Garfield County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Burwell
Garfield County is one of the places pushing back on the data center build-out. Garfield County is home to Burwell. The Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure here (0 in force); the latest is “Proposed county moratorium on data centers”. Unemployment was 2.1% in August 2026, against 3.2% in 2019. Employers here counted 780 jobs in 2025, down 3.5% from 2019. Its power plants have 4 MW of capacity, 100% of it petroleum.
Cities and towns in Garfield County
Garfield County is home to Burwell.
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 Garfield County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 1,807 | 1,710 | ▼ 5.4% | 77th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 808 | 780 | ▼ 3.5% | 72nd of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $31,660 | $41,402 | ▲ 30.8% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.2% | 2.1% | ▼ 1.1pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Custer Public Power District is the largest utility serving Garfield County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.71¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.86¢ median for Nebraska utilities. 1,710 people live here, down 5.4% since 2020.
Who powers Garfield County
Utilities with service territory in Garfield County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Custer Public Power District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 4,707 | 12.71¢ | 22% |
| City of Burwell - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| Loup Valleys Rural P P D | — | — | — | — | — |
| Niobrara Valley El Member Corp | — | — | — | — | — |
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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Petroleum | 4 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burwell | City of Burwell - (NE) | Petroleum | 4 MW | 1955 |
The Garfield County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 780 | $41,402 | 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 Garfield County
Local measures 1
| Measure | Status | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Proposed county moratorium on data centers | Proposed | — |
Garfield County and its neighbors
Of the 5 counties that border Garfield 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Garfield County | 1,710 | ▼ 3.5% | 4 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Custer County | 10,500 | ▲ 0.8% | 166 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Holt County | 10,067 | ▼ 2.0% | 402 MW | — | — | — |
| Loup County | 570 | ▼ 0.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Valley County | 4,094 | ▼ 3.1% | 12 MW | — | — | — |
| Wheeler County | 789 | ▲ 0.3% | — | — | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Garfield County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Garfield County, Nebraska?
4 utilities have service territory in Garfield County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Custer Public Power District, City of Burwell - (NE), Loup Valleys Rural P P D, Niobrara Valley El Member Corp. The largest, Custer Public Power District, charged residential customers 12.71¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Garfield County?
1 operating plant with 4 MW of capacity. The largest is Burwell (4 MW, petroleum).
Are there data centers in Garfield County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Garfield County.
Is Garfield County adding jobs?
Employers counted 780 jobs in 2025 against 808 in 2019 (-3.5%, BLS QCEW).
Does Garfield County have a data center moratorium?
The SAVRN Moratorium Tracker holds 1 local measure for Garfield County, 0 in force.