Clay County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Sutton and Harvard Township
Clay 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. Clay County is home to Sutton, Harvard Township, Harvard and Clay Center. Construction employs 212, up 11.6% since 2019, and construction is 2.0 times as concentrated here as in the U.S. economy. Employers here counted 2,036 jobs in 2025, down 13.7% from 2019. Unemployment was 2.1% in August 2026, against 3.3% in 2019. Southern Public Power District is the largest utility serving Clay County, one of 5 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 9.21¢/kWh in 2024, below the 10.86¢ median for Nebraska utilities.
Cities and towns in Clay County
Clay County is home to Sutton, Harvard Township, Harvard and Clay Center.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Inland.
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 Clay County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 6,101 | 6,170 | ▲ 1.1% | 47th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,359 | 2,036 | ▼ 13.7% | 91st of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $43,194 | $53,715 | ▲ 24.4% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 190 | 212 | ▲ 11.6% | 25th of 35 by growth |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.3% | 2.1% | ▼ 1.2pts | — |
6,170 people live here, up 1.1% since 2020.
Who powers Clay County
Utilities with service territory in Clay County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern Public Power District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 15,215 | 9.21¢ | 27% |
| City of Hastings - (NE) | Municipal | Bundled | 11,611 | 11.32¢ | 26% |
| Perennial Public Power Dist | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 4,142 | 9.74¢ | 4% |
| South Central Public Pwr Dist | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 3,777 | 9.54¢ | 62% |
| City of Sutton - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
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 Clay County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Clay County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,036 | $53,715 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 212 | $68,983 | 1.97 |
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 Clay County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Clay County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Fillmore County.
Clay County and its neighbors
Of the 7 counties that border Clay County, Adams 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clay County | 6,170 | ▼ 13.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Adams County | 31,071 | ▲ 1.7% | 388 MW | — | — | — |
| Fillmore County | 5,458 | ▲ 8.8% | 7 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Hamilton County | 9,678 | ▲ 11.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Nuckolls County | 4,100 | ▲ 10.0% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Thayer County | 4,842 | ▼ 3.5% | 59 MW | — | — | — |
| Webster County | 3,336 | ▲ 1.7% | 347 MW | — | — | — |
| York County | 14,564 | ▲ 0.4% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Clay County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Clay County, Nebraska?
5 utilities have service territory in Clay County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Southern Public Power District, City of Hastings - (NE), Perennial Public Power Dist, South Central Public Pwr Dist. The largest, Southern Public Power District, charged residential customers 9.21¢/kWh on average in 2024.
Are there data centers in Clay County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Clay County.
Is Clay County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,036 jobs in 2025 against 2,359 in 2019 (-13.7%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 190 to 212.
Does Clay County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Clay County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.