Gogebic County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Ironwood, Ironwood Township and Bessemer
No data center or power plant project is on record in Gogebic County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Gogebic County is home to Ironwood, Ironwood Township, Bessemer and Wakefield. Unemployment was 6.1% in August 2026, against 5.1% in 2019. Employers here counted 4,848 jobs in 2025, down 6.8% from 2019. Its power plants have 1 MW of capacity, 100% of it hydro. Upper Michigan Energy Resources Corp. is the largest utility serving Gogebic County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.76¢/kWh in 2024, below the 16.89¢ median for Michigan utilities.
Cities and towns in Gogebic County
Gogebic County is home to Ironwood, Ironwood Township, Bessemer and Wakefield.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Marenisco, Ramsay, Watersmeet.
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 Gogebic County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 14,349 | 14,285 | ▼ 0.4% | 69th of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 5,204 | 4,848 | ▼ 6.8% | 75th of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,872 | $48,402 | ▲ 24.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 5.1% | 6.1% | ▲ 1.0pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
14,285 people live here, down 0.4% since 2020.
Who powers Gogebic County
Utilities with service territory in Gogebic County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upper Michigan Energy Resources Corp. | Investor Owned | Bundled | 33,252 | 14.76¢ | 7% |
| Northern States Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 7,579 | 14.66¢ | 36% |
| Bayfield Electric Coop, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Ontonagon County R E A | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Wakefield - (MI) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hydro | 1 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Superior Falls | Northern States Power Co - Minnesota | Hydro | 1 MW | 1917 |
The Gogebic County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,848 | $48,402 | 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 Gogebic County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Gogebic County. Michigan has 91 local measures on record statewide.
Gogebic County and its neighbors
Of the 4 counties that border Gogebic County, Iron 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gogebic County | 14,285 | ▼ 6.8% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Iron County | 11,757 | ▼ 9.9% | 27 MW | — | — | — |
| Iron County WI | 6,127 | ▼ 2.4% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Ontonagon County | 5,823 | ▲ 7.4% | 12 MW | — | — | — |
| Vilas County WI | 23,761 | ▲ 3.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Michigan
Gogebic County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Gogebic County, Michigan?
5 utilities have service territory in Gogebic County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Upper Michigan Energy Resources Corp., Northern States Power Co, Bayfield Electric Coop, Inc, Ontonagon County R E A. The largest, Upper Michigan Energy Resources Corp., charged residential customers 14.76¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Gogebic County?
1 operating plant with 1 MW of capacity. The largest is Superior Falls (1 MW, hydro).
Are there data centers in Gogebic County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Gogebic County.
Is Gogebic County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,848 jobs in 2025 against 5,204 in 2019 (-6.8%, BLS QCEW).
Does Gogebic County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Gogebic County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.