Nemaha County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Auburn
Nemaha County hosts some of the generating capacity Nebraska runs on. Nemaha County is home to Auburn and Peru. Its power plants have 820 MW of capacity, 98% of it nuclear, the 5th largest fleet in Nebraska. Unemployment was 3.2% in August 2026, against 4.0% in 2019. Employers here counted 2,905 jobs in 2025, down 3.7% from 2019. Omaha Public Power District is the largest utility serving Nemaha County, one of 4 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 12.36¢/kWh in 2024, above the 10.86¢ median for Nebraska utilities.
Cities and towns in Nemaha County
Nemaha County is home to Auburn and Peru.
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 Nemaha County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 7,086 | 7,102 | ▲ 0.2% | 40th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 3,016 | 2,905 | ▼ 3.7% | 73rd of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $51,819 | $69,697 | ▲ 34.5% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 4.0% | 3.2% | ▼ 0.8pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
7,102 people live here, up 0.2% since 2020.
Who powers Nemaha County
Utilities with service territory in Nemaha County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Omaha Public Power District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 362,918 | 12.36¢ | 48% |
| Nebraska Public Power District | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 73,650 | 10.63¢ | 28% |
| Auburn Board of Public Works | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Nebraska City | — | — | — | — | — |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | 801 MW | 98% |
| Natural gas | 19 MW | 2% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cooper Nuclear Station | Nebraska Public Power District | Nuclear | 801 MW | 1974 |
| Auburn | Auburn Board of Public Works | Natural gas | 19 MW | 1949 |
The Nemaha County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 2,905 | $69,697 | 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 Nemaha County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Nemaha County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide, and 2 neighboring counties have one: Johnson County, Otoe County.
Nemaha County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Nemaha County, Otoe 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nemaha County | 7,102 | ▼ 3.7% | 820 MW | — | — | — |
| Atchison County MO | 5,175 | ▲ 4.0% | 800 MW | — | — | — |
| Holt County MO | 4,200 | ▲ 4.4% | — | — | — | — |
| Johnson County | 5,218 | ▼ 2.6% | 7 MW | 4 MW | — | 1 |
| Otoe County | 16,531 | ▲ 0.2% | 1,433 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Pawnee County | 2,510 | ▼ 6.8% | — | — | — | — |
| Richardson County | 7,530 | ▼ 5.9% | 91 MW | — | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Nemaha County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Nemaha County, Nebraska?
4 utilities have service territory in Nemaha County in the EIA-861 2024 report: Omaha Public Power District, Nebraska Public Power District, Auburn Board of Public Works, City of Nebraska City. The largest, Omaha Public Power District, charged residential customers 12.36¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Nemaha County?
2 operating plants with 820 MW of capacity. The largest is Cooper Nuclear Station (801 MW, nuclear).
Are there data centers in Nemaha County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Nemaha County.
Is Nemaha County adding jobs?
Employers counted 2,905 jobs in 2025 against 3,016 in 2019 (-3.7%, BLS QCEW).
Does Nemaha County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Nemaha County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.