Isabella County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Mount Pleasant, Union Township and Chippewa Township
The build-out shows up in Isabella County as work for the electrical trades. Isabella County is home to Mount Pleasant, Union Township, Chippewa Township and Deerfield Township. Electrical contractors employ 655, up 58.6% since 2019 against up 23.2% statewide, at an average $90,275 a year. Next door, Montcalm County has 300 MW of planned generation. 717 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly wind. Unemployment was 5.1% in August 2026, against 3.8% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Isabella County
Isabella County is home to Mount Pleasant, Union Township, Chippewa Township and Deerfield Township.
- Clare also extends into Clare County.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Beal City, Loomis, Weidman, Winn.
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 Isabella County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 64,518 | 64,691 | ▲ 0.3% | 31st of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 28,562 | 26,856 | ▼ 6.0% | 73rd of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $39,787 | $52,282 | ▲ 31.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,757 | 1,694 | ▼ 3.6% | 61st of 69 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 413 | 655 | ▲ 58.6% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.8% | 5.1% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 717 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Construction employs 1,694, down 3.6% since 2019. Its power plants have 722 MW of capacity, 75% of it wind. Employers here counted 26,856 jobs in 2025, down 6.0% from 2019. DTE Electric Company is the largest utility serving Isabella County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 20.13¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.89¢ median for Michigan utilities. 64,691 people live here, up 0.3% since 2020.
Who powers Isabella County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +717 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Isabella County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DTE Electric Company | Investor Owned | Bundled | 2,067,779 | 20.13¢ | 41% |
| Consumers Energy Co - (MI) | Investor Owned | Bundled | 1,657,843 | 19.11¢ | 36% |
| Tri-County Electric Coop (MI) | Cooperative | Bundled | 23,034 | 18.04¢ | 13% |
| 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 4
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 545 MW | 75% |
| Solar | 172 MW | 24% |
| Natural gas | 5 MW | 1% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isabella Wind Park | DTE Electric Company | Wind | 384 MW | 2021 |
| Mission Road Solar Park | DTE Electric Company | Solar | 172 MW | 2026 |
| Pine River Wind Park | DTE Electric Company | Wind | 161 MW | 2019 |
| Central Michigan University | Central Michigan University | Natural gas | 5 MW | 1987 |
The Isabella County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 26,856 | $52,282 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 1,694 | $78,696 | 1.19 |
| Electrical contractors | 655 | $90,275 | 3.38 |
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 Isabella County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Isabella County. Michigan has 91 local measures on record statewide.
Isabella County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Isabella County, Midland 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isabella County | 64,691 | ▼ 6.0% | 722 MW | — | — | — |
| Clare County | 31,543 | ▲ 16.3% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Gladwin County | 26,077 | ▲ 9.3% | 20 MW | 145 MW | — | — |
| Gratiot County | 41,190 | ▼ 3.3% | 1,124 MW | 50 MW | — | — |
| Mecosta County | 42,320 | ▼ 7.4% | 7 MW | — | — | — |
| Midland County | 83,754 | ▲ 2.1% | 1,854 MW | 206 MW | — | — |
| Montcalm County | 69,406 | ▲ 1.3% | 1,108 MW | 300 MW | — | — |
| Osceola County | 23,516 | ▲ 5.9% | 51 MW | — | — | — |
More of Michigan
Isabella County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Isabella County, Michigan?
4 utilities have service territory in Isabella County in the EIA-861 2024 report: DTE Electric Company, Consumers Energy Co - (MI), Tri-County Electric Coop (MI), Wolverine Power Supply Coop. The largest, DTE Electric Company, charged residential customers 20.13¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Mount Pleasant, MI in?
Mount Pleasant is in Isabella County, Michigan. About 20,925 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Union Township, MI in?
Union Township is in Isabella County, Michigan. About 11,850 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Isabella County?
4 operating plants with 722 MW of capacity. The largest is Isabella Wind Park (384 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Isabella County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Isabella County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Montcalm County.
Is Isabella County adding jobs?
Employers counted 26,856 jobs in 2025 against 28,562 in 2019 (-6.0%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 1,757 to 1,694.
Does Isabella County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Isabella County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.