St. Joseph County, Michigan: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sturgis, Three Rivers and Constantine Township
No data center or power plant project is on record in St. Joseph County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. St. Joseph County is home to Sturgis, Three Rivers, Constantine Township and White Pigeon Township. Construction employs 692, up 37.3% since 2019. Next door, Calhoun County has 1,500 MW of planned generation. Employers here counted 20,801 jobs in 2025, down 11.6% from 2019. 15 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar.
Cities and towns in St. Joseph County
St. Joseph County is home to Sturgis, Three Rivers, Constantine Township and White Pigeon 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 St. Joseph County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Michigan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 60,923 | 60,968 | ▲ 0.1% | 33rd of 83 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 23,524 | 20,801 | ▼ 11.6% | 81st of 83 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $37,942 | $55,676 | ▲ 46.7% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 504 | 692 | ▲ 37.3% | 8th of 69 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.1% | 5.0% | ▲ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 15 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Owners plan to retire 2 MW more by 2035, led by Mottville in 2033. Unemployment was 5.0% in August 2026, against 4.1% in 2019. Its power plants have 26 MW of capacity, 58% of it solar. Consumers Energy Co - (MI) is the largest utility serving St. Joseph County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 19.11¢/kWh in 2024, above the 16.89¢ median for Michigan utilities. 60,968 people live here, up 0.1% since 2020.
Who powers St. Joseph County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +15 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in St. Joseph 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% |
| Indiana Michigan Power Co | Investor Owned | Bundled | 112,600 | 17.00¢ | 37% |
| Midwest Energy Cooperative - (MI) | Cooperative | Bundled | 29,283 | 19.91¢ | 41% |
| City of Sturgis - (MI) | Municipal | Bundled | 6,117 | 14.71¢ | 18% |
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 5
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 15 MW | 58% |
| Natural gas | 6 MW | 23% |
| Hydro | 5 MW | 19% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electric City Solar | Greenbacker Renewable Energy Corporation | Solar | 15 MW | 2020 |
| Sturgis City Diesel Plant | City of Sturgis - (MI) | Natural gas | 6 MW | 1981 |
| Hydro Plant | City of Sturgis - (MI) | Hydro | 2 MW | 1911 |
| Mottville | Indiana Michigan Power Co | Hydro | 2 MW | 1923 |
| Constantine | Indiana Michigan Power Co | Hydro | 1 MW | 1923 |
Scheduled to retire
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mottville | Hydro | 2 MW | 2033 |
The St. Joseph County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 20,801 | $55,676 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 692 | $76,923 | 0.63 |
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 St. Joseph County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in St. Joseph County. Michigan has 91 local measures on record statewide, and 3 neighboring counties have one: Calhoun County, Cass County, LaGrange County.
St. Joseph County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border St. Joseph County, Calhoun 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| St. Joseph County | 60,968 | ▼ 11.6% | 26 MW | — | — | — |
| Branch County | 45,993 | ▲ 8.8% | 641 MW | 100 MW | — | — |
| Calhoun County | 133,408 | ▲ 1.1% | 624 MW | 1,500 MW | — | 1 |
| Cass County | 51,677 | ▲ 2.0% | 1,174 MW | 150 MW | 2 | 2 |
| Elkhart County IN | 208,774 | ▼ 4.6% | 114 MW | — | — | — |
| Kalamazoo County | 263,795 | ▲ 0.9% | 96 MW | 220 MW | 1 | — |
| LaGrange County IN | 41,305 | ▲ 4.3% | — | — | — | 1 |
| Van Buren County | 76,071 | ▼ 0.7% | 1,988 MW | 85 MW | — | — |
More of Michigan
St. Joseph County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in St. Joseph County, Michigan?
4 utilities have service territory in St. Joseph County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Consumers Energy Co - (MI), Indiana Michigan Power Co, Midwest Energy Cooperative - (MI), City of Sturgis - (MI). The largest, Consumers Energy Co - (MI), charged residential customers 19.11¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Sturgis, MI in?
Sturgis is in St. Joseph County, Michigan. About 10,900 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in St. Joseph County?
5 operating plants with 26 MW of capacity. The largest is Electric City Solar (15 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in St. Joseph County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in St. Joseph County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Calhoun County.
Is St. Joseph County adding jobs?
Employers counted 20,801 jobs in 2025 against 23,524 in 2019 (-11.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 504 to 692.
Does St. Joseph County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for St. Joseph County. Michigan has 91 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.