Oakland County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Troy, Farmington Hills and Rochester Hills
The data center boom is not abstract in Oakland County: it is on the ground here. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 19 data centers in Oakland County, 32% of Michigan's total. Oakland County is home to Troy, Farmington Hills, Rochester Hills and Southfield. Electrical contractors employ 6,675, up 45.5% since 2019 against up 23.2% statewide, at an average $105,826 a year. Construction employs 32,969, up 21.1% since 2019. Unemployment was 4.7% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Oakland County
Oakland County is home to Troy, Farmington Hills, Rochester Hills and Southfield.
And 16 smaller places.
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 Oakland County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,272,524 | 1,288,337 | ▲ 1.2% | 2nd of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 746,341 | 720,266 | ▼ 3.5% | 66th of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $63,708 | $80,231 | ▲ 25.9% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 27,227 | 32,969 | ▲ 21.1% | 22nd of 69 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 4,588 | 6,675 | ▲ 45.5% | — |
| Power line construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 423 | 644 | ▲ 52.2% | — |
| Electric utility jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,402 | 1,529 | ▲ 9.1% | — |
| Data processing and hosting jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,786 | 1,978 | ▲ 10.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 4.7% | ▲ 1.3pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 45 MW | — |
45 MW has retired here since 2019, including Hancock (natural gas, 39 MW, 2019). Its power plants have 152 MW of capacity, 80% of it natural gas. Employers here counted 720,266 jobs in 2025, down 3.5% from 2019. DTE Electric Company is the largest utility serving Oakland County, one of 2 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 20.13¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.89¢ median for Michigan utilities. 1,288,337 people live here, up 1.2% since 2020, 2nd of 83 Michigan counties by population.
Who powers Oakland County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: −45 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Oakland 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% |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Natural gas | 122 MW | 80% |
| Petroleum | 27 MW | 18% |
| Other technologies | 3 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock | DTE Electric Company | Natural gas | 122 MW | 1966 |
| Placid 12 | DTE Electric Company | Petroleum | 14 MW | 1970 |
| Putnam (MI) | DTE Electric Company | Petroleum | 14 MW | 1971 |
| Eagle Valley (MI) | WM Renewable Energy LLC | Other technologies | 3 MW | 2011 |
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock | Natural gas | 39 MW | 2019 |
| William Beaumont Hospital | Petroleum | 4 MW | 2022 |
| Par Sterile Products | Natural gas | 3 MW | 2020 |
The Oakland County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 720,266 | $80,231 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 32,969 | $100,789 | 0.86 |
| Electrical contractors | 6,675 | $105,826 | 1.29 |
| Power and communication line construction | 644 | $98,581 | 0.55 |
| Electric utilities | 1,529 | $169,038 | 0.78 |
| Data processing and hosting | 1,978 | $135,639 | 0.88 |
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 Oakland County
19 data centers in Oakland County are on the SAVRN Data Center Map.
Oakland County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Oakland County, Wayne 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oakland County | 1,288,337 | ▼ 3.5% | 152 MW | — | 19 | — |
| Genesee County | 401,093 | ▼ 0.7% | 117 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Lapeer County | 89,516 | ▲ 3.4% | 48 MW | — | — | — |
| Livingston County | 197,315 | ▲ 2.0% | 14 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Macomb County | 886,221 | ▲ 0.2% | 135 MW | — | 1 | 1 |
| Washtenaw County | 370,214 | ▲ 0.3% | 316 MW | 100 MW | 4 | — |
| Wayne County | 1,769,038 | ▼ 1.7% | 1,311 MW | 237 MW | 10 | — |
More of Michigan
Oakland County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Oakland County, Michigan?
2 utilities have service territory in Oakland County in the EIA-861 2024 report: DTE Electric Company, Consumers Energy Co - (MI). The largest, DTE Electric Company, charged residential customers 20.13¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Troy, MI in?
Troy is in Oakland County, Michigan. About 88,733 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Farmington Hills, MI in?
Farmington Hills is in Oakland County, Michigan. About 83,291 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What county is Rochester Hills, MI in?
Rochester Hills is in Oakland County, Michigan. About 77,539 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Oakland County?
4 operating plants with 152 MW of capacity. The largest is Hancock (122 MW, natural gas).
Are there data centers in Oakland County?
Yes. The SAVRN Data Center Map lists 19 data centers in Oakland County.
Is Oakland County adding jobs?
Employers counted 720,266 jobs in 2025 against 746,341 in 2019 (-3.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 27,227 to 32,969.
Does Oakland County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Oakland County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.