Boyd County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Boyd County is not a build-out site today. It feels the boom through the grid it shares, the utilities that serve it and the work nearby. Boyd County is home to Spencer Township. Employers here counted 537 jobs in 2025, down 9.9% from 2019. Unemployment was 2.5% in August 2026, against 3.6% in 2019. 2 MW has retired here since 2019, including Spencer Hydro (hydro, 2 MW, 2019). Nebraska Public Power District is the largest utility serving Boyd County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 10.63¢/kWh in 2024.
Cities and towns in Boyd County
Boyd County is home to Spencer 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 Boyd County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,810 | 1,674 | ▼ 7.5% | 78th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 596 | 537 | ▼ 9.9% | 86th of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,847 | $37,400 | ▲ 4.3% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 15 | 9 | ▼ 40.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.6% | 2.5% | ▼ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 2 MW | — |
1,674 people live here, down 7.5% since 2020.
Who powers Boyd County
Utilities with service territory in Boyd County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska Public Power District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 73,650 | 10.63¢ | 28% |
| Niobrara Valley El Member Corp | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Spencer - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration | Federal | Bundled | — | — | 98% |
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 Boyd County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
Retired since 2019
| Plant | Technology | MW | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer Hydro | Hydro | 2 MW | 2019 |
The Boyd County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 537 | $37,400 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 9 | $38,180 | 0.32 |
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 Boyd County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Boyd County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide.
Boyd County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Boyd County, Holt 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boyd County | 1,674 | ▼ 9.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Charles Mix County SD | 9,303 | ▲ 4.4% | 320 MW | — | — | — |
| Gregory County SD | 4,037 | ▲ 6.1% | — | — | — | — |
| Holt County | 10,067 | ▼ 2.0% | 402 MW | — | — | — |
| Keya Paha County | 792 | ▲ 2.9% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Knox County | 8,335 | ▲ 0.3% | 121 MW | — | — | — |
| Rock County | 1,259 | ▲ 0.7% | — | — | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Boyd County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Boyd County, Nebraska?
4 utilities have service territory in Boyd County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Nebraska Public Power District, Niobrara Valley El Member Corp, City of Spencer - (NE), WAPA-- Western Area Power Administration. The largest, Nebraska Public Power District, charged residential customers 10.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Boyd County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Boyd County.
Is Boyd County adding jobs?
Employers counted 537 jobs in 2025 against 596 in 2019 (-9.9%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 15 to 9.
Does Boyd County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Boyd County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.