Nuckolls County, Nebraska: Power, Data Centers and the Local Economy
Home to Superior
Nuckolls 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. Nuckolls County is home to Superior. Employers here counted 1,636 jobs in 2025, up 10.0% from 2019 (the 9th fastest growth of 93 Nebraska counties). Unemployment was 2.0% in August 2026, against 2.9% in 2019. Its power plants have 1 MW of capacity, 100% of it solar. South Central Public Pwr Dist is the largest utility serving Nuckolls County, one of 3 with territory here. Its residential customers paid an average 9.54¢/kWh in 2024, below the 10.86¢ median for Nebraska utilities.
Cities and towns in Nuckolls County
Nuckolls County is home to Superior.
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 Nuckolls County
1st = the most. Ranks cover counties with a value on record.
| Measure | Then | Now | Change | Rank in Nebraska |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population (2020 → 2025) | 4,093 | 4,100 | ▲ 0.2% | 59th of 93 by size |
| Total jobs (2019 → 2025) | 1,487 | 1,636 | ▲ 10.0% | 9th of 93 by growth |
| Average annual pay (2019 → 2025) | $33,853 | $43,620 | ▲ 28.9% | — |
| Unemployment rate (2019 → August 2026) | 2.9% | 2.0% | ▼ 0.9pts | — |
| Generating capacity added since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — | |
| Generating capacity retired since 2019 | — | 0 MW | — |
4,100 people live here, up 0.2% since 2020.
Who powers Nuckolls County
Utilities with service territory in Nuckolls County
| Utility | Ownership | Service | Residential customers (systemwide) | Residential price, 2024 | Commercial share of sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Central Public Pwr Dist | Political Subdivision | Bundled | 3,777 | 9.54¢ | 62% |
| City of Nelson - (NE) | — | — | — | — | — |
| City of Superior - (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 1
| Technology | Capacity | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Solar | 1 MW | 100% |
| Largest plants | Owner | Technology | MW | Since |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Superior | Onsite Partners Projectco, LLC | Solar | 1 MW | 2018 |
The Nuckolls County labor market
| Industry (2025) | Jobs | Average pay | Concentration vs U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| All industries | 1,636 | $43,620 | 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 Nuckolls County
No data center, local measure or delayed project is on record in Nuckolls County. Nebraska has 23 local measures on record statewide, and 1 neighboring county has one: Fillmore County.
Nuckolls County and its neighbors
Of the 6 counties that border Nuckolls County, Republic 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nuckolls County | 4,100 | ▲ 10.0% | 1 MW | — | — | — |
| Clay County | 6,170 | ▼ 13.7% | — | — | — | — |
| Fillmore County | 5,458 | ▲ 8.8% | 7 MW | — | — | 1 |
| Jewell County KS | 2,830 | ▼ 7.9% | — | — | — | — |
| Republic County KS | 4,640 | ▲ 5.3% | 653 MW | 6 MW | — | — |
| Thayer County | 4,842 | ▼ 3.5% | 59 MW | — | — | — |
| Webster County | 3,336 | ▲ 1.7% | 347 MW | — | — | — |
More of Nebraska
Nuckolls County, answered from the record
Who provides electricity in Nuckolls County, Nebraska?
3 utilities have service territory in Nuckolls County in the EIA-861 2024 report: South Central Public Pwr Dist, City of Nelson - (NE), City of Superior - (NE). The largest, South Central Public Pwr Dist, charged residential customers 9.54¢/kWh on average in 2024.
What power plants are in Nuckolls County?
1 operating plant with 1 MW of capacity. The largest is City of Superior (1 MW, solar).
Are there data centers in Nuckolls County?
The SAVRN Data Center Map has no data center in Nuckolls County.
Is Nuckolls County adding jobs?
Employers counted 1,636 jobs in 2025 against 1,487 in 2019 (+10.0%, BLS QCEW).
Does Nuckolls County have a data center moratorium?
No county-level measure is on record for Nuckolls County. Nebraska has 23 local measures statewide, listed on the state page.