Dixon County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Wakefield Township and Wakefield
No data center or power plant project is on record in Dixon County, but the national build-out still reaches it through its utility bill, its labor market and the projects next door. Dixon County is home to Wakefield Township, most of Wakefield (1,166 of its 1,527 residents), Ponca and Springbank Township. Its power plants have 324 MW of capacity, 98% of it wind. Employers here counted 1,692 jobs in 2025, down 3.1% from 2019. Unemployment was 2.4% in August 2026, against 3.0% in 2019. Northeast Power is the largest utility serving Dixon County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 9.73¢/kWh in 2024, below the 10.86¢ median for Nebraska utilities.
Cities and towns in Dixon County
Dixon County is home to Wakefield Township, most of Wakefield (1,166 of its 1,527 residents), Ponca and Springbank Township.
- Wakefield also extends into Wayne County.
- Emerson also extends into Dakota County, Thurston County.
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 Dixon County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 5,581 | 5,602 | ▲ 0.4% | 49th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,746 | 1,692 | ▼ 3.1% | 69th of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $38,343 | $52,953 | ▲ 38.1% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.0% | 2.4% | ▼ 0.6pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
5,602 people live here, up 0.4% since 2020.
Who powers Dixon County
Utilities with service territory in Dixon County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northeast Power | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 6,846 | 9.73¢ | 61% |
| Cedar-Knox Public Power Dist | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 5,556 | 8.44¢ | 50% |
| City of Emerson - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Wakefield - (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 |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 318 MW | 98% |
| Petroleum | 4 MW | 1% |
| Natural gas | 2 MW | 0% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rattlesnake Creek Wind Project | Rattlesnake Creek Wind Project, LLC | Wind | 318 MW | 2018 |
| Wakefield | City of Wakefield - (NE) | Petroleum | 4 MW | 1915 |
| Emerson | City of Emerson - (NE) | Natural gas | 2 MW | 1947 |
The Dixon County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,692 | $52,953 | 1.00 |
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 Dixon County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Dixon County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide.
Dixon County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Dixon County, Wayne 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dixon County | 5,602 | ▼ 3.1% | 324 MW | — | — | — |
| Cedar County | 8,373 | ▲ 2.3% | 136 MW | — | — | — |
| Clay County SD | 15,031 | ▲ 0.2% | 135 MW | — | — | — |
| Dakota County | 21,687 | ▲ 11.9% | 4 MW | — | — | — |
| Thurston County | 6,752 | ▲ 9.7% | 5 MW | — | — | — |
| Union County SD | 17,402 | ▼ 3.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Wayne County | 10,020 | ▼ 5.9% | 710 MW | — | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Dixon County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Dixon County, Nebraska?
4 utilities have service territory in Dixon County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Northeast Power, Cedar-Knox Public Power Dist, City of Emerson - (NE), City of Wakefield - (NE). The largest, Northeast Power, charged residential customers 9.73¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Dixon County?
3 operating plants with 324 MW of capacity. The largest is Rattlesnake Creek Wind Project (318 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Dixon County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Dixon County.
Is Dixon County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,692 jobs in 2025 against 1,746 in 2019 (-3.1%, BLS QCEW).
Does Dixon County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Dixon County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.