unemployment was 2.9% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019. 35,046 people live here, up 2.1% since 2020.
Who powers Whitley County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +2 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Whitley 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% |
| Indiana Michigan Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 422,062 | 16.31¢ | 28% |
| Northeastern Rural E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 30,610 | 14.96¢ | 11% |
| Heartland REMC | Cooperative | Bundled | 18,013 | 14.72¢ | 26% |
| Kosciusko County Rural E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 17,435 | 13.27¢ | 0% |
| Noble County R E M C | Cooperative | Bundled | 10,986 | 13.53¢ | 10% |
| City of Columbia City - (IN) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Town of South Whitley - (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.
Operating power plants 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 4 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia City Solar Park | Indiana Municipal Power Agency | Solar | 4 MW | 2021 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| AEP Churubusco NaS | Battery storage | 2 MW | 2021 |
The Whitley County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 14,183 | $60,004 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 686 | $77,237 | 0.91 |
| Electrical contractors | 91 | $62,620 | 0.89 |
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 Whitley County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Whitley County. Indiana has 40 local measures on record statewide.
Whitley County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Whitley County, Allen 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitley County | 35,046 | ▲ 8.7% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Allen County | 402,329 | ▲ 4.3% | — | — | 6 | — |
| Huntington County | 37,224 | ▲ 1.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Kosciusko County | 80,892 | ▼ 8.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Noble County | 47,937 | ▼ 10.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Wabash County | 30,713 | ▼ 0.1% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
More of Indiana
Whitley County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Whitley County, Indiana?
8 utilities have service territory in Whitley County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, Indiana Michigan Power Co, Northeastern Rural E M C, Heartland REMC. The largest, Duke Energy Indiana, LLC, charged residential customers 12.75¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Columbia Township, IN in?
Columbia Township is in Whitley County, Indiana. About 12,082 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Columbia City, IN in?
Columbia City is in Whitley County, Indiana. About 10,256 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Whitley County?
1 operating plant with 4 MW of capacity. The largest is Columbia City Solar Park (4 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Whitley County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Whitley County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Allen County.
Is Whitley County adding jobs?
Employers counted 14,183 jobs in 2025 against 13,053 in 2019 (+8.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 561 to 686.
Does Whitley County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Whitley County. Indiana has 40 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.