Mackinac County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to St. Ignace, Clark Township and Garfield Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in Mackinac County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Unemployment was 3.5% in August 2026, against 9.6% in 2019. Mackinac County is home to St. Ignace, Clark Township, Garfield Township and Moran Township. Construction employs 251, up 5.9% since 2019. Employers here counted 4,804 jobs in 2025, up 4.7% from 2019. Cloverland Electric Co-op is the largest utility serving Mackinac County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 14.37¢/kWh in 2024, below the 16.89¢ median for Michigan utilities.
Cities and towns in Mackinac County
Mackinac County is home to St. Ignace, Clark Township, Garfield Township and Moran Township.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Naubinway.
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 Mackinac County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 10,821 | 11,236 | ▲ 3.8% | 74th of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,587 | 4,804 | ▲ 4.7% | 22nd of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,522 | $52,449 | ▲ 51.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 237 | 251 | ▲ 5.9% | 48th of 69 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 9.6% | 3.5% | ▼ 6.1pts | — |
11,236 people live here, up 3.8% since 2020.
Who powers Mackinac County
Utilities with service territory in Mackinac County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cloverland Electric Co-op | Cooperative | Bundled | 36,086 | 14.37¢ | 40% |
| Presque Isle Elec & Gas Coop | Cooperative | Bundled | 32,446 | 20.99¢ | 16% |
Customer counts, prices and sales shares cover each utility's whole system in the state, not only this county. Commercial sales include data centers.
No operating power plant is located in Mackinac County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Mackinac County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 4,804 | $52,449 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 251 | $51,185 | 0.99 |
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 Mackinac County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Mackinac County. Michigan has 91 local measures on record statewide.
Mackinac County and its neighbors
Of the 3 counties that border Mackinac County, Chippewa 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mackinac County | 11,236 | ▲ 4.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Chippewa County | 36,081 | ▲ 3.8% | 89 MW | — | — | — |
| Luce County | 6,339 | ▲ 6.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Schoolcraft County | 8,187 | ▲ 5.3% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
More of Michigan
Mackinac County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Mackinac County, Michigan?
2 utilities have service territory in Mackinac County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Cloverland Electric Co-op, Presque Isle Elec & Gas Coop. The largest, Cloverland Electric Co-op, charged residential customers 14.37¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Mackinac County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Mackinac County.
Is Mackinac County adding jobs?
Employers counted 4,804 jobs in 2025 against 4,587 in 2019 (+4.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 237 to 251.
Does Mackinac County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Mackinac County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.