Dawes County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Chadron
Dawes 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. Dawes County is home to Chadron and Crawford. Electrical contractors employ 13, up 8.3% since 2019 against up 17.5% statewide, at an average $40,253 a year. Nebraska Public Power District is the largest utility serving Dawes County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 10.63¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 3,088 jobs in 2025, up 1.5% from 2019. Unemployment was 2.9% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019.
Cities and towns in Dawes County
Dawes County is home to Chadron and Crawford.
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 Dawes County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 8,157 | 7,858 | ▼ 3.7% | 37th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,043 | 3,088 | ▲ 1.5% | 41st of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $34,527 | $43,187 | ▲ 25.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 88 | 83 | ▼ 5.7% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 12 | 13 | ▲ 8.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 2.9% | ▼ 0.3pts | — |
7,858 people live here, down 3.7% since 2020.
Who powers Dawes County
Utilities with service territory in Dawes 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 Electric Assn, Inc | — | — | — | — | — |
| Northwest Rural Pub Pwr Dist | — | — | — | — | — |
| 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 Dawes County in the EIA-860M inventory. Its power comes over the grid from plants elsewhere.
The Dawes County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 3,088 | $43,187 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 83 | $45,360 | 0.51 |
| Electrical contractors | 13 | $40,253 | 0.58 |
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 Dawes County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Dawes County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Box Butte County.
Dawes County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Dawes County, Fall River 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawes County | 7,858 | ▲ 1.5% | — | — | — | — |
| Box Butte County | 10,494 | ▼ 0.7% | 9 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Fall River County SD | 7,467 | ▲ 2.2% | 80 MW | — | — | — |
| Oglala Lakota County SD | 13,338 | ▲ 3.3% | — | — | — | — |
| Sheridan County | 4,809 | ▲ 2.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Sioux County | 1,188 | ▲ 16.6% | — | — | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Dawes County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dawes County, Nebraska?
4 utilities have service territory in Dawes County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Nebraska Public Power District, Niobrara Electric Assn, Inc, Northwest Rural Pub Pwr Dist, 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 Dawes County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Dawes County.
Is Dawes County adding jobs?
Employers counted 3,088 jobs in 2025 against 3,043 in 2019 (+1.5%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 88 to 83.
Does Dawes County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Dawes County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.