Crawford County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Grayling Township, Grayling and South Branch Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Crawford County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Crawford County is home to Grayling Township, Grayling, South Branch Township and Beaver Creek Township. Its power plants have 39 MW of capacity, 100% of it other technologies. Employers here counted 4,065 jobs in 2025, down 3.2% from 2019. Consumers Energy Co - (MI) is the largest utility serving Crawford County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.11¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.89¢ median for Michigan utilities. 13,722 people live here, up 5.7% since 2020.
Cities and towns in Crawford County
Crawford County is home to Grayling Township, Grayling, South Branch Township and Beaver Creek 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 Crawford County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 12,986 | 13,722 | ▲ 5.7% | 70th of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,198 | 4,065 | ▼ 3.2% | 63rd of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,259 | $57,297 | ▲ 32.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.5% | 5.4% | ▼ 0.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Unemployment was 5.4% in August 2026, against 5.5% in 2019.
Who powers Crawford County
Utilities with service territory in Crawford County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Consumers Energy Co - (MI) | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,657,843 | 19.11¢ | 36% |
| Great Lakes Energy Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 120,645 | 19.17¢ | 12% |
| Wolverine Power Supply Coop | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Other technologies | 39 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grayling Generating Station | NorthStar Clean Energy | Other technologies | 39 MW | 1992 |
The Crawford County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,065 | $57,297 | 1.00 |
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 Crawford County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Crawford County. Michigan has 91 local measures on record statewide.
Crawford County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Crawford County, Otsego 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crawford County | 13,722 | ▼ 3.2% | 39 MW | — | — | — |
| Antrim County | 24,698 | ▼ 5.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Kalkaska County | 18,693 | ▲ 15.7% | 60 MW | — | — | — |
| Missaukee County | 15,274 | ▲ 23.2% | 86 MW | — | — | — |
| Montmorency County | 9,842 | ▲ 0.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Ogemaw County | 21,121 | ▲ 7.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Oscoda County | 8,723 | ▼ 17.3% | 15 MW | — | — | — |
| Otsego County | 26,080 | ▲ 2.9% | 694 MW | — | — | — |
| Roscommon County | 23,914 | ▲ 12.4% | — | — | — | — |
More of Michigan
Crawford County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Crawford County, Michigan?
3 utilities have service territory in Crawford County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Consumers Energy Co - (MI), Great Lakes Energy Coop, Wolverine Power Supply Coop. The largest, Consumers Energy Co - (MI), charged residential customers 19.11¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Crawford County?
1 operating plant with 39 MW of capacity. The largest is Grayling Generating Station (39 MW, other technologies).
Are there data centers in Crawford County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Crawford County.
Is Crawford County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,065 jobs in 2025 against 4,198 in 2019 (-3.2%, BLS QCEW).
Does Crawford County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Crawford County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.