Knox County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Creighton
Knox 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. Knox County is home to Creighton, Bloomfield, Hill Township and Crofton. Electrical contractors employ 12, up 33.3% since 2019 against up 17.5% statewide, at an average $32,166 a year. Next door, Yankton County, South Dakota, has 2 data centers. Unemployment was 2.5% in August 2026, against 3.4% in 2019. Its power plants have 121 MW of capacity, 100% of it wind.
Cities and towns in Knox County
Knox County is home to Creighton, Bloomfield, Hill Township and Crofton.
And 14 smaller places.
Unincorporated communities (governed by the county): Lindy.
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 Knox County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 8,377 | 8,335 | ▼ 0.5% | 34th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 2,892 | 2,900 | ▲ 0.3% | 47th of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $35,179 | $45,269 | ▲ 28.7% | — |
| Electrical contractor jobs (2019 → 2025) | 9 | 12 | ▲ 33.3% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 3.4% | 2.5% | ▼ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
Nebraska Public Power District is the largest utility serving Knox County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 10.63¢/kWh in 2024. Employers here counted 2,900 jobs in 2025, up 0.3% from 2019. 8,335 people live here, down 0.5% since 2020.
Who powers Knox County
Utilities with service territory in Knox 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% |
| Cedar-Knox Public Power Dist | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 5,556 | 8.44¢ | 50% |
| Niobrara Valley El Member Corp | — | — | — | — | — |
| North Central Public Pwr Dist | — | — | — | — | — |
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 2
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Wind | 121 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elkhorn Ridge Wind LLC | Elkhorn Ridge Wind, LLC | Wind | 81 MW | 2009 |
| Crofton Bluffs Wind LLC | Crofton Bluffs Wind, LLC | Wind | 40 MW | 2012 |
The Knox County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,900 | $45,269 | 1.00 |
| Electrical contractors | 12 | $32,166 | 0.57 |
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 Knox County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Knox County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Yankton County.
Knox County and its neighbors
Of the 8 counties that border Knox County, Antelope 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knox County | 8,335 | ▲ 0.3% | 121 MW | — | — | — |
| Antelope County | 6,352 | ▲ 0.2% | 818 MW | — | — | — |
| Bon Homme County SD | 7,244 | ▼ 2.9% | 80 MW | — | — | — |
| Boyd County | 1,674 | ▼ 9.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Cedar County | 8,373 | ▲ 2.3% | 136 MW | — | — | — |
| Charles Mix County SD | 9,303 | ▲ 4.4% | 320 MW | — | — | — |
| Holt County | 10,067 | ▼ 2.0% | 402 MW | — | — | — |
| Pierce County | 7,378 | ▲ 2.7% | 2 MW | — | — | — |
| Yankton County SD | 23,635 | ▼ 0.2% | 233 MW | — | 2 | 2 |
More of Nebraska
Knox County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Knox County, Nebraska?
4 utilities have service territory in Knox County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Nebraska Public Power District, Cedar-Knox Public Power Dist, Niobrara Valley El Member Corp, North Central Public Pwr Dist. The largest, Nebraska Public Power District, charged residential customers 10.63¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Knox County?
2 operating plants with 121 MW of capacity. The largest is Elkhorn Ridge Wind LLC (81 MW, wind).
Are there data centers in Knox County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Knox County. The nearest activity on record is next door in Yankton County.
Is Knox County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,900 jobs in 2025 against 2,892 in 2019 (+0.3%, BLS QCEW).
Does Knox County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Knox County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.