Dawson County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Lexington, Cozad and Gothenburg
No data center or power plant project is on record in Dawson County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Unemployment was 16.4% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019. Dawson County is home to Lexington, Cozad, Gothenburg and Overton. Construction employs 428, up 31.3% since 2019. Electrical contractors employ 80, up 29.0% since 2019 against up 17.5% statewide, at an average $58,554 a year. Next door, Buffalo County has 3 data centers.
Cities and towns in Dawson County
Dawson County is home to Lexington, Cozad, Gothenburg and Overton.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Willow Island.
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 Dawson County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 24,083 | 24,452 | ▲ 1.5% | 13th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 11,435 | 11,738 | ▲ 2.6% | 30th of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $40,796 | $51,835 | ▲ 27.1% | — |
| Construction jobs (2019 → 2025) | 326 | 428 | ▲ 31.3% | 8th of 35 by growth |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 62 | 80 | ▲ 29.0% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 16.4% | ▲ 13.4pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 3 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
3 MW of that came online in 2019 or later, mostly solar. Its power plants have 6 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. Employers here counted 11,738 jobs in 2025, up 2.6% from 2019. Dawson Power District is the largest utility serving Dawson County, one of 6 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 11.41¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.86¢ median for Nebraska utilities. 24,452 people live here, up 1.5% since 2020.
Who powers Dawson County
Net change in operating capacity since 2019: +3 MW. Colors follow the fuel legend above.
Utilities with service territory in Dawson County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson Power District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 16,080 | 11.41¢ | 13% |
| Southern Public Power District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 15,215 | 9.21¢ | 27% |
| Custer Public Power District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 4,707 | 12.71¢ | 22% |
| City of Lexington - (NE) | Municipal | Bundled | 3,815 | 10.01¢ | 18% |
| Cozad Board of Public Works | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Gothenburg - (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.
Operating power plants 3
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 6 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Lexington | Madison Energy Holdings LLC | Solar | 4 MW | 2017 |
| Monroe 009452 SCS Cozad, LLC | Arevon Energy, Inc. | Solar | 2 MW | 2021 |
| Airport 009239 SCS Lexington, LLC | Arevon Energy, Inc. | Solar | 1 MW | 2021 |
The Dawson County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 11,738 | $51,835 | 1.00 |
| Construction | 428 | $62,742 | 0.69 |
| Electrical contractors | 80 | $58,554 | 0.95 |
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 Dawson County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Dawson County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Custer County, Lincoln County.
Dawson County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Dawson County, Lincoln 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dawson County | 24,452 | ▲ 2.6% | 6 MW | — | — | — |
| Buffalo County | 51,172 | ▲ 3.6% | 7 MW | — | 3 | — |
| Custer County | 10,500 | ▲ 0.8% | 166 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Frontier County | 2,655 | ▼ 12.4% | 3 MW | — | — | — |
| Gosper County | 1,803 | ▲ 2.2% | 153 MW | — | — | — |
| Lincoln County | 33,303 | ▲ 6.3% | 1,410 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Phelps County | 8,994 | ▲ 2.5% | — | — | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Dawson County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dawson County, Nebraska?
6 utilities have service territory in Dawson County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Dawson Power District, Southern Public Power District, Custer Public Power District, City of Lexington - (NE). The largest, Dawson Power District, charged residential customers 11.41¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What county is Lexington, NE in?
Lexington is in Dawson County, Nebraska. About 11,176 people live there (2025 Census estimate).
What power plants are in Dawson County?
3 operating plants with 6 MW of capacity. The largest is City of Lexington (4 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Dawson County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Dawson County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Buffalo County.
Is Dawson County adding jobs?
Employers counted 11,738 jobs in 2025 against 11,435 in 2019 (+2.6%, BLS QCEW). Construction went from 326 to 428.
Does Dawson County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Dawson County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.